Leading our feature articles in this edition is the winning entry from the 2024 GSV Writing Prize. In ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace’, Sue Reid writes of a startling development at a marriage ceremony at Ripponlea in Melbourne in 1870 and the events which followed, tracing the lives of both the bride, who was her great grandmother, and the groom.

Our other articles also present some intrepid research. John Hillard tells of his ancestor Patrick McAlister who was a sailor, a wheat farmer and finally a fruit grower at The Patch in the Dandenongs. Judy Woodlock’s ancestor had an unusual surname – or so she thought. Trying to find him in the records took her down many paths. In ‘The search for Richard Wise’ she describes her journey. Martin Playne uses four interesting examples from his own family history research to urge us to always verify ‘facts’, even those from official documents, with supporting evidence from other sources.

Do you have Canadian ancestors or connections? Our cover shows Jacques Cartier Square, in Montreal, Canada. In 1534 explorer Jacques Cartier was the first European to map the Gulf of St Lawrence, opening up Canada to centuries of immigration. In this edition our ‘how to’ feature looks at how to get started in tracing family history in Canada. 

We begin a new series of articles, ‘Trades of the Past’, where members of the GSV Writers Circle will describe their ancestors’ unusual employments, often in trades which no longer exist. We begin with rural pursuits: ‘The Walhalla Bullocky’ from Karen Wykes, ‘Wattle Bark Stripping’ from June Torcasio and ‘The Charcoal Burner’ from Tina Hocking.

There are many ways to share our family stories. ‘Getting it write’ describes some of the considerations of choosing the right format or genre for your specific audience. In news for all members, Ancestor reports on the GSV’s recent AGM, on the appointment of two new fellows of the GSV, and on the results of the GSV Writing Prize.

Emma Hegarty
Editorial team