We had several apologies in June, however three members met and exchanged research achievements and failures.

Mal – Wrote a very special piece about a sibling that passed before he was born. It was a very emotional piece and came from heartfelt emotion and detailed the obvious impacts on the family.

Dawne – Came along to her second session and after Mal’s presentation we had a general discussion about ‘ethics’ and what should be disclosed in the family history and what should be left in the ‘time line’ and not formally published.

Due to the fact that Mal had visitors coming mid-afternoon, Barry and Dawne continued a discussion until 2.15 pm when it was decided that we would give ourselves an ‘early mark’.

This brings to a close the first semester.  Due to the low attendances for the advanced class, we have decided to ‘spell’ the Family Research ‘4th Thursday’ class during Semester II and review/redesign it when members of our ‘Getting Started’ group are ready to move on from the beginner level. 

Current class members are invited to attend the Family Research Drop-in with Bev Lee between 2 and 3pm on the third Thursday of the month to share pains and gains and/or stories from the topic list.  The next Drop-In session is on Thursday 18th of July in Classroom 1. 

Barry O'Connor

We had a number of apologies, however a small group met and exchanged research achievements and failures.

Barry – had no luck trying to locate Irish relatives living in the late 1880’s.

Malcolm – Has completed his research and printed a book which has been given to his grandson. He also had another version of his family history printed at Benalla printers.

Dawne  – Came along to her first session and had a broad discussion on her research efforts to date. She has been given a copy of our group’s ‘research resources/tips and tricks’ which has given her some new avenues to explore. Dawne also explained some issues she had encountered with cemeteries and being denied access to mark a family grave. She was given a couple of hints by both Mal and Barry.

Bev – presented a ‘cameo’ performance of her ANZAC day presentation which was very interesting. Bev also described the ‘buzz’ she experienced recently when distant relatives in Scotland contacted her after reading the ‘Tancy Lee’ and ‘Gretna Rail Disaster’ stories on her family history blog.

Barry and Dawne's stories on May's theme 'Disappointment' were certainly identified with and appreciated.
   
Whilst it is not mandatory for members to bring along a story, if you wish to do so, perhaps try; 'Have you faced a moral, an ethical dilemma in your research? Perhaps it relates to what to include in a story shared with others or on the website; a family object in your possession; etc. Write about it in 150 to 400 words'.

The next session will be at 1.30 pm on Thursday 27th June. 

​Barry O'Connor

Our recent ‘fourth Thursday’ class fell on Anzac Day, making the sharing of stories about family members who had served particularly meaningful.  In doing so, we created our own ‘memorial event’. 
​
We began by reading ‘Anzac Day’ stories from our ‘Family Stories’ and the ‘As Time Goes By’ collection. There are wonderful stories to be found, including Max Tilbury’s first story presented just this month ‘They could have been Anzacs’ and a poem ‘The Courage of the Horse’ written some years ago by David Lowing ‘. 

David Hall revisited the story of his great-uncles, brothers John Clifford Bowers (d.France, August 1916) and Norman Hugh 'Norrie' Bowers, and shared a video segment, ‘Wartime Legacy’, from last week’s Landline, which related to a family connection with the McCaughey family.  

Bev reflected on discussions which may have been held around her paternal grandparents and great grandparents’ dinner tables during World War 1 and showed a video ‘Against the Odds--The Victory against Conscription in World War 1’..  Did you know there were two Conscription referendums, with ‘No’ results for both?   

Mary drew upon John Barry’s book ‘Whatever of Glory: Those of Benalla & District Who Gave Their Lives in the Great War’ when sharing the story of a forebear, William ‘George’ Clarke, who lived in Goorambat and died in in the Great War. 

As Mary read George's story, Bev realised George had married a daughter of Catherine Warren, the first nurse researched by Judith Borthwick for her project ‘Benalla Hospitals and Nurses in the early years of the 1900’s’.  Both John Barry and Judy Borthwick’s research began when they were members of John Avery’s ‘Local History’ program and Meg Dillon’s Stories of Benalla’s Past’ courses over a decade ago!  David also pricked up his ears on hearing that one of the hospitals was in Lavery Street –David lives in Lavery Street!   

Finally, Mary shared a link to Benalla events from Wednesday May 1 to Sunday May 5 on the National Trust’s website.  You can also download the timetable of events as a pdf document.  We hope to see you there!

The suggested theme for May’s ‘contextual story of an ancestor with a 500-word maximum’ is ‘Disappointments’- ‘Write about a time when you felt profoundly disappointed when doing your research.  What triggered this?  Who in your family was involved, what effect did it have on you?  It may be a disappointment you felt for the person involved, or you felt as you negotiated your family research journey.  How did you deal with it?’

Bev Lee 

Members present: David Hall, Tom Barnaby, Mal Sanders and Barry O’Connor convenor.

Pains and Gains;

David – Pains: Having trouble with adding the names on the younger generation to the family tree, due to the unusual names given, and having trouble determining their sex by the name.
Gain: He has located an extraordinary website for family tree creation which is the subject of a later paragraph in this report.
 
Phil – Pains; He is having a lot of trouble converting old word documents into current formats. The group discussed this and suggested a number of options that might assist. Pain – He has attempted to get information from his siblings but none seem to have any information that light assist.
Gains: he is working on the family tree ‘closer to the trunk’ and has been in contact with a number of possible relatives that have come up in his DNA test.
 
