Inside History Magazine blog: 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Issue 8: Jan-Feb 2012 is now available!

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our Issue 8; Jan-Feb 2012:

We celebrate 2012 as the National Year of Reading by asking: what’s your favourite history book?
Our photo expert helps solve a family mystery
Discover one home’s genealogy in Tasmania
The experiences of Australian mothers since 1788
Darwin 1942: eyewitnesses before and after the bombings
Was your ancestor in the theatre? We look at how to find them
The life of a ship’s surgeon in the 1800s
Why Norfolk Island’s world heritage listing is so well deserved

And much more – in fact, 76 pages of terrific features, practical information on family tree research, chances to network with other genealogists, competitions and product reviews.

Issue # 8 is available in newsagents nationally from Monday, 2nd January. You can also request us at your local newsagent, and we'll make sure that the next issue - our ANZAC issue [Issue # 9] is sent there for you!

Authors to look out for in Issue # 8:

Author :: John Bailey
New Zealand genealogist :: Christine Clement
Museum manager :: Anthony Curtis
Author :: Hazel Edwards @muirmoir
Journalist :: Miranda Farrell
Journalist :: Paula Grunseit @PaulaGrunseit
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall @Irish Wattle
Author :: Jenny Robin Jones
Journalist :: Alice Johnson @Alice_Johnson88
Personal historian :: Annie Payne @annie_histheart
Local and family history librarian :: Liz Pidgeon @Infolass
Historian :: Leann Richards
Historian :: Jayne Shrimpton @JayneShrimpton
CEO RAHS :: Maria Walsh
New Zealand genealogist :: Mark Webster @macnzMark

Have a sneak peak inside our new magazine; Issue # 8; Jan-Feb 2012.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Sands Directory - Researching your house's history

I know you're enjoying the new ABC series, Who's Been Sleeping In My House, and want to find out more about your house! I know we are and do!

The essential sources to assist in your investigation of the history of your property are the Sands Directories. These were the city-wide address book of the day in use in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. In Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia a similar directory was in use, and were published by either the Post Office or H. Wise & Co.

Sands Directories | Source: Royal Australian Historical Society Library, Sydney

Sands Directories: Sydney and New South Wales, Australia, 1858-1932
Each issue of the Directory listed householders, businesses, public institutions and officials of the entire Sydney area. The two major components of the Directory were the 'Alphabetical' and the 'Suburban' sections. The first consisted of a single alphabetical sequence of the names of householders, business houses and major organisations, with the address of the associated premises attached. The suburban section provided similar information arranged variously by suburb, locality or local government area as the Directory developed.

The street-by-street listing of householders in Sands is useful for undertaking research on the history of properties. The type of information included is:

Householder's name and title,
Street number and house name,
Householder's occupation or type of business

They are useful in listing the residents of a building, although they may not necessarily be the owners of the property. They also help confirm the date of the house. The easiest way to do this research is to simply take a later volume of the directory and go back until your house no longer appears. You may come across a reference to the property being "vacant" or "house under construction". If so, it's likely your house will appear the following year. The first year in which a property appears in Sands may be considered an indication of when a piece of land was first developed but be cautious, the first listing may in fact be after a period of omission e.g. if the property was vacant for some time.

However, directories are not without their problems. Information was often a year behind and inclusion in them was not compulsory - the fee for being listed putting many off. Other problems identified by the Royal Australian Historical Society, says the society's librarian Donna Newton, include:

Street names may change
Street numbering sometimes absent in the early Directories
Street numbering may change
House names could change regularly
Listing may not indicate a change of use or redevelopment
Sands is not a legal document - the information was collected by Sands' agents who called door to door - and is open to error
If a property was vacant, then the Sands' agent could not collect information for the site

Where do I find a Sands Directory?

As with all research, start with your local library. These fine institutions may have hard copies or microfiche of the originals, and will likely have free access to Ancestry.com.au or findmypast.com.au, which both have Sands records from various states as part of their collections.

