50 genealogy blogs you need to read in 2013!

Inside History’s 2nd Annual Genealogy Blog Awards are here! With the help of geneablogger Jill Ball, we’ve compiled our best 50 blogs from around the world. Get ready for “a glorious and unforgettable ride”. Drum roll, please…

What makes a geneablog great? Many people’s responses to this question via Twitter and Google+ have guided the choices here for Inside History’s 2nd Annual Genealogy Blog Awards.

The suggestion that most struck a chord was from Caroline Pointer who wrote, ‘Ones that take me on a glorious and unforgettable ride. And all the other stuff everyone else suggested.’ Our respondents looked for elements such as accuracy, commitment, consistency, content, originality, photographs, tone and writing style, while a few people touched on the technical aspects of a blog like a clean appearance, and no junk ads. Alona Tester suggested, ‘useful bits like blog archives [and] search, subscribe and share buttons’. Blogs that are easy to find, access and navigate rated highly here; blogs are a collaborative medium so bloggers need to make it easy for readers to interact with their audience. The relevance of these features varies from blog to blog depending on their style and purpose.

Surprisingly, no-one suggested passion, which is an extension of commitment. When examining the blogs for this list, commitment from an institutional or commercial blog, or passion from a personal blog rated highly. A blogger does not have to post daily to have commitment, but it needs to be on a regular basis be it daily, weekly or monthly. Readers also need to know what to expect, and this should be communicated in an About page on a blog. Other static pages such as calendars, contact details, disclosures and other relevant information also add value. Originality was the feature that received the most mentions and this has been a big factor in determining the awards. In the words of one respondent, we were looking for blogs that contain more than ‘simply press releases’. It’s great to see new blogs being launched all the time in the geneablogging world, and some of these are included here, such as Irish Genealogy News and Jax Trax.

The following list of Inside History’s top 50 blogs for 2013 is divided into categories and is listed in alphabetical order rather than rank or order of merit. So without any further ado, let’s reveal which blogs from around the globe made it onto our must-read (and must-follow) list for 2013…

Institutions:
Stay up to date with what some of our leading institutions are doing when it comes to family history. Here are a few that we like to read:

1. Archives Outside, archivesoutside.records.nsw.gov.au
2. Australian War Memorial, www.awm.gov.au/blog
3. Dictionary of Sydney, trust.dictionaryofsydney.org/category/blog
4. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol
5. Kintalk, Auckland City Libraries, kintalkfamilyhistory.blogspot.com
6. Manly Families, Manly Library, manlyfamilies.blogspot.com
7. Moonee Valley History, mooneevalleyfamilylocalhistory.blogspot.com.au
8. Perth History Centre, community.perth.wa.gov.au/historycentre
9. Public Record Office Victoria, prov.vic.gov.au/publications/blog
10. National Library of Australia, blogs.nla.gov.au/the-eloquent-page
11. The National Archives, blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Organisations Want to be the first to know when new records or techy features are released? Here are our favourite blogs from genealogy organisations:

12. Ancestry.com.au, blogs.ancestry.com/au
13. Billion Graves, blog.billiongraves.com
14. FamilySearch, familysearch.org/blog
15. findmypast.com, blog.findmypast.com
16. Geneanet Genealogy Blog, genealogyblog.geneanet.org
17. Gould Genealogy and History News, www.gouldgenealogy.com
18. Legacy Family Tree, news.legacyfamilytree.com
19. MyHeritage Blog, blog.myheritage.com

Niche topics and societies Some blogs are smaller in scope, but have a largesse of informative posts on the topic at hand. Here are some examples:

20. Genealogists for Families Project, genfamilies.blogspot.com
21. Local History Newslink, Maitland NSW, localhistorynews.blogspot.com
22. The Empire Called and I Answered, empirecall.blogspot.com
23. Genealogical Society of Victoria, genealogyworld.blogspot.com.au
24. Ku-ring-gai Historical Society, kuringgaihs.blogspot.com

Personal genealogists As every researcher knows, family history is a labour of love, whether it’s a hobby or a career. Here are our favourite personal blogs:

25. Anglo-Celtic Connections, anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com
26. A Rebel Hand, rebelhand.wordpress.com
27. Auld Genealogy, auldgenealogy.blogspot.com.au
28. Australian Genealogy Journeys, ausgenjourneys.blogspot.com
29. Backtracking, boobookbacktracks.blogspot.com.au
30. Chloe Okoli, chloeokoli.com
31. Dear Myrtle, blog.dearmyrtle.com
32. Family History Across the Seas, cassmob.wordpress.com
33. Family History Fun, scotsue-familyhistoryfun.blogspot.com
34. GenBlog, genblogjulie.blogspot.com
35. Genealogy’s Star, genealogysstar.blogspot.com
36. Geniaus, geniaus.blogspot.com
37.Jax Trax, jackievanbergen.blogspot.com
38. Kylie’s Genes, blog.kyliesgenes.com
39. Lonetester HQ, www.lonetester.com
40. Mad about Genealogy, madaboutgenealogy.com
41. Now and Then, lynnwalsh.wordpress.com
42. Strong Foundations, shazlex.blogspot.com.au
43. Stumbling Through the Past, stumblingpast.wordpress.com
44. Western District Families, mywdfamilies.wordpress.com

Professional genealogists We love these blogs that offer a regular glimpse into the work being done in the family history world:

45. British Genes, britishgenes.blogspot.com
46. Shauna Hicks, diaryofanaustraliangenealogist.blogspot.com
47. Geneabloggers, geneabloggers.com
48. Irish Genealogy News, iirish-genealogy-news.blogspot.com
49. Jayne Shrimpton, jayneshrimpton.tumblr.com
50. The Family Recorder, thefamilyrecorder.blogspot.com

Author Q&A :: Eureka Stockade by Gregory Blake

From time to time, we'll be talking to great Australian authors about their local history and what inspired them to start researching and writing their stories.

This week we talk to Gregory Blake, author of Eureka Stockade - A ferocious and bloody battle. Gregory Blake was born in Melbourne in 1955. Since a very early age, he has had a keen interest in military history and has written numerous articles on the subject, for publications in Australian, the UK and the US. Greg is a secondary school teacher and tutor at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Greg served with the Australian Army Reserve during the 1970s and 1980s. He is an accomplished artist and in addition to illustrations in this book, has contributed his talents to magazines and instructional texts both in Australia and overseas.

Diggers swore their oath beneath the Southern Cross flag
Artist: Charles Doudiet | Courtesy of the Ballarat Fine Art Gallery

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IHM. Q. What inspired you to start researching and writing?

• Greg: There are so many stories in Australia’s history that have remained undiscovered or remembered only as a collection of myths, legends and fallacies. One of these is the story of the Eureka stockade. I have always admired how similar stories to the Eureka Stockade have been portrayed in other national histories and around 2004 I stumbled across a little book that had within it a collection of firsthand accounts of what occurred at Eureka. I am a keen student of military history, especially that of the mid C19th. With this knowledge I began reading these accounts of Eureka and the penny dropped and I realised that there was a great deal about this conflict that we simply did not know. This excited me and so I began digging. Four years and a mountain of research later I had uncovered an amazing story which, unlike many of the commonly accepted stories, was based on hard evidence and logical informed deduction. This story bore little resemblance to the collection of myths and misunderstandings that have characterised the Eureka story for generations and it was a story that needed to be told.

IHM. Q. Which resources did you find most helpful?

• Favourite website? Greg: The Public Records Office Victoria and TROVE. 
• Favourite library? Greg: Without doubt the State Library of Victoria although others such as the St Ives Library at Sovereign Hill, the Mechanics Institute in Ballarat, the Supreme Court of Victoria library to mention only a few are excellent resources.  

IHM. Q. What resources did you come across when researching your books that hasn’t been widely used by others? 

• Greg: The transcripts of the State Treason Trials for the accused Eureka diggers held by the Supreme Court of Victoria are a treasure trove of material for primary source material related to the military aspects of Eureka. I believe I am the first to have made use of this resource for the military information contained within it. 