Mal – Pains: Is still having trouble extracting accurate information on one branch of the family to put into a book. Gain: In the past he found a number of very good old newspapers under the linoleum in his parents kitchen.
 
Following the early session, Barry gave the group a copy of the chronological sequence he uses when research any history. He showed how much easier it is to follow the sequence of events when writing the final book. He also showed how highlighting certain events during the period allows you to follow such things as land and livestock sales. Using the excel format you can also copy small articles from gazettes and newspapers into the file for future reference.
 
The following discussion was on the Research Resources and Tips and Tricks document.

The main item of interest was a ‘find’ this month which will be added to the resources list and circulated to members.
 
‘Find of the Month’. David Hall has an extensive family tree and has a great deal of difficulty locating a program that would produce the tree in the formats and segments that he needed.

The site is https://www.family-historian.co.uk/video-category/v7 

The group spent some considerable time exploring the options that this site offers. David believes that the site has been around for over 20 years, but he only came across it a few weeks ago. The main features that the group viewed were the number of optional tree formats that were available. There is an extensive list of options for adding information and images to your family tree. There is also a mapping system which can show you by time period, where your ancestors lived anywhere in the world. You can transfer a tree from most of the popular sites such as Ancestry, My Heritage etc. The site also has numerous instructional videos for you to explore and add to your tree. Checking the site it appears that you pay a $89.95 joining fee and then pay for any updates that you require. 
 
Our next meeting is scheduled for ANZAC Day and it was suggested that we continue the remembrance theme with a presentation session on members of our family that have served. 

Barry O'Connor

On February 22nd, 8 seasoned family history researchers convened at the U3A room to continue their journey into their ancestry.

After individual introductions, we discussed how we could make good use of our monthly sessions, and have settled allocating regular time to:
​

1. Sharing tips and tricks.
2. Contextual stories of an ancestor with a 500-word maximum.
3. Excursions *
4. Guest Speakers *

* alternate month.

Anticipating a blend of fascination, occasional frustration, and primarily joy, they each harboured specific goals for their exploration. With a wealth of wisdom to impart, they eagerly anticipated exchanging insights and knowledge with their fellow researchers. As they embark on this collective quest, the year 2024 holds the promise of a deeply gratifying experience filled with learning and sharing.

Next meeting Thursday 28 March 1:30-4:00pm at U3A room Benalla Seniors building.

Here’s to another great year!


Barry O’Connor 0407 266 688
Jane Rushworth 0437 621 575

Handouts introduced during our first session included Barry's listing of 'Research Resources' and 'Tips and Tricks' drawn from his notes of classes in past years and experience as both an historian and family historian.

Another handout at the session provided information about the option of joining in the Family Research - Drop In, held monthly on the 3rd Thursday from 1 to 4 pm.   The format for the Drop In this year is:

Family Research 'Drop In' - New Format

1 pm 'Drop in Open' - Class Room 2 will be open for group members to settle in with devices and start working on the area/s they have focused on for the day.  

1.30pm .  Convenor/Mentor./s will begin working with participants.

2pm.  Group discussion - pains and gains, stories to be shared, what participants are working on, what they would like help with.

2.30   Review and support for any jointly occurring issues in the group

2.45 ish.  Coffee break  

3pm.  'Back to work' on devices with help from mentors/other group members.

3.50 to 4 pm   Winding up, including arrangements for one to one appointment times to complete any learning needs worked on during the session if requested.

4 pm  See you next time! 

Note - 
*Coffee will be available throughout the afternoon.  
*There are naturally occurring 'Drop In' points eg. at the start; for the discussion, and 'Drop Out' points eg. after the discussion, or when goals for the day have been achieved.

Family Research will be held on the 4th Thursday of the month at 1:30 - 4:00 pm. This semester begins on Thursday 22nd February 2024 in the large U3A room at the Seniors building in Fawckner Drive.

​At this meeting Barry and I look forward to hearing from you so that we can tailor the semester to the group needs. So, have a think about what you would like to see achieved as (1) a group and (2) what your personal aims might be ... besides finding that elusive and terribly rich relative who has left the entire estate to you!!

Note that group members can also access "drop in" support on the 3rd Thursday 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm. 

Jane Rushworth and Barry O’Connor

Our final meeting was held at the Benalla Golf Club on 30th November.  ‘Pains and Gains’ over the month, reflections on our research this year, plans for next year and more were informally shared over lunch and a glass of wine or two looking out at the golf course from the deck.  Bliss! ​

Communication with family members or friends have enabled both Malcolm and Barry to add valued information to their family tree this month, as reported on our ‘Family Stories’ page.   Our September guest speaker, Alan Henderson, played an important role in facilitating Malcolm’s discoveries.
 
Thank you to all those who have shared family stories on monthly topics over the past three years, a strategy introduced during the Co-vid hiatus which is being scaled down in 2024.
 
Next year’s group, with Jane and Barry convening, will incorporate intermediate learners and has been renamed ‘Family Research’.  ‘Pains and Gains’ will continue to feature each month, alongside a program of guest speakers and excursions. A complementary ‘Drop In’ session each month will provide ‘hands on’ time and mentoring.   Until then – ‘Happy Festive Season’.