Use the amazing Trove to find a library near you stocking the directory.

Beautiful hard copies of the Sands Directories are available at the Royal Australian Historical Society, at History House, 133 Macquarie Street, Sydney and of course, you can find the Sands at:

State Library of New South Wales
State Records NSW, see Archives in Brief 116 - Researching your house or property

Directories across the states:

Queensland. Post Office Directories. Published 1868 - 1949
South Australia. Sands and McDougall's. Published 1884 - 1973
Tasmania. Post Office Directories. Published 1890 - 1948
Victoria. Sands and McDougall's. Published 1862 - 1974
Western Australia: Post Office Directories. Published 1893-1949

The staple sources for most family history research should also not be overlooked in house history research. And while census returns, electorial roles and birth, death and marriage certificates may repeat a lot of information you'll find in the rate books and directories, they may just add that detail which brings your house to life. Good hunting!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Show us your Hairy Mancestor - Winners announced!

It's MO101 here are Hairy Mancestors - we've raised $101! We'll be back in 2012 - bigger, hairier and ready to search the land for Hairy Mancestors! It's been a hairy month, all that's left now is to announce our competition winners!

[1] Winners - Ancestry.com.au subscriptions

Congratulations Gillian Mauchan and Vivienne Graves!

[2] Winners - Inside History magazine subscriptions

Congratulations David Murray and Sharon Fritz!

Thanks again to our friends at Ancestry.com.au for offering such an amazing prize!

====

Post your moustached ancestors to the Hairy Mancestors facebook page by November 30 and you’ll be helping to support Movember Australia and Movember New Zealand. Plus, you’ll go into the draw to win one of 4 fantastic prizes perfect for the family historian!

Two Ancestry.com.au Annual World Heritage Subscriptions
Two 12 month subscriptions to Inside History magazine

How to enter:
Like the Hairy Mancestors facebook page then post up to five photos of your ancestors, who sport moustaches. Remember, no beards allowed!

Each post will then go into the prize draw.

Plus, with each entry made you’ll be helping to support Movember, which raises money for men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression. Inside History will donate 50c per photo submitted with name, approximate date and story. Each person posting is allowed 5 eligible photos.

We would like to thank our friends at Ancestry.com.au for their generous support of Hairy Mancestors and Movember!

Terms and conditions:

The “How to enter” instructions form part of the terms and conditions. Entries close 11.59pm EDST on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Three entrant names will be drawn at random and the winners’ names posted to the Inside History page on December 7.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Libraries :: Where to find Inside History Magazine

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Remembering the attack on HMAS Kuttabul

Next year is the 70th Anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul. On 31 May 1942 three Japanese midget submarines launched an attack on vessels in Sydney Harbour, shaking the Australian population to the core. This audacious attack struck the converted ferry HMAS Kuttabul with a torpedo and 21 men were killed.

It is believed that the 21 Naval Ratings whom lost their lives aboard the ill-fated HMAS Kuttabul were unwitting victims aboard a target, not of the Japanese choosing. The intended target of Midget Submarine M24 during this Japanese raid was the American Heavy Cruiser; U.S.S. Chicago which had been spotted by a Japanese observation plane launched by the ‘mother’ submarine I-24 the previous day. Unfortunately any other large allied vessel was fair game. However a former harbour ferry, converted into a Naval Depot ship would not be worth wasting a torpedo on, especially when each midget sub only carried two torpedoes each.

Findmypast.com.au is looking for the descendants of the men that perished on this vessel. On 31 May 2012, a commemoration ceremony will take place to remember the 21 men who lost their lives on this day. We would like to connect the descendants with the organisers, so that they can be involved in this special event.

