GSV News

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This Saturday 13 April 10.30 - 11.30 AM the GSV hosts a talk by Robyn Ansell on Chinese-Australian family history. It is not too late to book for her fascinating presentation. Robyn is a founding member of the Chinese-Australian Family Historians of Victoria.

You can book at the GSV website HERE.

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Even if you have a Euro-centric ('white') Australian heritage going back far enough, to pre-Federation Australia, you may well have links with the story of the Chinese in Australia.

I have long-treasured a couple of ubiquitous glazed ginger jars that were always amongst the vases when I was young. Apparently they were a leftover relic from my grandfather.  My father's chance remark once, that his father had spent his youth running around in the Chinatown of Bendigo, made them special to me. Years later I came across other family ancestors who were at the Mount Alexander (Castlemaine) goldfields in 1855. At that time one writer calculated that there were six Chinese for every five Europeans alluvial miners there. My great-great grandfather left probably to follow the gold to Yass, NSW and this put him there at the time of the infamous Lambing Flat Riots in 1861. You can learn a lot about the times from the history of the Chinese in Australia. 

Today my son and grandchildren are members of the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne and will be performing inside lions at the coming Bendigo Easter Festival. 

Bill Barlow

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Coming up soon the GSV is privileged to host a Seminar on the culture, traditions and ancestry of the Highland Clans of Scotland presented by an international expert, Graeme Mackenzie of 'Highland Roots', Inverness.

Friday 22 March 2019 10.00 am - 12.30 pm at GSV. 

Graeme's seminar will cover:

'The Culture and Traditions of the Highland Clans' - the social customs, political practices and the often colourful traditions of the clans, and

'Tracing your Ancestors in the Highlands of Scotland' - the sources for genealogical research in Scotland, showing how they are used and issues regarding the use of Gaelic names.

Get in quick to book your place here on the GSV website https://www.gsv.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=1100

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Clan and Family History in the Highlands

Graeme Mackenzie MA founded 'Highland Roots' (http://www.highlandroots.net/index.html) in Inverness, from where it has been offering personal family history research for over 25 years. Graeme's work as a clan historian and organiser of gatherings - for MacKenzies and MacMillans in particular - has given him a unique insight into the Highland Clans, past and present, about which he has frequently lectured in North America, and also in Australasia.  In recent years he's taken the lead in the creation of the Association of Highland Clans and Societies which brings together over 45 clans and names in the Highlands of Scotland. 

Graeme's genealogical journey is rich and varied.

Graeme Mackenzie

He won a scholarship to study history at Cambridge University, and after graduation taught the subject part-time while working in a number of other jobs, including pulling pints at the historic “Eagle” pub – where he created a cricket team and helped organise the Cambridge Pub and Social Clubs Cricket League. In the early 1980s Graeme created local music magazine “Blue Suede News”, and became a part-time presenter on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. He was also involved for a number of years with the committee that organised the world famous “Cambridge Folk Festival”. In the mid-1980s Graeme’s BBC work moved into the production and presentation of music and current affairs documentaries, and in 1986-87 he conceived, researched, wrote, and presented a major ten part historical series – “A Power in the Land” – which looked at national history from a regional perspective, and was one of the first such series to be networked on local radio. 

It was whilst researching East Anglian families for this series that Graeme began to take an interest in genealogy; and this was eventually to lead him to return to Scotland to investigate his own ancestry, and to learn all the Scottish history he'd missed whilst studying “British History” at an English university. In 1989 Graeme set up as Highland Roots in Inverness with the intention of specialising in the history and genealogy of Highland clans. Though he’s subsequently had spells living elsewhere in Scotland - particularly in Edinburgh, where his father and grandfather were born - his spiritual home remains the “Capital of the Highlands” where he’s an active member of the Gaelic Society of Inverness.  



In 1993 Graeme was appointed Curator of the Clan MacMillan International Centre in Renfrewshire, with a particular brief to organise the collection and publication of information on the clan’s history and genealogy (a connection stemming from his grandmother Catherine Macmillan who came from Glen Urquhart on the shores of Loch Ness). This involved building the first Clan MacMillan International website and creating Project MAOL (Macmillan Ancestry On Line). Graeme’s also been instrumental in organising a number of successful clan gatherings, with tours, talks, concerts, pageants, and ceilidhs - including significant fund-raising elements for the major charity that was founded in the early twentieth century by a bard of the clan; i.e. Macmillan Cancer Support. 