​
Bev Lee, Jane Rushworth and Barry O’Connor

Time was spent during our October session discussing the activities the group wishes to retain and add next year.  There was universal agreement that our ‘Pains and Gains, Tips and Tricks’ segment should be retained.  This month during ‘Pains and Gains’:

Malcolm reported (via email) making gains in his search to locate the sons of a relative of his paternal grandmother, a Stan Herring, who worked for a time in the Department of Treasury or Finance in Canberra.  Last month’s guest speaker, family historian Alan Henderson, who worked in the Department of Treasury for many years, offered to assist Malcolm. Alan has since forwarded emails from Stan Herring’s co-workers to Malcolm.

Jane has, after chatting with Dawn Stevens, been exploring the ChatGPT app to discover how artificial intelligence can assist family researchers. The results to date are very encouraging, including ChatGTP taking a very ethical stance when Jane tried to investigate people, including herself.   (Find ChatGTP at https://chat.openai.com/)

Bev reported communicating with the descendants of Jack Carl, the husband of her grandmother’s sister, who family research revealed was in fact a widower who had lived in Christchurch, N.Z and had a son.  Bev’s sister will travel to N.Z in a few weeks to return Jack’s fob watch to his grandson from his first marriage who will in turn gift it to his own grandson as a wedding gift. Query: where was the watch purchased? Suggestion = check maker’s paper found in the back of some watches, and match travel records.
 
Andi’s recent research has focused on Dromana, Brian’s family settlement located below Arthurs Seat and the impact of the 1938 fires. After a web search found a 1929 real estate house sale notice, Andi took some “now” photos for comparison with past property photos and will next research who then bought the family block.

Barry reported receiving an emailed document “Appendix B – Corrections on Lewis O’Connor by Pamela Dexter, granddaughter of Lewis 2023.” This report added new information about a hotel owned by L. O’Connor, and land in Manangatang. Barry is still searching for missing L. O’Connor records for 1956-1970.

Last month, asked what he would do with unpleasant family history, guest speaker Alan Henderson said he would “publish and be damned” and retain a reputation for reliable research practices. Journalist David Marr has recently discovered his ancestor was a member of the brutal “Native Police” in Australia. You can view David Marr’s thought-provoking interview with reporter Laura Tingle at https://youtu.be/ARMR5rNBocY .

In 2024 we will be moving away from the reflective, story-telling approach we adopted during the pandemic.  Our final topics for 2023 provide the opportunity for some year-end reflection for those keen to put pen to paper or present orally – ‘Reflecting on Family Research in 2023’ or ‘Sharing my family stories over time’ (further details on website or the 2023 Topic List handout).

Jane Rushworth and Bev Lee

Follow this link to read stories by Barry O'Connor and Robyn Desmier

Interview with Laura Tingle on 7.30 report (view above or at  Interview with Laura Tingle on abc https://youtu.be/ARMR5rNBocY?si=aiSDChAmrAFVJuQ1

Article from Pearls and Irritations (4th October 2023) https://johnmenadue.com/killing-for-country-another-plank-in-truth-telling or download this PDF of the article - Handout from the John Menadue on 'Killing for Country' 

Ellen Fanning--'An Australian Family's Reckoning' 

Bev Lee

Where has the time gone - class at 2 pm tomorrow - time to reflect on 'Pains and Gains, Tips and Tricks' and share a story or two. 

We had a speaker last month, so carried over September's topics ‘Setting the Record Straight’ or ‘Family Mystery – the Case of the …..’ to October.  Feel free to choose between these topics or October's topics ‘Contact with a local Historical society’ or ‘An Interview with a family member’.  If you are running short of time, oral presentations are fine! 

Here's a link to the topic guide in case you need it - https://u3abenalla.weebly.com/uploads/3/9/6/1/39611571/2023_family_research_topic_list_.pdf.   

Remember there's always a 'member's choice' option, including bringing along anything else you have written or published that you would like to share!

Our agenda tomorrow will also pick up on a theme from Alan Henderson's talk - 'We hope our ancestors are good people' and include a look at some recent changes to ancestry.com's offerings.

​Look forward to seeing you if you can make it!

​Bev

At our September session, Canberra family historian Alan Henderson drew upon the lives of key people in the Henderson family when describing his research methods, sources, and journeys in Scotland and around the Victorian goldfields..

Alan began by describing examples of surprises and luck in his family research journey.  Most family historians would almost die for an album of ancestors carefully compiled with names on all photographs as serendipitously came Alan's way!  His reflections on issues such as 'we hope our ancestors are good people', 'setting the record straight' and whether to 'publish and be damned' gave us much to think about. He encouraged us to think outside the square, using the example of his checking the moon cycles for a date when a family member reputedly walked quite a distance and finding would have been possible as it was a full moon! Alan also spoke about recently reading Anna Funder's book, Wifedom, leading him to reflect and research more deeply into the role of women in his family.

Alan's book, 'Boots Gold and Wool', which follows his Henderson great grandfather's line, is an excellent example of an approach to writing family history which is both engaging and academically written. He has left a copy with us which is available for borrowing.  He also left a list of references and we are hoping to add his power point presentation to the website in the coming weeks for those who were unable to attend.