Gary Traynor, Project Officer of the Kuttabul Commemoration Project commented: “The loss of any serviceman during a time of war is tragic, and no single sacrifice deserves to be classed as more important than another. What sets this small group of men apart, is the fact that their loss took place in what was considered at that time, to be a relatively safe haven in Sydney Harbour. The names of these 21 sailors have been recorded on a few small memorials, however very little else is known about them. On the 70th Anniversary of their death, it is hoped that their unwitting part played in this attack upon Sydney Harbour will be remembered and their story told. Making contact with the descendants of each man is a fundamental part of this commemoration, for nobody can tell the story of their ancestor, better than the families who still remember and mourn their loss. We have been so pleased to work with findmypast.com.au to help us to make contact, and have already had some success”.

Emma Kelly, Marketing Executive at findmypast.com.au: “This commemoration is such a wonderful opportunity to honour these brave sailors that lost their lives serving their country. We are so pleased to support this event and find as many descendants of these fallen men as possible.”

With the support of the Royal Australian Navy, this special ceremony will honour the lives lost during this tragic event. The proceeds of this commemoration will go to Legacy Australia, who cares for widows and orphaned children of servicemen and women who have lost their lives as a result of military service.

Please email findmypast, if you are a descendant of one of these men or if you have any information.

HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney Harbour after the Japanese midget submarine attack

Thursday, November 17, 2011

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.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

ISSUE # 7 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

The traditional present for 1st anniversaries is paper, so we’re giving away a gorgeous writing set, military conference tickets and subscription vouchers to findmypast! Help us celebrate our first birthday and don't miss out on our Issue # 7 giveaways. Hip Hip Hooray!

SO, WHAT CAN YOU WIN?!

[1] Win the ultimate findmypast subscription package

Here's your chance to win access to the millions of records on findmypast, as well as feature in Inside History! The findmypast subscription package is valued at $315, and includes a 12-month subscription to findmypast.com.au, 12 months access to its UK sister-site, findmypast.co.uk and 12 months access to the newly launched findmypast.ie. That's a total of 750 million records at your fingertips! Plus, just by entering, your family photo could feature in the "One Picture" section of Inside History in an upcoming issue.

To enter the draw for this great prize, simply send us your favourite family photo, and 100 words on why it's a treasured image. Either send it to us by email to cass@insidehistory.com.au or send a photocopy to findmypast Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 by 5pm December 27, 2011.

Remember, don't send original photos as they will not be returned. If your family photo is selected to appear in Inside History, we'll contact you to arrange for a high-quality scan of the image.

[2] Little Branch gift set

The very talented ladies at Little Branch are inspired by romantic poets, bleached summer dresses, over-blown roses and water-stained novels, just to name a few. Recycled and upcycled materials are key to their collections, and their cards are the ones you want to save in a shoe box for generations to come. To celebrate our birthday, Little Branch is giving one lucky reader a writing set, 10 sheets of wrapping paper and 10 matching gift cards, all in the wildly gorgeous Rosette design, valued at $116!

To enter, simply tell us the name of the design they're giving away, and sent your name and contact details to Inside History, Little Branch Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm December 27, 2011. For more beautiful designs, visit Little Branch.

[3] Double conference pack to In the Shadow of War - Australia 1942

In the Shadow of War - Australia 1942 will bring to Melbourne prominent Australian, Japanese and American military and social historians to examine the critical period from 1942, when it appeared that Australia was under direct threat of invasion. The conference, organised by Military History and Heritage Victoria [MHHV], will be held in Melbourne over April 21 and 22, 2012 and will initiate the inaugural Military and History Week in Victoria. MHHV and Inside History are giving away a conference pack valued at $540! The winner will receive 2 x two-day passes to the conference, plus two tickets to the gala conference dinner. For more information about the event, visit www.mhhv.org.au.

To enter, simply tell us what capital city the conference will be held in, and send your name and contact details to Inside History, MHHV Giveaway, PO Box 406 Erskineville NSW 2043 or email cass@insidehistory.com.au by 5pm December 27, 2011.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Issue 7; Nov-Dec 2011 is now available!