Since 1995 Graeme has acted as Seanachaidh for Clan MacKenzie, compiling material on Mackenzie genealogy from published sources and through research commissioned from him by individual clanspeople; and he served for two years as Chairman of the Clan Mackenzie Society of Scotland & the UK. In the course of his work as a professional genealogist he's collected a considerable amount of information on other Scottish families and names, and is pursuing a particular interest in the nature of the Scottish clan, and the evolution of the so-called “clan system”. His involvement with clan gatherings has given Graeme considerable experience attracting overseas visitors to the Highlands, which has led to him being invited to join VisitScotland's "Ancestral Tourism Group". He's also a member of the Clans and Families' Forum set up in 2014 by the Scottish Government. 



Graeme was Chairman of the Highland Family History Society - an organisation with hundreds of members worldwide - from 2007 until 2013, when he was elected Chairman of the Association of Highland Clans and Societies. For many years he's been attending Highland Games and Clan Gatherings in Canada and the USA to meet and talk to MacMillans and MacKenzies, and to give presentations and lectures on Scottish history and genealogy at Celtic Events and to Scottish Interest Groups. In 2014 he undertook a month-long lecture tour in New Zealand and Australia, whence he hopes to return in 2019. Graeme has written extensively on Scottish clan and family history.

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This Seminar is not to be missed.

Graeme's bio courtesy of Highland Roots website, accessed 28/02/2019.

In this post we pass on some news from our partners -near and far. The UK Federation of Family History Societies reminds us that, if we are quick, we can beat the 16 February Price Rise for UK BDM certificates. And, nearer to home, PROV (Public Records Office Victoria) is launching a new version of their online catalogue. You could assist them by providing feedback.

[Ed.]

BEAT THE PRICE RISE FOR UK CERTIFICATES

It's not long before the cost of UK birth, marriage or death certificates and of the PDF versions will go up. On 16 February 2019 certificates will increase from £9.25 to £11.00. At the same time, the PDF version will rise from £6.00 to £7.00.

Don't delay!

Work out which PDFs or certificates you need.

Send in your order (https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate)  before the last-minute rush.

Federation of Family History Societies UK

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 A MESSAGE FROM PROV ABOUT THEIR PROPOSED NEW ONLINE CATALOGUE 

'Hello history lovers, You are receiving this request for feedback because we value your opinion on archival research.

This week we launched a Beta version of our new online catalogue for the collection held at Public Record Office Victoria. We recognise this collection is vital for people seeking information about their family history and accessing public records.

Some of the new features include:

* Searching by several filters at the same time

* Viewing digitised records prior to download

* A cleaner interface to view Agency and Series descriptions

* A simpler interface to browse lists of items and series.

We are seeking feedback over the next few months about the features of this catalogue, which is why we have decided to launch it in Beta first. You can easily access the new online catalogue by starting your keyword search on our website and then switching the toggle at the top of the page to switch to the new catalogue interface. To send us feedback click on the feedback button on the top right hand side of the page.

Please take a look at this video introduction to our new online catalogue and send us your feedback.

https://prov.vic.gov.au/about-us/our-blog/try-searching-our-new-catalogue-interface

Kate Follington, Co-ordinator, Communications and Online Engagement

e: kate.follington@prov.vic.gov.au - Phone 03 9348 5478 | 0412328632

Public Record Office Victoria, Victorian Archives Centre | 99 Shiel St North Melbourne VIC 3051

www.prov.vic.gov.au

PROV News | https://prov.vic.gov.au/about-us/our-blog

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'The Married Widows' is a term describing the wives 'left behind' by their husbands who departed England to seek work and/or new lives overseas.  The men usually intended to return home with an improved financial postion, or looked to establish themselves in new homes and communities and send for their wives and children later on.  This was not always the case, quite often the separations became permanent.

The concept of 'left behind' is also interesting.  This tends to imply a passive role for the women, but in many cases they were active participants in the decision, sometimes refusing to go, but more often agreeing to maintain the family at home until the whole family could eventually be reunited in better circumstances.

Dr Lesley Trotter, a historian and genealogist, has conducted extensive research on this phenomenon of family separation in 19th century Cornwall and sets out the findings in her fascinating book, The Married Widows of Cornwall: the story of the wives 'left behind' by emigration.  

What skills and resources could the wives and families turn to in the face of long term absences of the key family-breadwinners?  Were destitute wives forced into prostitution, or families bundled off to the workhouse?  Dr Trotter provides new perspectives and many first hand stories on how the wives and families survived at home while husbands worked overseas, some sending home money (and quite a few not), others dying overseas and more again drifting apart and never reuniting.  Dr Trotter uses a broad range of resources in her research and is still keen to hear from family historians with stories to tell of their own married widows.   Although the book is based on Cornish research, the findings resonate for those researching in other counties as well.