A most enjoyable and informative session which left us with much to think about!

At our next session on Thursday 26 October at 2pm, bring along stories written for September ‘Setting the Record Straight’ or ‘Family Mystery – the Case of the …..’
and/or October's topics ‘Contact with a local Historical society’ or ‘An Interview with a family member’. Check the Family Stories Topic List 2023 for more details.

Bev Lee and Jane Rushworth

We have been able to arrange a guest speaker for our next Family Research session this Thursday 28 September at 2pm.

Family historian Alan Henderson will speak about his publication 'Boots, Gold and Wool'. Alan will draw upon an outline of some key people in the Henderson Family and their lives as background to his research methods, sources, and journeys in Scotland and around the Victorian goldfields. Alan's session - from 2 to around 3.30 pm - will also include information about surprises and luck in his research journey and a section at the end on 'setting the record straight'.    

Alan, who lives in Canberra and writes a monthly column for the Deniliquin Pastoral Times about Deniliquin historical events and issues, will also tell us a little about courses he has completed and what he learned.  

​If there's time at the end of the session, stories for September's topics 'Setting the Record Straight' or 'Family Mystery - the Case of the....' can be shared.  If not, they can be shared next month.

We are very fortunate that Alan, who is David Palmer's brother in law, is enroute to the Grand Final in Melbourne and staying in Benalla for a few days!

If you know someone you think might be interested in hearing Alan's presentation, they are welcome to come along.


Beverley Lee
0478 607 838

Resource sharing this month included useful handouts by Judy Barry on ‘Researching your Family Home’ and Deb Saunders on ‘Adding a Website Link to a Person’s Profile on ancestry.com’ along with a thought-provoking chart–‘DNA - how many centimorgans do you share with relatives’. 

Our segment on publishing our work included Andi's latest Gawn to Town column on page 8 of the Tatong Tattler, a delightful account of the story behind a recent gift of a wine cutting originating from the Kangaroo Ground property of her great great grandfather.

For this month's story topic 'Correspondence', Barry spoke about a document containing a detailed record of part of his great grandmother’s family history shared with him by a cousin also working on their family history. How rare and valuable to be able to access an original source describing key information about each of a family of 15 siblings!

Andi read a translated version of a fascinating family letter dated 11 July 1852 which had been written across then down the writing paper, a scarce commodity at the time.

Dawn reported making good progress on this year’s project of working on her own family tree and has now produced and shared My Heritage genealogical reports with family.

​Dawn's ‘piece de resistance’ was the screening from her iPad via Apple TV of two videos she has created using an Al program from My Heritage. The program animated a photo of, first her father, then a great aunt, drawing on data from Dawn’s family tree– it was quite disarming hearing them talking about their lives in the 1st person!

September’s topics - ‘Setting the Record Straight’   Share a story about a time when you felt you needed to 'set the record straight' about an element of your family story - perhaps to your family, perhaps to a wider audience eg. community; family history community such as ancestry.com; OR ‘Family Mystery – the Case of the …..’ ‘There is usually more than one mystery in a family tree!  Tell us about a family mystery that still, or for a long time remained, unresolved, on your family tree...’. 

Bev Lee

‘Pains and Gains’ proved once again to be a fascinating segment in July as members raised issues which led to lots of discussion, sharing of ideas, fact checking and ‘practice wisdom’. 

Deb has been given access as a guest to the Stewart side of her family on an ancestry tree and has been diligently copying from that tree to her own ancestry tree, learning new skills which she is happy to share.  Deb is also a direct DNA descendant of King Robert 3rd … a celebrity amongst us!

Sue reported receiving DNA results after her test needed redoing and is looking forward to exploring the results and what might emerge.  Later in the session Sue fact checked a question relating to transferability of DNA results, finding “My Heritage” says it is possible to upload DNA data from another provider for free.

Andi described a current gain as having paid for a 6-month Ancestry account, enabling her to dip into her research whenever she finds a moment to do so.  Jane expressed the pain of misplacing a document related to her intriguing “Aunty Hilda” story, while David P reported being a bit discouraged since he transferred Ancestry GED.com to My Heritage as he has received many error messages.

Our Family Stories segment this month focused on ‘Inheritance’ whether through Wills or traditions. Deb traced the origins of an inherited and strong love of music across generations in her story “MUSIC – tracing the inherited love of music through my family tree”. Deb’s grandfather was a much-lauded musician and earned many important medals. David H’s presentation “Food Music and Home life in the 50’s and 60’s” proved wonderful reminder of delicious … and avoidable foods …. and sharing songs around a record player!  In “Inheritance – Ferry good money from the Derwent”, David P described a contrivance in late 1700’s to get to Australia for free. A hive of bees, an uncle who was a sentencing magistrate, and committing a crime to achieve this. A rollicking story.

Andi wrote about inheriting an old photo from her mother which led to a mystery to solve when a second photo almost the same was discovered during Andi’s research.  

​Always on the lookout for publishing ideas, during the session Bev shared information about ancestry.com’s ‘Create a Keepsake’ link to My Canvas, which draws from ancestry.com family tree data to produce posters, calendars, books and other keepsakes. 