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our Issue 7; Nov-Dec 2011:

Our preservation special looks at how to care for mementos, and how you can help conserve a piece of Australia’s history
It’s our first birthday! You could win up to $970 in prizes, including the ultimate findmypast subscription package
Looking for the lost grave of an ancestor? Read our guide first
What heritage roses in cemeteries can reveal about your family
She has my face! How award-winning author Hazel Edwards caught the genealogy bug
Plus, take a tour around Tasmania’s stunning – and historic – Maria Island

And there's so much more – in fact, 76 pages of terrific features, practical information on family tree research, chances to network with other genealogists, competitions and product reviews. On sale now.

Missed an issue of Inside History? Our back issues are now on sale! Just $7.50 per issue (plus $2 postage). Sale ends December 31!

Issue # 7 is available in newsagents nationally from Friday, 4th November. To find out where in your state, click here. You can also request us at your local newsagent, and we'll make sure that the next issue - our summer issue [Issue # 8] is sent there for you!

Authors to look out for in Issue # 7:

Genealogist :: Jill Ball @geniaus
Historian :: Mark Dunn
Author :: Hazel Edwards @muirmoir
Academic :: Alison Elliott
Journalist :: Miranda Farrell
Historian :: Karen Filewood
Genealogist :: Megan Gibson
Journalist :: Paula Grunseit @PaulaGrunseit
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall
Family historian :: Neil Hall
Journalist :: Alice Johnson
New Zealand genealogist :: Helen Leggatt @GenealogyJourno
Historian :: Jayne Shrimpton @JayneShrimpton
Military historian :: Neil Smith
Journalist :: Kirsten Wade @kirstenwade
New Zealand genealogist :: Mark Webster @macnzMark

Have a sneak peak inside our new magazine; Issue # 7; Nov-Dec 2011.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Show us your hairy mancestor

Support Movember, share your photos of your moustached ancestors on our facebook page, Hairy Mancestors, and for each hairy mancestor posted, Inside History will donate 50c. Don’t forget to tell us the date taken, names and story if you know it. We want to see your hairy mancestors!

Or grow the mo yourself and join the Inside History Movember team :: Hairy Mancestor! Remember, beards are not allowed! Mow & leave the mo!

What is Movember? In the month of November, the month of Movember and the mighty moustache, the aim is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. Find out more moustache moments and news, follow Movember.

Source: Powerhouse Museum, http://ow.ly/7f0xQ

Conditions:

Inside History Magazine will donate 50c per photo submitted with name, date and story. Each person posting the hairy mancestor photos is allowed 5 eligible photos. Otherwise the hair bank will go bald!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

International Council on Archives Congress Brisbane 2012

National Archives of Australia

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The Ancestors' Geneameme

My contribution to "The Ancestors' Geneameme" - another great meme challenge from Geniaus, Jill Ball!

The list should be annotated in the following manner:
Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type
You are encouraged to add extra comments in brackets after each item

Which of these apply to you?

Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents [No, I wish - one day!]
Can name over 50 direct ancestors
Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents
Have an ancestor who was married more than three times
Have an ancestor who was a bigamist
Met all four of my grandparents
Met one or more of my great-grandparents
Named a child after an ancestor
Bear an ancestor's given name/s
Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland [Irish & proud!]
Have an ancestor from Asia
Have an ancestor from Continental Europe [Denmark]
Have an ancestor from Africa
Have an ancestor who was an agricultural labourer [Diary & wheat farmers, Orange to Inverell, NSW, Australia]
Have an ancestor who had large land holdings
Have an ancestor who was a holy man - minister, priest, rabbi
Have an ancestor who was a midwife
Have an ancestor who was an author
Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones [Smith alias Fitzgerald]
Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng
Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X
Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z
Have an ancestor born on 25th December [I have a brother-in-law & 2 on Australia Day!]
Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day
Have blue blood in your family lines [Related to William the Conqueror but isn't everyone?]
Have a parent who was born in a country different from that of my birth
Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth [Bournemouth and Islington - London, England]
Can trace a direct family line back to the 18th century
Can trace a direct family line back to the 17th century or earlier
Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents [GGGGG grandparent - Edward Turley Smith]
Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X [Jane Maher, partner to Edward Turley Smith]
Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university
Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence [Many, 7 convicts all up. Crimes ranging from fraud, theft, receiving stolen goods, brothel madam, bushranger, highway robbery etc etc etc]
Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime
Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine [AFTC, regional daily newspapers, SMH, Inside History, Irish Wattle]
Have published a family history online or in print [One Family History: 220 years in Australia - http://irishwattle.com/products]
Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries [Cunningham Creek , home of Thomas Readford in Ilford, NSW. Thomas was father to Harry Readford, the bushranger Captain Starlight]
Still have an ancestor's home from 19th century or earlier in the family
Have a family bible from the 19th Century
Have a pre-19th century family bible