In talking to Dr Trotter, Stephen Hawke, the convenor of the GSV's South West England  Research and Discussion Circle (SWERD) found that, from her research Dr Trotter knew of his great-great-grandfather's wife and daughter left behind in Cornwall, but as he never went back she didn't know the Australian end of the story.  Stephen observes that:

'Her book has set me rethinking the family story and opened up some new aspects for research.'

The next meeting of the South West England Research & Discussion circle will discuss Dr Trotter's book and how her findings relate to our own family stories or perceptions of Married Widows, those left behind when our ancestors first ventured to these shores.  It is often difficult to find women's stories in family histories and Dr Trotter's research is a valuable resource which helps bring their lives and voices to the fore.  Dr Trotter is keen to have feedback from discussion of the book and hopes that those attending this session can bring their own stories. The SWERD meeting (free for for GSV members) is on Wednesday 13 February, 12:30 - 2:00pm at GSV.

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Huge new workhouses were built across England and Wales after 1834 to accommodate and control the poor in accordance with the Government's new poor law regime.  The regime was introduced in Ireland, and on a modified basis in Scotland, from the 1840s.  The workhouses and laws were deliberately harsh - and the impressions left by Charles Dickens and others attest to the living and working conditions of our ancestors who were inmates, workers or officers.

A talk at GSV this coming Thursday 31 January - 12 - 1 PM  - will introduce you to the New Poor Laws and the workhouses. See all details on our website NEW POOR LAW TALK. 

Stephen Hawke will describe the harsh laws, rules and living conditions that broke up families and institutionalised children; the scandals and lax government response; and what it was like to live, work and die in a workhouse. Find out how to use the records and resources at the GSV to discover if your ancestors were involved.

Children at Crumpsall workhouse 1897

 

The Book of the Bastiles (G Baxter, 1841) provides first hand testimony from inmates and others and records that families suffer the greatest destitution rather than submit to go into the workhouse. Tens of thousands were admitted each year. The Governor of Bath gaol reflected that former workhouse inmates far preferred prison residence, discipline and food to that in the workhouse.  In too many workhouses the gross overcrowding, maltreatment, starvation diets and corrupt practices by some workhouse managers compounded the misery for inmates.  In the 1840s a series of appalling workhouse scandals and deaths in Hampshire, Surrey and Yorkshire embedded a fear of the workhouses which prevailed until they were closed in the 20th century.

The New Poor Laws are important social history and for many of our ancestors the workhouses were a major factor in their departure for the Australian colonies.

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A search of the internet for family history software will give you a multitude of programs to choose from. Do some research before you decide on the best program for you. Make sure that it suits your needs.

We will be adding a short introduction to family history software on the GSV website. One place to start your research is through VICGUM (Victorian Genealogists using Microcomputers) they can be found at VICGUM

VICGUM has arranged for free one-on-one help sessions for GSV members who are Family Tree Maker users. 

Each session will be 45 minutes and it is essential that a booking be made for each session.

Sessions will be held at the VICGUM office, Level 4 – 83 William Street, Melbourne and will take place on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in 2019, commencing on the 12th February, 2019. Numbers will be limited.

Session times will be :



Session 1     -     10:15 –  11:00 AM



Session 2     -     11:00 –  11.45 AM



Session 3     -     12:15 –  1:00 PM



Session 4     -     1:00 –  1:45 PM

Bookings are to be made by email: bookings@vicgum.asn.au  Please include your name, preferred time, GSV membership number and your contact phone number.

Note:   If you are not using a family history software program then you can book for a general introductory demonstration.

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CORRECTION to earlier post on 'E partimmo'

The coming talk on Saturday 15 November - 'E partimmo. We left' - at GSV International Settlers Group is, of course, open to all ISG members, even if not GSV members. Non-ISG, GSV members and others are also invited. See details about the ISG on the website.

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VIC TAS DISCUSSION CIRCLE

Friday 22 November - 10.30 am-12 noon

One of the very active, new GSV groups is the Victorian Tasmanian Discussion Circle.

At their final meeting for the year the topic will be:

 'Where to find all the records you need for your research'

 with a small presentation by group participant Michael Considine.

Afterwards they will be having an End of Year Lunch.

Where: RACV Club 501 Burke Street Melbourne

All members of the Vic Tas Discussion Circle are invited to an end of year lunch in the bistro of the RACV Club in Queen St Melbourne. (Walking distance from the GSV). 

Membership of this Circle is limited to GSV members. (So join up quick).