August’s Topics –
‘Correspondence 1’  Time to delve into your email/other records and find a letter/other missive you wrote to make contact with someone in relation to a family tree, or someone wrote to you.  You'll need to add a brief introduction to contextualise it, and a brief conclusion summarising 'What Happened Next'!

‘Correspondence 2’  Write about some correspondence from the past involving your ancestors which revealed something of particular interest to you and helped to shape your research.  Who wrote the correspondence?  Who to?  About?  Tell us about the difference it made, the value it added, to your research.
​
Jane Rushworth

​On a very cold Thursday afternoon in late June, with a long list of apologies shared, two hardy souls joined Bev for Family Research, reporting on pains and gains and sharing family stories.  During the session we also followed up questions relating to DNA, watching the first of three excellent videos on DNA described in Deb Saunder's member's story 'An introduction to DNA results in ancestry'.

After last year and producing a book on her husband’s family history for their children and grandchildren, Dawn reports being immersed in working on her own family tree, making connections with others and getting closer to finding information about cousins she met just once as a child.   Sue reported that her DNA test had to be resubmitted, however her husband's DNA result has already filled in gaps and resolved mysteries in his family tree.   

Two stories were shared on June’s topic ‘Music and my Family Story’. Bev shared a story featuring the Irish traditional songs 'The Rocky Road to Dublin' and 'Cockles and Mussels', while Sue's presentation featured her singing a hymn cherished by her beloved, and very musical, mother.
 
Story topics for the coming month relate to 'Inheritance', both in the formal and legal sense involving wills and bequests; and in the informal sense of the handing down of recipes over time.

‘Inheritance 1’  Stories relating to wealth, wills, inheritance can arise during family research. Describe an ‘inheritance’ matter which you have come across during your research, who and what it involved, the outcome initially and over time.
​
OR  ‘Inheritance 2’ 
Alternative 1 - Think of recipes or meals which remind you of people in your family tree.  Perhaps they feature in meals following long-held family traditions, are included in oral history or family recipe books over time. Share the story behind one or more recipes, finding the recipe to share with others and on the web site.
Alternative 2– research the traditional foods/recipes of an area in which your forebears lived. Can you see any links in recipes, food culture of your family? Trial one of the recipes and report back on your experience.
Alternative 3 – Which recipes from your family’s collection of old family recipes you would like to bequeath in a recipe collection for your children/nieces and nephews – Who do you remember, or were you told, had made them. Select three, including a short intro to the recipe featuring key memories of the person who made them. 
(Show and Tell’ could include old recipe books, even  samples of food cooked using recipes!)

With fewer members in class for reasons including illness, travel and leaving Benalla, our sharing of pains and gains and family stories is taking less time.  After a 'ring around', we've decided to cut back from 1 to 4pm to 2 to 4pm for the remainder of the year. 

'Get Well' wishes go to class members who are currently unwell, along with a big 'Hi' to those travelling north! 

Bev Lee

With Bev and Barry unwell, along with lots of other apologies, Jane took on the full leadership role for the small but keen group of family researchers who arrived for class on the fourth Thursday. 

In Pains and Gains, Malcolm shared news of family history connections renewed and information gained while on a two-week family research focused trip to South Australia, while Sue described the gains she has made since joining the class in February.  Barry had also sent in a rich list of Pains and Gains. 

In ‘Unlocking a Puzzle’, her story in response to May’s topic ‘The clue or evidence that opened up my family story’ Deb described how taking another look at a Marriage Record, noticing the word ‘Park’ at the end of the line and wondering about its significance opened up a family story for which the Beatles song ‘Mull of Kintyre’ could well have been the soundtrack. 

There was also time for Deb to share her research on the Earl Grey Scheme for Irish Orphans, among them her ancestor, Bridget Cain. By all accounts, the group had a great afternoon.

The topics for May’s ‘Family Stories’ can be carried over to June if you were away but would still like to present your story - either   
The clue or evidence that opened up my family story,,, Describe a piece of evidence which, when found, resolved a problem or enabled your family research to move on or consolidated it in some way.   If you can remember the details, share your process in doing so with us and the avenues it opened up.  
“Out of my usual comfort zone…”  Write about a branch of your tree which (or an ancestor who) has taken you out of your comfort zone (and perhaps current subscription level) into international records or a rather remote source of records.  What did you discover that led you on this new journey, what committed you to pursuing it, what did you find out if anything?  How did this help 'round out' your family tree.  Was the journey worthwhile?

June’s topic - Creatively writing family stories…. ‘using the left side of your brain’!  Decide upon a person who is central or fairly central to your family history and an event or stage in their life which is particularly significant… Research into the period of time to add breadth and depth to the context in which you will be telling a story of a brief but significant time in their life…  write it as a story using the tense/style of ‘Elizabeth Pulley Sets Sail’.  or from Graham Jensen’s ‘Leaving the Shore’. (This may be a bit tricky, but persevere and see what happens!  It can be a ‘draft’, and there is no expectation that it will be added to our story collection unless you feel ready for this.)

Alternative topic ‘Music and My Family Story…’  Tell us about ‘music’ which has featured in your family story or which on hearing it helps you to explain your family story in some way.  If you can, bring the music to play for the group – YouTube is a wonderful source! Explain how it relates to a particular family branch or member, their experiences, the historical period at the time. (Think laterally – the story could be about a family musician; family songbooks; an old instrument still in your or a family member’s collection… and more.  Over to you.)