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Cascades Probation Station Heritage Protected :: Tasmania

Cascades Probation Station, Tasmania

A rare part of Tasmania’s historic heritage in the form of a probation station has been protected forever. The Cascades Probation Station on the Tasman Peninsula has been entered in the Tasmanian Heritage Register.

Chairperson of the Tasmanian Heritage Council Michael Lynch said the Cascades Probation Station is one of the most intact probation stations remaining in Tasmania and therefore shows a rare aspect of Tasmania’s historic heritage.

“The probation system of managing convicts replaced the assignment system where convicts were assigned to private individuals. The probation system provided stages through which convicts arriving under the probation system would pass, depending on their conduct,” Mr Lynch said.

“In the first stage, convicts were in gangs without wages or allowances, in the second stage they worked on public works for wages and in the final stage they worked for private employers on a wage basis. “This system of managing convicts was unique to Van Diemen’s Land and was introduced in 1839. Work on the Cascades Probation Station began in 1842 and by 1845 at its peak, the convict population reached 442. “While it operated many buildings were constructed including convict accommodation, the superintendent’s quarters, hospital, cookhouse, bakehouse, cells and school, officers quarters (known as Rotten Row), and workshops. Some of these buildings still remain.”

The Cascades Probation Station was closed in 1855.

“The Cascades Probation Station has several owners, but the largest single section of it now operates as a tourism accommodation venture, directly showing the economic value of Tasmania’s historic heritage through tourism. “The owners of this rare piece of Tasmania’s history recognised the significance of the place and actively pursued heritage listing, and in so doing have recognised the contemporary value of this heritage place,” Mr Lynch said.

The current owner of the largest chunk Cascade Probation Station, Don Clark, said that it had been in his family since the early 20th century. “Before the family bought it in 1915 my great-grandfather, Moses Clark, worked here for the then owner, Henry Chesterman a timber merchant, so we have a strong association with this place,” Mr Clark said. “We farmed this land initially, but since the early 1980s have also run it as a bed and breakfast, and function centre. “We actually initiated the group heritage-listing of this place, as we wanted to ensure it was protected into the future.

The Clark family have converted many of the remaining convict buildings into accommodation, including Rotten Row which originally housed the married officers.

“When we first bought the farm we were orchardists, but with the declining export markets of the 1970s we pulled most of the orchards out and developed a long term future which capitalised on the terrific convict heritage we have here. “We have also created a private museum which tells the convict history and the later orcharding history of this beautiful place,”

Tasmania is rich in heritage and there are many other sites worth travelling for. Discover Tasmania today!

Tuesday, 11 October 2011 - Press Release

[For more information, contact Tasmanian Heritage Council; enquires@heritage.tas.gov.au]

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Maritime Heritage - A nation's start and source of its diversity

Ship "James Craig" - Sydney, 2011

"on opening the scuttle in my cabin, I perceived an aromatic odour, as of spicy flowers, blown from the land" - Welcome Wall, Australian National Maritime Museum [ANMM], Sydney.

