Friday, March 24, 2017

State Library of New South Wales

The State Library of New South Wales has announced their program of free webinars. Each webinar will focus on the resources of the State archives collection and how to access them.
You can register to attend a webinar live - this will generate an email with a link that you click on at the appointed time to attend the webinar.  If you are unable to attend live, don't worry - the Library will also be recording the webinars so you will be able to view it at a time convenient to you simply by selecting the recorded webinar of your choice.
Currently the library has listed two upcoming webinars :

Using the NSW State Archives website
Date: Wednesday, 29 Mar 2017 10am - 11am
 
Tracing NSW Convicts
Date: Wednesday, 31 May 2017 10am - 11am

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Trove

Trove has a wonderful new addition, with the Commonwealth of Australia Government Gazette from 1901-1957 now available online and fully text searchable.
The Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) has supplied the content and the National Library of Australia has digitised and made these records machine-readable. Users can correct, tag and annotate the contents just as they can with digitised newspaper articles.  It is anticipated that more issues will be added in the future.
The very first issue of the Gazette, published on 1 January 1901, shows the proclamation of the Commonwealth of Australia by Queen Victoria. There were also instructions on a range of protocols, such as directions for appointing the judiciary, what should happen were the Governor-General to become incapacitated, and who would form Her Majesty’s first government.
Each Gazette documents the day-to-day business of governing and administering the Commonwealth. Usually published weekly, they were the principal source of public information on current legislation, and contained notices required by law on decisions made by the various departments and courts.
The subject matter of the Gazette ranges across all kinds of services and authorities, including defence, postal and telegraphic services, taxation and other forms of revenue, immigration, citizenship, trade and foreign affairs, national infrastructure and many others.
Some examples of what you may find in the Gazettes include:
  • notices about people becoming naturalised as citizens
  • results of public service exams
  • details of military service, commissioning, and decorations
  • post office and military tenders
  • despatches from the Secretary of State for the Colonies
  • patent and treasury statements
  • statements of receipt and expenditure for Territories

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

New on Ancestry in 2017

Ancestry has been busy adding records to their database, and below are the records already added this year.  Some are completely new datasets, while others have been updated and expanded.  I always enjoy having a look through what has been added, especially when I find new datasets that might contain something relevant to my research.


Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912
2,262,611
Updated
Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
1,864,596
Updated
Ireland, City and Regional Directories, 1850-1946
6,171,447
New
Surrey, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1987
519,990
Updated
Lithuania, Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1603-1921 (in Lithuanian)
545,387
New
Eastern Prussian Provinces, Germany [Poland], Selected Civil Vitals, 1874-1945 (in German)
12,202,119
Updated
South Africa, Biographical Index, 1825-2005
147,624
New
Claremont, New Hampshire, Vital Records, 1887-1946
1,318
New
New York, Episcopal Diocese of New York Church Records, 1767 - 1970
873,345
New
Magdeburg, Germany, Cemetery Lists, 1849-1874 (in German)
10,858
New
Hamilton County, Indiana, Compiled Records From Hamilton East Public Library, 1891-1962
22,476
New
Tennessee, State Marriages, 1780-2002
7,475,660
Updated
Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1626-1935
16,529,462
Updated
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
13,299,715
Updated
Connecticut, Marriage Index, 1959-2012
2,446,654
Updated
UK, City and County Directories, 1766 - 1946
42,741,627
Updated
Germany, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919 (in German)
7,433,005
Updated
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
123,760
Updated
Germany, Navy Casualty Lists, 1914-1919 (in German)
106,266
Updated
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985
28,258
Updated
San Diego, California, Compiled Records From San Diego Genealogical Society, 1913 -1919
12,749
New
American Protective League Correspondence, 1917-1919
24
New
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1940
82,210
Updated
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
46,825
Updated
DeKalb, Georgia, Compiled Records from DeKalb History Center
7,238
New

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Irish Lives Remembered

Do you have Irish ancestry?  Then take a look at Irish Lives Remembered, a free online magazine dedicated to Irish Genealogy.  Issue 35, Winter 2016 is now available, and it can be read online or downloaded in pdf to your computer or mobile device from  http://www.irishlivesremembered.ie/ 
The current issue includes :
  • Valuation Office Records - a key Irish genealogy resource
  • A look at the Irish Historic Towns Atlas
  • Bringing national culture into our homes
  • Royal Irish Constabulary
  • Getting to know the Merchant Navy Crew Lists
  • The Irish Quaker Archive
  • Civil Registration records
  • We stand on guard for thee - the Irish who died for Canada in the Secnd World War
  • Readers Photo Dating
  • The aftermath of the Easter Rising
  • Ogham - the earliest recorded Irish Genealogy
  • Racing at Lughnasa
  • The O'Donnell family name

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Family History Magazine

Finally getting around to reading the latest issue of Inside History magazine. 
Issue 37, the Summer 2017 edition includes:
  • 101 Sydney cemeteries unearthed + tips on researching your ancestors’ burials
  • The ultimate guide to history and family history courses, podcasts, webinars and more
  • 170+ new family history records online
  • Convict escapees who came to live with Indigenous tribes
  • Photo-dating tips from Inside History’s expert
  • Australian Federation in 1901: the backstory
  • The art of writing historical fiction
  • A 19th-century German medal and a mysterious Aussie WWI digger
  • Crown Street Women’s Hospital: a history
  • The local project protecting Australia’s oldest surviving European cemetery
  • Queensland’s newly established colonial archive
  • The latest history news, events, book and app reviews, and more. On sale now!

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Dixon Street Chicken


Food and recipes form such a major part of our family and its traditions - the food we all shared and ate and were taught to make by our elders.  Many family memories centre around food and cooking and mealtimes - so many family events involve gatherings to eat.
Dixon Street Chicken was a favourite creation of my mother's during my childhood - various incarnations of this recipe appeared regularly on our plates at least every week or two.  My sister and I used to refer to it as 'Chicken a la Cupboard and Freezer' as the contents of the dish depended on what was left in the fridge, freezer and cupboard at the end of the week.  The recipe was never the same twice.
After our mother's death last year, my sister and I undertook some major cleaning up, sorting out, throwing away and sharing of the contents of our family home.  One particular part of this adventure involved sorting through a drawer in which our mother kept all her favourite recipes - several favourite cookery books along with many pages torn from magazines and handwritten recipes copied from who knows where.  Many had notes written on them - things like substitutions of ingredients and notes on who particularly liked the dish.  In amongst these, torn from a magazine, we found the original recipe for Dixon Street Chicken.
We were amazed!  We didn't know there actually was an original recipe for Dixon Street Chicken at all.  Mum always made it up as she went along - we never saw her refer to a recipe - and we just assumed the name was used to give an answer to the regular "What's for dinner" question.
Below is the recipe in full

3-4 chicken thigh fillets, skin off, chopped
1 packet chicken noodle soup mix
1 tbs oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 cups chopped vegetables (eg carrots, broccoli, zucchini)
1 tsp cornflour with 2 tbs water, if needed
1 tbs soy sauce
1tbs sugar (optional, to taste)
Boiled noodles or rice, to serve
Simmer chicken pieces in chicken noodle soup mix and water to cover until cooked (10-15 minutes). Drain and reserve juices.
Heat oil in large pan, add onion and vegetables and stir fry until almost cooked. Add chicken juices and thicken with cornflour and water if needed. Add soy sauce and sugar to taste. Add chicken pieces. Serve with boiled noodles or rice. Serves 3-4.