Of course, if these topics don’t excite you, there is always the ‘member’s choice’ option!'

Jane Rushworth and Bev Lee 

Deb's story for this month's topic 'The Clue or Evidence that opened up my family story'  is very much a 'Gains' story!

"Unlocking a closed door in your research can sometimes take you by surprise.  Re-visiting some details in a marriage certificate and an unexpected result in a google search has helped me to uncover the origin of one of my ancestors.  The google search led to an academic article filled with information and a connection to a family member in Scotland.  Not only did I find the Stewart Family ancestors lived at High Park Farm on the Kintyre Peninsula - currently owned by Paul McCartney.  It has also been confirmed through DNA that my mother is part of the Royal Stewarts of Scotland, descending from King Robert III.  What a surprise! 

Malcolm reported on his two week, family history related, trip in April and May...
... " I went to Mt Gambier, Robe, & Goolwa. I  met up with my second cousin (Karen) in Mt Gambier - I hadn't  seen her since the Benalla floods of 2nd October 1993. 
I then met my first cousin Des Smith (now 92 with no walking aids) and wife Betty at Goolwa. Des Smith is one of my oldest cousins. Born at Tatong, Des worked for the Commonwealth Railways and became the chief commissioner. His book on “Rail Tracks Across Australia” (120 pages) will be given to the Benalla Family Research Group. Des graduated as a Civil Engineer from Melbourne University in 1952.I now have a complete listing of the 3 children and 8 grandchildren to add to an almost complete Family book for Karen Smith/Carroll.
I was able to give Karen & Des a 30-page draft during the visit. The book is now complete with 96 pages ready to print.
I also met two other second cousins I hadn't seen since 1960, Stephen & Paul Smith ( Karen’s brothers) at Goolwa."

Sue described the gains she has made since joining the class in February
​"Recently Bev met with me to see what help she could provide to assist me in my research. She showed me how to upload a Gedcom  file to My Heritage  so I could produce a family book. She also provided a link to South Australian shipping records. I have sent off my DNA test and awaiting results. I have been able to upload a Gedcom file for my husband and produced a family tree for him with lots more to do. I have still not found any information on my estranged fathers life for the last 50 years but my increase in research skills and more time available I am hoping to find those lost years. I feel inspired and motivated by those who are further along in their research and learning more organisational and tips of the trade. I am still struggling with our iMac computer but persisting slowly. A very worthwhile class!" 

Thanks Barry, Deb, Malcolm and Sue for writing up these reports!

There were fewer participants than usual at this month’s session.  Some were away on holidays, some felt unwell, and others had alternate activities.

‘Pains and Gains’
David: had been attempting for some time to get a program that would show his family tree in a compact, but readable format.  He came across a program called ‘edraw’ which he has modified to suit his requirements.
Andi:  unearthed some buried information, after "Upotipotpon station" was advertised for sale a few months back.  Visiting the Real Estate agent hoping to visit it, the fellow she spoke to asked, did she have a family connection? Andi said yes, her great-great-great-aunt died there.
Barry: did not have any further information on his family history, however he did uncover some very interesting information about Arthur Baird.  In 1942 Arthur encouraged a young staff member to continue their studies. As a result of this Connie Jordan became the first female licenced engineer for QANTAS.
Deb: found details from the death certificate of Mary Stewart, which led her to a number of family graves in Box Hill cemetery.  This discovery has led to further details about the family.
Dawn, who has been working on her husband’s family history, brought along copies of family history books prepared by family members from her family that appear to contain some detailed history which will be useful to her as she moves on to explore her own paternal and maternal family history.

Family stories were mostly on the ‘ANZAC’ theme:
Bev: focussed on the war service of her father Anthony ‘Tony’ Lee who was assigned to the 7th Division Signals and served in the Middle East and later New Guinea. Bev also circulated a copy of a listing from the National Archives which gives details of medals, and when and where they were awarded.
David: presented details of the Hall and Dillon families who served in both the 1st and 2nd World Wars.
Deb: had researched and written thoughtfully about the wartime experience of her Grandfather and his three brothers who all enlisted in September 1915, and also spoke of his two sons who had fought in WW2.
Barry: had previously written about the aftermath of the wars, however during more detailed research on the family history, uncovered a detailed account of the units that his father served with during WW2. This was as story very similar to Bev Lee’s father, as they both served in the Middle East initially, and were then transferred to New Guinea.
Almost all of the recollections of returning servicemen highlighted war related physical and mental health issues, often suffered for many years.
Andi chose the ‘Traits’ topic and gave details of how DNA results impacted on various family members. 

Topics for our next class -
The clue or evidence that opened up my family story… Describe a piece of evidence which, when found, resolved a problem or enabled your family research to move on or consolidated it in some way.   If you can remember the details, share your process in doing so with us and the avenues it opened up.  
“Out of my usual comfort zone…”  Write about a branch of your tree which (or an ancestor who) has taken you out of your comfort zone (and perhaps current subscription level) into international records or a rather remote source of records.  What did you discover that led you on this new journey, what committed you to pursuing it, what did you find out if anything?  How did this help 'round out' your family tree.  Was the journey worthwhile?