IHM. Q. Was there any information you uncovered that stopped you in your tracks? Which stories affected you the most from your research? 

• Greg: No one thing but more of an overall realisation that so many ordinary men were willing to take up arms, risk their lives and all they had to defend an ideal of personal independence and liberty they held precious. It made me wonder how many would do the same these days if faced with the same circumstances as the Eureka diggers.  

Which stories amused you the most in the course of your research? 

• Greg: The sheer pomposity and arrogance of the colonial ruling classes and their utter unwillingness to accept that their world had changed. 

IHM. Q. If you could track down one thing you haven’t yet managed to find out, what would it be? 

• Greg: The pre Eureka story of James McGill the leader of the Independent Californian Rangers Revolver Brigade. McGill was significant figure amongst the Eureka diggers at the Stockade and while his post Eureka story is well enough known but his pre Eureka story is a mystery.  

IHM. Q. What’s your best tip for people wanting to write a history book of their own? 

• Greg: Be passionate about your topic, have a firm goal in mind to guide the direction your research takes, keep an open mind and follow leads that you may not have anticipated, have the patience to keep searching, be absolutely meticulous with your records, cite everything you use – so many ‘history’ books fail to do this. Let people know what you are doing; you will be pleasantly surprised by the interest and support they will show. 

IHM. Q. How did you go about bringing the characters to life? 

• Greg: The characters really did this for themselves. These were passionate and colourful people living in a passionate and colourful time and all one needed to do was to tell their stories.

IHM. Q. How do you know when you’ve written a good book? 

• Greg: Good reviews are nice. Pats on the back are nice as well. The best thing though is to know you have done the best you can, to have covered all the bases and presented an account that is readable and informed.

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Image courtesy of Big Sky Publishing. Click to look inside or buy

"Eureka Stockade: A ferocious and bloody battle, is the epic account of the attle for the Eureka Stockade, an iconic moment in Australian history. On the chilly dawn morning of 3 December 1854 British soldiers and police of the Victorian colonial government attacked and stormed a crudely-built fortification erected by insurgent gold miners at the Eureka lead on the Ballarat Gold Diggings. The fighting was intense, the carnage appalling and the political consequences of the affair profound. This book, for the first time, examines in great detail the actual military events that unfolded during the twenty minutes of deadly fighting at Eureka. Many of the old assumptions about what occurred that day are turned on the heads, raising in their places provocative questions. Were the intentions of the Eureka diggers as pacific as tradition insists? How was it that men supposedly poorly armed and taken completely by surprise in their sleep were able to deliver ‘sharp and well directed’ fire on their attackers? How close, in fact did the assaulting infantry come to failing in their task, and why has the pivotal part played by the police in the battle been ignored in every retelling of the Eureka story? Why have the Americans, who played a decisive part in the defence of the stockade been all but ignored? The author argues convincingly that Eureka was not a wanton massacre of innocents, as it has been portrayed. Rather it was a hard fought military engagement. 

Eureka was a decisive moment in Australian history and in this book it comes alive in a rousing and original manner".

Victoria History Week :: 21-28 October 2012

Victoria’s wide and wonderful past looks set to come alive next month thanks to the hundreds of events in store for Victoria History Week.

To be held from the 21 – 28 October 2012, Victorians can:

• take the family on a trip back in time touring historic Melbourne - from the Burke and Wills monument to the Fairies' Tree;
• find out how history, law, medicine and science helped piece together the remains of Ned Kelly;
• celebrate 100 years of the enchanting State Library Dome - a magical place that has inspired writers and artists since it first opened in 1912; 
• come, if you dare, to a spooky and spine tingling Trick or Treat Fair in the haunted halls of Barwon Park Mansion;
• put on your student explorer hats and follow the clues to discover Fed Square’s Top Ten artefacts and celebrate its 10th birthday;
• learn all about the fascinating art of early visual technology at the Magic Lantern Society's Australian Convention; 
• explore one of Melbourne's grand designs, learning about the construction and social history of our Old Treasury building;
• experience the lavish interiors and enjoy afternoon tea and a glass of sparkling wine in one of Melbourne’s most significant nineteenth century mansions;
• hear some of the 3,000+ stories behind the headstones at the Cranbourne Cemetery, exploring the accomplishments and tragedies of the district’s early settlers;
• roll out the picnic rug and enjoy an afternoon of historic motor vehicles, local arts and crafts at Maffra's Annual Picnic;
• walk down the aisle and admire a century of wedding dresses and memorabilia from 1880 to 1980;
• take a rare tour of our Supreme Court building, hearing stories from the archives and discovering judicial robes and wigs;
• visit the unique Bear’s Castle and discover why the building has kept historians mystified for years;
• applaud the people and projects who preserve and share Victoria's history, at the Victorian Community History Awards.
• and much, much more!

“Victoria has such a rich and wonderful history, so we are delighted to once again be able to pull together a whole host of reasons to get out there and explore it,” said Kate Prinsley from the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

“From fascinating walking tours and engaging discussions, to gorgeous exhibitions and ‘history in the making’ events - there is something in store for everyone to enjoy.”

Victoria History Week is supported by the Vera Moore Foundation and is coordinated by the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

Event supporters include the History Council of Victoria, Museums Australia Victoria, History Teachers’ Association of Victoria, Heritage Victoria, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum, Scienceworks, Public Record Office Victoria, Koorie Heritage Trust Inc and the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies.

For details on all History Week events, visit www.historyweek.org.au

Apply for Victoria local history grants :: Closing Nov 12

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From the Public Record Office Victoria Press Release: 10th September 2012

Victorian ommunity groups are invited to apply for a share in $350,000 in grants for projects that preserve and share stories of Victoria's past.

Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu said individual grants of up to $15,000 were available to not-for-profit groups such as historical societies, schools, sporting clubs and special interest groups, for projects that capture and share the fascinating stories of Victoria across the ages.

“The Local History Grants program provides grants to support a diverse range of projects, including exhibitions and multimedia projects, publications, oral histories and the digitisation or preservation of vital historical items, which together provide greater access to our community history,” Mr Baillieu said. “Victoria has a rich history with so many important stories to uncover and celebrate. This program supports projects that enable community members to connect with their history in innovative and engaging ways.

“Importantly, in addition to supporting individual projects, the Local History Grants Program also supports the tireless efforts of volunteer networks and community organisations that act as custodians of our state’s heritage, ensuring that it is available to future generations,” Mr Baillieu said.

The program, which is run by Public Record Office Victoria, is open to not-for-profit community groups across the state.

Applications for the Local History Grants Program are open now, and close on Monday 12 November 2012.

Media contact: Ali Webb, Communications and Marketing Coordinator, Public Record Office - 03 9348 5709, 0418 698 364 or alison.webb@prov.vic.gov.au

From Little Things Big Things Grow

That was the story of Vincent Lingairri

But this is the story of something much more

How power and privilege can not move a people

Who know where they stand and stand in the law

From Little Things Big Things Grow Source: Paul Kelly

From Little Things Big Things Grow is about the campaign for Indigenous civil rights from 1920 to 1970 and tells the story of a group of Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who said 'That's not good enough' – and did something about it.

This travelling exhibition developed and presented by the National Museum of Australia, is now showing at the Historic Houses Trust's Museum of Sydney and reminds us all about how the first Australians, were made second-class citizens in their own country.

Gough Whitlam pours soil into hand of traditional landowner Vincent Lingiari, NT 1975 | Source: munii

Where: Museum of Sydney
When: Saturday, 19th February to Sunday, 8th May 2011
Location: Corner Phillip and Bridge Streets, Sydney, NSW 2000
Hours: Daily 9.30am — 5pm | Closed Good Friday

Do you want to read more about this? Check out 702 ABC Sydney or go to Historic Houses Trust NSW.

And in Issue # 3 of Inside History, due out at February end, we highlight Indigenous records at the Public Record Office Victoria.