Upcoming Genealogy Classes

As part of Seniors Month in October Campaspe Regional Library will be offering a number of free genealogy classes around the Shire, and bookings are now open.

Echuca Library
Ancestry Library Edition   Friday 11 October 1.00pm
Public Records Office of Victoria   Friday 11 October 2.00pm
FamilySearch   Friday 18 October 1.00pm
Genealogy Hints and Tips   Friday 18 October 2.00pm
Genealogy and DNA   Sunday 27 October 2.30pm
National Archives of Australia   Monday 28 October 10.00am
Trove and the National Library of Australia   Monday 28 October 11.00am

Kyabram Library
Trove and the National Library of Australia   Wednesday 23 October 9.30am
Ancestry Library Edition   Wednesday 23 October 11.00am
Genealogy and DNA   Wednesday 23 October 2.00pm

Rochester Library
FamilySearch   Monday 21 October 9.30am
Ancestry Library Edition   Monday 21 October 11.00am
Genealogy and DNA   Monday 21 October 2.00pm

Rushworth Library
Genealogy and DNA   Friday 25 October 9.30am
Ancestry Library Edition  Friday 25 October 11.00am
Researching ANZACs   Friday 25 October 2.00pm

Tongala Library
Genealogy and DNA   Monday 14 October 9.30am
Ancestry Library Edition   Monday 14 October 11.00am
Researching Irish Ancestors   Monday 14 October 2.00pm

Bookings are available online via the library homepage or you can call the library on 54812400.

Checking Ancestry's Database Information

It's always important to understand the resource that you're using, whether it's an original record, a book, or a database. Like you would read the introduction to a book, it's a good idea to read the "about" section of any database you're using. So when you're looking at a particular database on Ancestry, scroll past the search box and you'll see information about where the data came from and more details about what is in that resource. 

In my last post I wrote about accessing the Asylum records for Victoria, Australia.  The 'About' section for this dataset tells me where the information has come from and what information it might contain.  All fairly straight forward and worth knowing.

For other datasets, however, the 'About' detail can give some important information.  For example, the Rate Books 1855-1963 for Victoria, Australia are by no means complete, and the detail makes this clear.  While the list below is not the complete list of Rate Books available, it gives you the general idea that different areas covered different year ranges.  For the complete list, please check the card catalogue yourself.

There is nothing more frustrating than spending your valuable researching time looking for information that is not covered by the database, even though the broad description implied that it was there.  So try checking the description of some of the datasets available on Ancestry to see exactly what they cover - it may explain why you cannot find a records you were expecting to be available.

Searching the Ancestry Card Catalogue

When was the last time you searched the Ancestry card catalogue?  If your answer is "Never" than you may be missing out on a great way to narrow down you searches on the website, and discovering specific sets of records that you may otherwise be missing.

To get to the card catalogue, log into Ancestry and click on the Search tab at the top of the page, then select the "Card Catalogue".

The Card Catalogue is a searchable list of all the record collections available.  Because of the way their databases are titled you can use the title search box to narrow all the resources for a specific place, such as "Victoria, Australia".  You can then browse through the various data sets, click on one which interests you, and conduct a specific search of those records for anything relevant to your family.

Using this method, I discovered that Ancestry holds many of the Victorian asylum records from 1853-1940.  I searched these records and was able to locate the patient records of two of my ancestors who were admitted to asylums shortly before they died.  Both were elderly and suffering from dementia, one in Ararat and one in Kew.  Their records contained details of their admission, family members who admitted them, their doctor's comments on their illness and general health - one even had a photograph attached.  Incredible details to add to my knowledge of each individual.

So take a look at what the card catalogue has to offer and get the most out of Ancestry.  You may find a selection of records you never knew existed that hold details about your family

Making History

Making History is a set of online resources designed by Museums Victoria to support students, individuals and community groups as they investigate and create a short digital history (up to 3 minutes). This site guides you through the process to research, produce and share a digital history about a person or event. 

Modules include :

1. Introduction to Digital History
2. Choose Your Theme
3. Research
4. Create a Storyboard
5. Edit Your Digital History
6. Share Your Digital History

There is also a Student Showcase where you can select from more than 70 videos from undergraduate students studying the Making Histories course at Monash University, Secondary-aged students across Victoria, and Primary-aged students across Victoria.

These modules are a great was to create a family story for a reunion or to focus on a particular family member or event, and it is all free online.  Check out what Making History has to offer.

Who Do You Think You Are Magazine

The latest issue of Who Do You Think You Are magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to RB Digital eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue

• Second World War stories
  
  
  80 years on from the conflict, our unmissable seven-page guide explains the records you need to reveal the heroes in your family tree
• Canadian catch
  Katherine Ryan discovered ancestors in the Newfoundland cod trade - we look at the fishermen who crossed the Atlantic to make their fortune
• The magic of music hall
  The history of the first mass-market entertainment
• Reader story
  Dennis Knight tells the tale of an ancestor who was hanged for committing arson during the Swing Riots
• Sephardic Jews
  Mark Wright's ancestors were victims of the Inquisition - were yours?
• Plus...
  The best websites for researching the English Civil War; finding family in prison registers; the lives of ancestors who worked as nurses; and much more...
   

Around Britain

• Central Scotland
  Top tips and free resources for finding family from Tayside, Central and Fife

Virtual Genealogical Conference

The Virtual Genealogical Association has just announced its upcoming 2019 virtual conference - one that can be enjoyed from the comfort of home by those of us who find it difficult - or impossible - to attend the wonderful genealogy conferences being held around the world.

While the VGA itself is based in America and the conference times for live sessions are largely in the middle of the night for us Aussies, all sessions will be available for viewing for 6 months after the conference, so we won't miss out (and can re-watch sessions if we want to pick up things we missed the first time!).  They will even be adding closed captioning of sessions within 7 days of the live broadcast.

The conference covers a wide range of topics, so there is something for everyone.  Australian research, British research, German and European research, DNA, preserving and archiving, oral histories - the list of topics goes on!

The conference is very reasonable priced too - $59US for VGA members and $79US for non-members.  Since membership for a full year is only $20US, you might want to consider taking out membership and seeing what else the VGA has to offer.

Victorian BMDs Discounted

The Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria has a special offer available for Family History Month.  For August only, you can order their downloadable uncertified historical certificates for just $20.

This includes :

• Births 1853 to 100 years before today's date
• Marriages 1853 to 60 years before today's date
• Deaths 1853 to 30 years before today's date
• Church baptisms, marriages and burials 1836-1853

Uncertified historical certificates are not valid for official purposes but are a scanned copy of the official record that can be downloaded to your computer.  So if you have Victorian ancestors whose certificates you haven't ordered, this month might be a good time to get your copies of them.