Last Saturday we were walking away from a farmers market in Prymont Bay Park and we decided to walk along the shoreline of the city of Sydney. We didn't go far before we saw the ANMM's Welcome Wall and it has way of stopping you from walking past. The names of immigrants to Australia and snapshots of their stories holds you, and takes your mind to another time from the 1970s to the start of our nation in the 1790s.

If you're in Sydney, whether as a resident or visitor, then definitely visit the Australian National Maritime Museum and make sure you follow them on facebook or twitter for exhibition updates.

Or sail around Australia with the ANMM! The HMB Endeavour is circumnavigating Australia from April 2011 to May 2012, and you can join the journey! In April 2011, the magnificent replica of James Cook's HM Bark Endeavour started its historic circumnavigation of Australia. Built as a gift to the Australian people, Endeavour will follow in the wake of our earliest European explorers, visiting major and regional ports right across Australia. Find out more and sail away!

Other maritime museums in Australia:

Friday, September 30, 2011

Photos :: Life's travels kept

We're taking a break today from Issue # 7 - our 1st birthday edition. It's my birthday! Have a wonderful day. One step further on in life ::

Monday, September 19, 2011

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 # 6 COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS

Don't miss out on our Issue # 6 giveaways! There are 2 prizes up for grabs!

Also, don't forget the My Heritage Family Tree Builder CD free inside every Issue 6; Sep-Oct 2011!

SO, WHAT CAN YOU WIN?!

[1] Win an Ancestry.com.au Membership for 12 months, worth $299!

With a World Heritage Membership you will have unlimited access to all Ancestry.com.au records from around the world including the US, Ireland and the UK, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Who knows, your family research could take you all over the world!

One of the latest collections to be added online is more than 20 million New Zealand records. Including Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981, Canterbury Provincial Rolls, 1868-1874, military records including New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) Nominal (Embarkation) Rolls, NZEF Casualty List, New Zealand Army Medal Rolls, schools, directories and church histories, Jury Lists 1842-1862 and Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980, to name a few.

To see how to go into the draw to win this 12 months subscription, worth $299, grab a copy of Issue 6 from us www.insidehistory.com.au, or your local newsagent.

[2] Win a beautiful set of diamond-cut crystal glassware!

All we know about this wonderful crystal pitcher and matching four glasses is that they were made in West Germany by Astra, and have been wrapped up carefully for many years. There the story ends, but we think this exquisitely crafted glassware deserves a second lease of life and a home where they will be loved and used.

To see how to go into the draw to win this little part of history, grab a copy of Issue 6 from us www.insidehistory.com.au, or your local newsagent.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Darwin 1942 :: 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin

Tuesday, 13 September 2011 - Press Release
[For interviews email Domonique Young on domonique@creativeterritory.com]

Darwin will remember the anniversaries of a series of bombing raids that took place during 1942 as it approaches the 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin on 19 February 2012. The bombing raids during WWII continued for nearly two years across Northern Australia after the initial attack on Darwin in February 1942.

September 25 to 27 marks the anniversary of five bombing raids on the city, Livingstone and Bynoe Harbour. Darwin city was attacked twice in the early hours of 25 September 1942, Livingstone Airfield on September 26 and both Bynoe Harbour and Darwin city on September 27.

Former Adelaide River army nurse Alva Curtis, who now resides at Esperance in Western Australia, clearly remembers the raids, which coincided with a full moon. “Planes didn’t have the technology then that they do now so the pilots relied on the light of the moon to know where to bomb. “Darwin was bombed every full moon. Whenever the siren went off, it was lights out, under our beds and no one was allowed to smoke - everyone smoked back then.”

Alva had more than a couple of close calls during the 21 month-long raid on Australia’s north and recalls one time where she spent more than five hours in a dugout trench. “We were travelling back to Adelaide River when we were stopped at Winnellie by troops who said the planes were coming. It was only 6:30 in the evening but boy those planes came.