Barry O’Connor

May's topic's  –

'The clue or evidence that opened up my family story...' Describe a piece of evidence which, when found, resolved a problem or enabled your family research to move on or consolidated it in some way.   If you can remember the details, share your process in doing so with us and the avenues it opened up.  
'Out of my usual comfort zone…'  Write about a branch of your tree which (or an ancestor who) has taken you out of your comfort zone (and perhaps current subscription level) into international records or a rather remote source of records.  What did you discover that led you on this new journey, what committed you to pursuing it, what did you find out if anything?  How did this help 'round out' your family tree.  Was the journey worthwhile?

​Recommended reading/viewing/listening -

Researching Military Records: 
An excellent article from the State Library of Victoria website   https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/family-matters/mentioned-in-dispatches-ways-to-research-your-military-ancestors/

Understanding DNA results:  Deb's suggestions of videos to watch as a background to understanding DNA results - 
u3abenalla.weebly.com/family-stories/members-choice-an-introduction-to-dna-results-in-ancestry

'Edie's War' - a podcast, featuring the story of her grandmother, written in jounral format, by former Benalla resident Penny Bristol Jones, and broadcast on Anzac Day
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-history-listen/the-history-listen-anzac-day-edie-s-war/102194450
Also see 'A dreadful time for mothers' in 'Edie's War' on Penny Bristol Jones' website Digby Family Stories 

Guest speaker Emeritus Professor Dr Jim Burnell (Biochemistry and Molecular biology) led an intriguing and interesting journey into DNA and its role in explaining “Why we are who we are”. We have been fortunate to hear from Jim previously and each of his talks create much interest and prompt many more questions that time allows. Jim spoke about genotypes (genetic material) and phenotypes (observable characteristics or traits), bespoke medicines and treatment plans using DNA, gene are expression, and why childhood play in mud is good for us.

If you are thinking about doing your DNA, Jim suggests googling "Geneology" for a list of commercial companies to find one to suit your needs.  As happens, a relevant media story was published in thime for Jim's talk.  Beethoven's hair has been DNA tested - go to 'Beethoven's DNA from a tuft of hair reveals new insights into his health and family' and 'Beethoven's DNA reveals surprises'. 

Highlights during our ‘Pains and Gains’ segment in March included Mal’s having connected with a cousin in Mt. Gambier he has not seen since 1993. As a surprise for her, he has extracted her family history from his tree and put it into a special booklet which he had printed by Benalla Printing. Malcolm is also investigating relative Ted Lloyd who, family lore tells, made Ned Kelly’s armour.
​
Barry reported that the Arthur Baird project, which he and other members of the Benalla Family Research Group have been working on for over four years, is now out for public comment. The project will be totally funded by surplus grant monies from an arts grant. Comment can be made on this link: https://haveyoursay.benalla.vic.gov.au/proposed-arthur-baird-sculpture Full details of Arthur and his family history can be found in a copy of the book ‘Benalla’s Fourth Famous Son’, attached to the above link.

Deb was excited to find some shipping records that have provided a number of pieces for her family ‘jigsaw’. She has been able to use these records to connect and confirm some of the dates in the family history.  Deb also shared the story of her ancestor Bridget Cain, a child of the famine era who endured workhouses as an orphan, arriving in Australia as one of the Irish famine orphan girls sent out under the Earl Grey Sponsorship Scheme.

Jane reported that planning is well advanced for Heritage Week 3rd to 7th May. The Benalla Family Research Group will make presentations at the Benalla aged care facilities during this week. Jane also gave details of a considerable library of documents from the Thorburn family, which contains some significant shipping documents from Newcastle Harbour, which has recently been offered to the group.

Wendy has now located some DNA evidence confirming the identity of her Father-in-law and Great-great-grandmother, providing a sense of closure about an apparent ‘black hole’ in her research and family secret.

Stories were shared on our March theme ‘Her Story’, stories about mothers, grand or great grandmothers and aunts.  New member Susan shared her first story, writing about her grandmother Gertrude Mavis Lewis nee Harvey “Thoughtful, considerate, kind, loyal, emotional, cherished, my grandmother overcame many challenges, was resilient and is always remembered with love.”  You can read shared stories by clicking on this link - https://u3abenalla.weebly.com/family-stories  

April’s topics –  ‘The Anzacs’ and other histories of war….  Briefly survey the four ‘grandparental’ sides of your family reflecting upon their involvement in theatres of war over time.  Focus on a particular ancestor in a particular war sharing with us your understanding of his or her experience of war.    (Feel free to adapt the question wording to apply to the story you discovered.)
Alternate topic - “Where did I come from…Why am I like I am’ (following on from Jim Burnell’s talk) Do you have a trait which you’ve found (or are still looking to find) among your ancestors?  What is the trait?  Describe whether and how you discovered them in your family history journey, how this made you feel. It’s fine to describe it in a general sense… eg. someone who ‘was good with their hands’; ‘interested in social justice’; was ‘entrepreneurial’.   If you have had a DNA test, did this throw any light on this trait?
Barry O’Connor, Jane Rushworth and Bev Lee

The Family Research ‘4th Thursday’ group started the year with ‘Pains and Gains’.  Mal described the laborious process of upgrading family gravestones and the impact of vague records on his search for his Herring family great grandmother.  Graeme has located some certificates containing a wealth of information about his Portuguese ancestors, but these need to be translated.  Wendy now has DNA confirmation of her father-in law, resolving a family mystery.  Wendy also displayed some travel diaries produced using the program ‘Find Penguins’.  Deb reported using My Heritage to prepare reports, sharing her pleasure at being able to gift a genealogical report to an elderly relative living in Benalla who had shared valuable family information with her.  Our new member Sue explained that her focus area is to trace the life of her estranged father, while Bev described recent contacts with other family researchers.