The Circle Convener advises:

RSVP essential! Please email the convener at victas@gsv.org.au or ruthie.wirtz@gmail.com if you’re able to attend the lunch. A booking for 20 people has been made and all non-members of the RACV Club will need to be signed in. So we will meet at the rear entrance off Little Collins Street). 
All diets catered for and at reasonable cost. Please bring cash on the day to make for ease of paying the bill. 



I hope to see many of you there to celebrate the end of year.

Ruthie Wirtz

Convener

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Many families arrange get-togethers of their descendants, but next Sunday there is a gathering with a difference. 

180 years later descendants of immigrants from the ship David Clark are gathering next Sunday October 27 to celebrate this anniversary.

Descendants of those passengers are invited to attend a reunion on Sunday, 27 October 2019 at Gulf Station, Yarra Glen, Victoria.

The David Clark was the first ship to bring assisted immigrants direct to Port Phillip in October 1839. All were Scots and many settled in the Upper Yarra valley including William Bell, who once owned Gulf Station, an historic National Trust farm.

As part of the welcome, a poem will be read that was written by Christine Mawdesley (a McEwin descendant) for the 1939 celebrations of the 100th anniversary, and a bagpiper will play “Lochaber No More” the lament that was played by John Arthur as the ship sailed from Greenock 13 June 1839, then a tree will be planted.

You can book by email now to davidclark1839@gmail.com or HERE https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=542336

We wish all descendants a great day.

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Want to know more about the history?

This article was prepared from information provided by Irene Kearsey. Irene is a GSV Member, and a volunteer at PROV and Gulf Station. For more information you can read her article: 

'La Trobe's first Immigrants: Passengers from the David Clark 1839' by Irene Kearsey in Journal of the C J La Trobe Society. vol 17 no. 2 July 2018, pp 16-21 (accessed 20/10/2019 at https://www.latrobesociety.org.au/LaTrobeana/LaTrobeanaV17n2Kearsey.pdf

Were your ancestors aboard the David Clark?

You can search the list of passengers on the Public Record Office Victoria(PROV) VPRS 14 Assisted Passenger Lists 1839-1871 at website https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/assisted-passenger-lists. You may need to do more research to establish your descendancy, and the GSV can help you with that, but maybe not before next Sunday.

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When you start researching the lives of ancestors during the Great War you may become embroiled in the complex history of the 'Eastern Question' and the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, which lead to the First World War. 

How did some Australian and New Zealanders come to be serving in support of the Serbian Army before the ANZACS landed at Gallipoli? 

Richard Cooke of Camberwell and Bojan Pajic of Glen Iris, discovered that they both had relatives who may have met in Serbia during World War One; Richard's grandmother, Ethel Gillingham, was an Australian nurse volunteer supporting the Serbian Army in 1915 and Bojan's grandfather and great uncle, who was wounded in 1915, were officers in the Serbian Army.

Australian doctors, nurses, orderlies, drivers and assistants, mainly women, volunteered to serve inBritish units that were sent to Serbia in 1914-15 and to the Salonika (or “Eastern”) Front in 1916-18, to assist the Serbian Army. Australian Army nurses were sent to serve in Salonika in the later part ofthe War. The exact number and identity of all Australian volunteers serving with various organisations in

support of the Serbian Army and people is unknown.

Bojan Pajic has traced over 100 descendants and relatives of Australians and New Zealanders who served in Serbia or alongside the Serbian Army on the Salonika Front and nearby seas in World War One. You can hear about the little-known story of ANZAC soldiers, airmen, medical volunteers and humanitarian workers who participated in the Serbian theatre of war in WW1 when Bojan Pajic will present:

"Our Forgotten Volunteers: 

Australians and New Zealanders with Serbs in World War One"

Thursday 24 October - 12 pm - 1.00 pm at GSV.

Bookings are essential. Go to our website HERE.

Our speaker

Bojan Pajic majored in history at the University of Adelaide and served as an infantry officer in the Citizen's Military Forces/Army Reserve. He has served overseas as an Australian Trade Commissioner. 

As well as author of the book Our Forgotten Volunteers: Australians and New Zealanders with Serbs in World War One (Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2018), he is also the author of Serbian Decorations through History and Serbian Medals Awarded to Australians, (2016).

References

'The World War One Australian Serbian Project', B. Pajic in Ancestor 33:7 Sept 2017, p.15. (GSV Members can view this on our website).

'Exhibition: Serbia in the Great War' at soc.org.au, website of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Australia and New Zealand (accessed 17 Oct 2019).

'Australian women volunteers with the Serbian army in World War One', Srpski Glas[newspaper] 24 Aug 2015 (website accessed 17 Oct 2019).