“They (the Japanese) were dropping ‘daisy cutters’ and it lasted hours. When we thought it was safe we got back into the jeep and had another go, but we didn’t get too far before we had to make another run for it. “It was easily midnight before we made it home and the matron was very pleased to see us safe. We weren’t in trouble as we thought we may be, but we weren’t given the next day off either!” Alva affectionately recalls.

This month’s remembrance is in lead up to a series of commemoration events that will take place from February 11 to 26 next year.

The main event will mark the 70th anniversary of the first bombing of Darwin to be held at the Darwin Cenotaph on 19 February 2012. The two-week program will include commemorative ceremonies, a schools competition and exhibition, historic talks, tours and movie screenings, the release of a commemorative coin and an AFL football match.

For more information visit www.frontlineaustralia.com.au and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Issue 6 is out! Our military issue; Sep-Oct 2011

Inside History is for people passionate about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. In our Issue # 6; Sep-Oct 2011 edition:

Read the remarkable discovery of a WWI soldier after 93 years, and how his belongings will be shown for the first time in Australia
Learn why some Aussie soldiers rebelled during the Boer War
We look at why more of us are trekking Kokoda
A family historian in Queensland makes a fascinating find
Win an www.Ancestry.com.au membership valued at $299
Plus there’s a free Family Tree BuilderTM CD from MyHeritage for every reader!

And there's much more – in fact, 76 pages of terrific features, practical information on family tree research, chances to network with other genealogists, competitions and product reviews.

Issues # 1, # 2, # 3, # 4, # 5 and now # 6 are available online now! Order now online and collect the complete set.

Issue # 6 is available in newsagents nationally from Wednesday, 7th September. To find out where in your state, click here. You can also request us at your local newsagent, and we'll make sure that the next issue - our birthday issue [Issue # 7] is sent there for you!

Authors to look out for in Issue # 6:

Journalist :: Melinda Farrell
Australian genealogist :: Barbara Hall
Family historian :: Neil Hall
Australian genealogist :: Jane Harding
Social historian :: Jo Hawkins @MyKokoda
Australian genealogist :: Shauna Hicks @HicksShauna
Journalist :: Alice Johnson
New Zealand genealogist :: Helen Leggatt @GenealogyJourno
Health microbiologist :: Helen Smith @HVSresearch
Military historian :: Neil Smith
Journalist :: Kirsten Wade @kirstenwade
New Zealand genealogist :: Mark Webster @macnzMark
Dictionary of Sydney historian :: Garry Wotherspoon @DictionaryofSyd

Have a sneak peak inside our new magazine; Issue # 6, Sep-Oct 2011.

Vintage Spring Fling Ball :: 10th September

It's NSW History Week and that puts us in the mood for dancing! So, dust off your vintage frocks – we’re having a ball!

You are cordially invited to the inaugural Vintage Spring Fling Ball at the classic Marrickville Town Hall on the 10th of September. It’s time to dust off your vintage frocks and shine your dancing shoes for a night of food, dancing and entertainment.

Featuring the 1950’s musical stylings of the Ellipsis Swingers, you will be transported back to a time when full skirts were in and Grace Kelly was a style icon. The night will include a delicious three-course meal and all wine, beer and soft drinks included for $100 per person.

Marrickville Town Hall has been open since 1922 and was used as a dance venue throughout the 1920s-1950s. Its high ceilings and marble staircases make it the perfect location for a vintage themed ball.

The Vintage Spring Fling Ball is an event for singles, couples and friends to come enjoy an evening purely dedicated to having a good time. We encourage you to bop till you drop and twirl your poodle skirt around the dance floor, glass of wine in hand.

Vintage Spring Fling Ball:
When: 7pm – midnight, Saturday 10th September, 2011
Where: Marrickville Town Hall
How much: $100 pp - three-course meal and all wine, beer & soft drinks
Rules: Strictly over 18s

For more information or to book your tickets, please visit Blossom Media. See you there!

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