Who's Been Sleeping In My House :: Starts Monday, Nov 21

Have you considered tracing the family history of your home? Who’s Been Sleeping In My House?, is a wonderful new series from the ABC that does just that. Archaeologist and presenter Adam Ford uses the tools of his trade – public records and a good spade – to discover the histories of eight houses around Australia, and the generations of families who've called them home. Think Time Team + Grand Designs rolled into one show! In the first episode, Ford travels to the heart of Ballarat in Victoria. Here, he tells Inside History why he loves digging up the past.

Inside History Magazine: It’s fascinating to see where the trail of clues leads you once you start digging. What is your highlight from the series?

Adam Ford: One of the great things about this show is that I get to do what I do! That is - go on an adventure into the past, which I have done for the past 20 years in various parts of the world. While that sounds a bit romantic, the past is (to paraphrase L.P. Hartley) a foreign country and to explore it is to go on an adventure. The highlight of this show is that the past histories of the houses are completely unknown and I get to dig them out of the records and, in some cases, the buildings themselves.

IHM: It must have been rewarding to discover the story of the 1860s dining room in episode 1 (airing Monday, November 21, 8pm).

Adam Ford: The question of the dining room was really unusual and I wasn’t certain that we were going to find the answer so, yes it was very satisfying. More satisfying and rewarding was being able to reveal the histories of the houses to the owners. In every case they were amazed and quite moved by the stories.

IHM: How and why did you choose these eight houses for the series?

Adam Ford: In a way the houses chose us. We had a look at a lot of places but these eight stood out. Not only are they beautiful, but also all had a fascinating story to tell.

IHM: What’s the first thing someone should do when researching their house?

Adam Ford: Well apart from dropping us a line - www.abc.net.au/tv/whosbeensleeping - the first port of call should be those champions of history keeping, the local libraries and local historical societies. Not only will they be able to point you in the right direction, they will probably provide you with the right questions to ask to get you moving.

IHM: Is there any hidden history about your own home in Victoria, that you’re wanting to dig up?

Adam Ford: Unfortunately not. My house was built in the 1980s – it’s a beautiful mud brick barn of a place but not very old. Mind you, we are bringing up our two daughters in it so we are creating history every day.

Who’s Been Sleeping In My House? starts, November 21 at 8pm on ABC1.



Related stories: Find out how to research the history of your house in issue 5 of Inside History. Go online to read here.

Issue 5 :: Tracing your Chinese Ancestor - Additional details

Do you have a Chinese ancestor in your family tree? Or just curious to know more about this fascinating part of our history?

Here, historian and Inside History contributor Kate Bagnall offers some reading suggestions to get you started:

• Kate Bagnall, Golden Shadows on a White Land, PhD thesis, University of Sydney, 2006. Available online.
• Dinah Hales, ‘Local histories: Chinese-European families of central western New South Wales, 1850–80’, Journal of Australian Colonial History, vol. 6, 2004, pp. 93-112. 
• Morag Loh & Christine Ramsay, Survival and Celebration: An Insight into the Lives of Chinese Immigrant Women, European Women Married to Chinese and their Female Children in Australia from 1856 to 1986, Melbourne, 1986. 
• Sandi Robb, ‘Myths, lies and invisible lives: European women and Chinese men in North Queensland’, Lilith, vol. 12, 2003, pp. 95-109. 
• Pauline Rule, ‘A tale of three sisters: Australian-Chinese marriages in colonial Victoria’, in K. Pookong, C. Ho, P. Macgregor & G. Presland (eds), Chinese in Oceania, Melbourne, 2002, pp. 65-76. 

Remember your local library can help with interlibrary loans, or you can use the National Library’s Copies Direct service. And you can read Kate Bagnall's brilliant article on tracing Chinese-Australian families from the 1800s in Issue 5 of Inside History.

Issue # 5 Giveaway Winners Announced

The entries have gone into the draw and the winners are! Congratulations to:

[1] Games from Historical Houses Trust NSW

• L Story, Brassall, QLD

[2] John Gould & Australia: The Business of Nature

• B Johnson, Claremont, TAS
• E Chappell, Glen Innes, NSW

[3] 1835: The Founding of Melbourne & the Conquest of Australia

• H Whiting, Coolangatta Qld
• J Watson, Fern Tree Gully, VIC

All our winners will receive a confirmation email and their prize in the mail very soon.

