Faces from World War I

Source: The Lost Diggers

In one of the greatest Australian historical discoveries for many years, around 3000 images of Australian diggers have been found in a farmhouse in France. 

The glass negatives have been lying in a dusty attic in Vignacourt, two hours north of Paris, for the past 95 years. They were taken in 1916 in a village a day's march from the Western Front. The discovery was aired exclusively by Channel Seven's Sunday Night program tonight. The wonderfully informal and candid photos show the diggers relaxing with their mates, and people from the local village, away from the unspeakable horror they were facing in the trenches. Sunday Night has secured 500 of the negatives and are on the lookout for descendants of the men photographed. To view the collection and to see if you may be able to identify one of the soldiers, visit The Lost Diggers.

The remaining images are still in the farmhouse, and it's hoped a benefactor will be found for them and bring them back to the Australian public. 

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. 

Find your Kiwi ancestors online

In a world first, more than 20 million family history records, spanning 140 years of early New Zealand history, are now available online. The genealogy website Ancestry.com has exclusively released six major digitised records, ranging from Electoral roles and jury lists to Maori Land claims and New Zealand naturalisations.

Brad Argent, Content Director for Ancestry.com.au, says, "This is a big step forward for New Zealand family historians as this is the first time most of these collections have been made available online."

Christine Clement, Ancestry.com.au spokesperson and Inside History contributor, comments that, "These records make it easier than ever before for [New Zealanders] to get online and start uncovering their family history."

Read Christine Clement's two-part series of articles on how to research your Kiwi ancestors in issue 2 (out now) and issue 3 of Inside History.