Immigrant Stories

Settling into a new country is not easy. Immigrants have to adapt to an unfamiliar environment and lifestyle, while maintaining aspects of their previous culture and way of life.

Many newcomers to Victoria spent their new lives in limbo, spending months in temporary migrant accommodation, committed to two year labour contracts. For others, settlement has been far easier because they spoke English, or government had offered assistant land or home scheme.

Generations of immigrants have had to adapt to a new climate, new landscape, new language, new currency, and new lifestyle, especially those who have settled in rural areas.

The Australian Immigration Museum has launched Immigrant Stories, telling the immigration experiences of several families as they settle in their new country.  Visit the exhibition online and read some of the stories of those who chose to leave their homelands and in many cases their families and friends to travel to Australia to build a new life.

Family Tree US Magazine

The latest issue of Family Tree US magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.  

Inside this month's issue : 

• RootsTech 2023 Roundup
• Ancestry.com Short Film Nominated
• Precious Memories
• The Family Home - A cache of memorabilia about an orphan’s home sheds light on an unusual upbringing.
• Colonial Roots - Learn how to research your early American ancestors who arrived before the Revolutionary War.
• Staying the Course - Avoid getting lost in a sea of research with these six tips for avoiding distractions.
• Je Me Souviens - Find your French Canadian ancestors.
• Group Dynamic - A family portrait shows many faces, but seemingly scant genealogical details.
• Naturalization Records
• At a Glance: Declaration of Intention
• Finding Ellis Island Immigration Records
• Native American Heritage and DNA
• Ancestral Village Worksheet - Collect key information about the place your ancestors lived.
• And more

The Family Histories Podcasts

For those who have enjoyed the wonderful series of The Family Histories Podcasts, host Andrew Martin returns next week for series 5.  The first episode arrives on Tuesday 2nd May 2023 with ‘The Carpenter’ with Jenni Phillips, and once again seven more genealogy-obsessed guests will be sharing how they got hooked on researching their family history, then telling us the life story of one of their most fascinating relatives, and finally they’ll be sharing more of their own current pesky research brick walls in a hope that a listener might just be able to help them with a break through. 

Series 5 will welcome the following family historians to the podcast;

• Kim Brengle
• Fiona Brooker
• Paul Chiddicks
• Kelly Cornwell
• John Erickson
• Jenni Phillips
• Michal Razus

So take the time to enjoy another wonderful series of The Family Histories Podcasts.

Family Tree UK Magazine

The latest issue of Family Tree UK magazine is now available free online for Campaspe Library members via our subscription to Libby eMagazines.

Inside this month's issue :  

• Royal shipwreck artefacts revealed in new Norwich Castle Museum exhibition
• New Genealogy Institute at Strathclyde University
• Call for improved access to public records
• RootsTech Round-up
• New WW2 Service Records digitisation project
• Declaration of Arbroath to go on display for the first time in 18 years
• Illustrating your family’s history
• Many names, one man
• Don't rely on the Surname
• Medieval masterclass
• And more
  

 

More WW1 Records Digitised

The National Archives of Australia and Ancestry.com have collaborated to digitise 95,000 First World War records, preserving them for the future.

The project digitised a series of records for individuals who applied to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), and were either rejected, discharged while still in training, or went on to serve within Australia only. 

Individuals, especially young men, who did not enlist were often stigmatised for failing to 'do their bit', with the infamous white feather presented to many to symbolise their perceived cowardice.  Yet many of these individuals tried to enlist only to be rejected.  Their stories are often left untold.

Many of those rejected were sent home on medical grounds, even though many appeared physically fit.  Examples of reasons for a person's rejection include : poor hearing or eyesight, insufficient chest measurement, issues with feet including poor veins or hammer toes, alcoholism, and poorly healed injuries such as a previously broken arm which had healed crooked.  Others tried to enlist over or under age and were sent home when their deception was discovered.

Rebecca Britt, National Archives Director of Digitisation Services said the partnership allowed for a sharing of knowledge and resources to ensure records were digitised to a world-class standard.

‘We welcomed Ancestry.com staff to our East Burwood, Victoria repository to support the project, and alongside National Archives staff, the Ancestry.com team digitised the records. This meant that the records never left the repository, ensuring security and best practice for the project.’

This series of records now joins more than 376,000 First Australian Imperial Force service records which have already been fully digitised.  All these records are accessible to the public via The National Archives of Australia's free RecordSearch site and through the Ancestry.com family history platform.

Who Do You Think You Are Australia

Series 14 of Who Do You Think You Are? Australia will start airing at 7.30pm on Tuesday 2 May on SBS and SBS On Demand.

The new series of Who Do You Think You Are? Australia will star actor and comedian Barry Humphries; journalist Jenny Brockie; journalist and former Senator Derryn Hinch; actor and entertainer Rhonda Burchmore; choreographer and artistic director Stephen Page; comedian and broadcaster Peter Helliar; actor Kerry Armstrong; and actor and musician John Waters. The episode themes will include Barry Humphries discovering a royal scandal in his family history; Stephen Page uncovering his mother Doreen's indigenous Australian identity; and John Waters tracing the women in his family tree.

Education

It is always exciting to find a new detail about an ancestor, especially when you move into more detail that the basic birth / marriage / death information.  Extra details of our ancestor's lives help to flesh out our knowledge, add to the image of the person rather than the bare bones of dates and times.

Recently I was lucky to find the certificate below, belonging to William Pummeroy in 1939.

Knowing where ancestors went to school and what they achieved is invaluable and I can now continue my research into William's studies and achievements and see what else I can find about his education.