Thanks to our amazing supporters :: Historic Houses Trust NSW, National Library of Australia and Black Inc Books for making our Issue # 5 giveaways possible!

[1]  A little piece of history - games from Historical Houses Trust NSW

What better way to way to beat the winter chill than with some fun family games we all love? And one lucky reader will win all three, thanks to our friends at Historical House Trust.

There's Hopla, Beetle Game and the Educated Monkey, a bestseller at the HHT museum shops in Sydney. Invented in the US in 1916, this clever chap will help little historians to remember their times tables just as kids did in the 1920s! Just move the metal frame at the bottom, and the monkey will tell you the answer to your calculation. Clever!

How do you win all three games? Simply send your name and contact details to Inside History, HHT giveaway, PO Box 406, Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, August 30, 2011.

If you can't wait to see if you've won, order these games, and much more, by visiting www.hht.net.au

[2]  John Gould & Australia: The Business of Nature by Roslyn Russell

A driven - and a self-made man - the Devon-born John Gould carved out a career in natural science which led him and his wife to Tasmania in 1838 and then the mainland to document the wildlife. Exquisite artwork by Gould's artists, alongside his own expert commentary, was the result. This wonderfully illustrated book examines the life of the man often considered to be the "father of Australian ornithology".

To win one of two copies, send your name and contact details to Inside History, John Gould Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, August 30, 2011.

A big thank you to the National Library of Australia for supporting this great Gould giveaway!

[3]  1835: The Founding of Melbourne & the Conquest of Australia by James Boyce

In his latest book, James Boyce brings to life the settlement of Melbourne, form its illegal beginnings to the conquering of the Australian frontier. With a fresh and poignant approach, he looks at the government power plays that resulted in the flood of settlers to the area, and looks at the characters who play an important in the area's history.

To learn more about Boyce and his most recent work, read our interview on page 61 of Issue # 5 of Inside History magazine.

To enter, send your name and contact details to Inside History, Unlock the Past Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm, June 28

A big thank you to Melbourne's Black Inc Books for supporting this giveaway!

Terms and conditions:
Entries close 5pm, 30/08/11. Winners will be drawn at random and notified on 06/09/11. The prize is not transferable and not redeemable for cash. Please indicate if you'd like to opt out of our mailing list. Inside History won't ever share your details with a third party.

Issue # 5 is now available!

Inside History magazine is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our July-August edition (issue 5):

• It's census time! How can you help family historians in the future?
• Discover the secrets to dating old photos
• How to research the history of your house
• We take a look at Tilly Devine’s neighbourhood
• How to find Chinese ancestors
• Tracing postcards from the 1870s
• Subscribe and receive 25% off at Blurb
• And much more!

Issues # 1, # 2, # 3, # 4 and # 5 are available online now! Order now online.

Issue # 5 is available in newsagents from 15th July 2011. For Western Australian readers, IHM will be available on Monday, 18th July.

Authors to look out for in Issue # 5:

• Historian :: Kate Bagnall
• UK genealogist :: Else Churchill
• NZ genealogist :: Christine Clement
• Australian genealogist :: Megan Gibson
• Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall
• Librarian :: Jenny Higgins
• Journalist :: Ben James
• Journalist :: Alice Johnson
• Ephemera collector :: Pieter Koster
• Family historian :: Neil Hall
• Health microbiologist :: Helen Smith
• Dress historian :: Jayne Shrimpton
• Historian :: Mark St Leon
• Journalist :: Kirsten Wade

Have a sneak peak inside our shiny new magazine; Issue # 5, July - August.

Save 25% off self publishing with Blurb

Subscribe to Inside History now and get 25% off at Blurb!

Want to create a book about your family tree? Or perhaps your local history society? Get creative, and save 25%, thanks to Blurb. With prices from $3.50, the possibilities are endless!

To take up this offer, simply subscribe to Inside History by 5pm, 1st December, 2011, and we’ll send you a voucher code to claim your discount! Self publish your family history today.

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