David’s power point presentation covered our monthly topic ‘In Search of… ‘ and also ‘pains and gains’ in trialling charting software including ‘Charting Companion’.  After considerable sleuthing, David found an ancestors’ “first wife”. This proved simple compared to the challenge ahead - to include the “first wife” in a family tree in a visually attractive A3 or A0 size tree chart in time for a family member’s upcoming “Cousins Reunion”.  David currently has a tree scroll across 10 A4 pages that have been stuck together and plans to meet the “Cousin’s Reunion” deadline with an A3 or A0 tree.

As always, the characters described in ‘In Search Of…’ were as intriguing and interesting as the processes that were used by group members to search for a mysterious family member.

Bev went 'In search of' the family of her ‘Miller side’ great grandmother Elizabeth Miller discovering Elizabeth’s parents, siblings, where the family originated from, travel records, mixed marriages, and much more. It frequently happens that family researchers make new contacts, sometimes friendships, and this is how Bev met the Irish priest and relative, Father Miller, who wondered whether the Catholic Church’s edicts about mixed marriages might have been a mistake.

Deb is searching for Mary Stuart (Stewart). Though different name spellings can be a researcher’s nightmare, Deb has targeted her maternal great-great-great grandmother. Deb’s search methods included shipping records, Scotland’s People, Church records, and genuki.com. While ‘when, where and how’ Mary died remain a mystery, Deb has been able to locate Mary’s 6 children with Adam Glen (snr).

Barry recounted finding his paternal grandparents records. While he found his grandfather’s information quite easily, his grandmother’s history was the familiar researcher challenge - finding data from an era when women’s own stories were rarely recorded. Barry has since created his paternal grandmother’s story by working backwards from her death certificate. He has found her parents, siblings, addresses and more. Her name was Eva Muriel Few and she had a story to tell!

‘Time Travelling!’ was the alternate topic for this month.  Wendy described how she organized and immersed herself in 200-300 handwritten letters written to and from her paternal grandmother, covering the paternal grandmother’s early 20s to nearly 60 years starting in 1937. The letters cover many topics, vividly describing the author’s lives and thoughts related to these topics. It was no wonder Wendy described feeling transported back in time.  And just to keep us intrigued and in anticipation, Wendy discovered gaps in the letter’s timelines where Wendy’s paternal grandmother had destroyed some letters on topics she thought were not suitable for others to read. 
 
Malcolm opted for a “Members’ Choice” Master Class on his on-going project to update relatives’ headstones and the many steps to achieve this. The Stone Mason’s quote describes prices and the assorted options to choose from if you are thinking about doing the same.

Graeme is also caring for a relatives’ grave. His soldier relatives’ grave is near a significant First Nation site. Stay tuned as Graeme updates us on the many factors he will negotiate to ensure cultural respect for his soldier relative and the First Nations’ site.

The 2023 National Trust’s Heritage Festival will be held in Benalla from 3rd to 7th May. The theme is “Shared Stories”, and the Benalla Heritage Network has planning well underway. The 2023 events calendar is larger due to an increase in participation by many history-based Benalla groups/individuals. The Benalla Heritage Network mantra is “highlight what we already do”. If you or your group might like to participate in the festival or have queries about the Network,  go to https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/ahf/vic/ or call Jane on 0437 621 575.

At our next session, on Thursday 23 March, from 1 to 2pm, our guest speaker will be Jim Burnell on DNA - 'Why I am like I am' and some recent developments in gene therapy. 

As International Women’s Day falls in March, our family stories topics for March are:
​‘Her Story’  The chance to write about a woman in your family research you have come to admire; someone who has struggled and prevailed; perhaps someone who experienced a family or other tragedy, or multiple tragedies; someone who fought for women's stories to prevail; who participated in the woman's movement; who had a particular gift which she shared with the world or other theme which you feel pertinent. 
​Or
The ‘G+’ (female) Collection
Add a new story your ‘G+’ collection.  Write about a (great, great great, or even great, great, great) grandmother or aunt you haven’t written about previously.

​ 
Jane Rushworth, Barry O’Connor, Bev Lee

Class Guidelines
​
1.   Length of time of submissions suggested when there are eg. over 8 people present - 3 minutes for Pains and Gains, 6 minutes for Family Stories
​2.   A thoughtful approach to sharing information about others in our stories and also if talking with others about our class.  

Guest Speaker - Jim Burnell - DNA - 'Why I am like I am' and some recent developments in gene therapy. 

Family Stories - Topics
International Women’s Day falls in March.  In the past (though not in February', we’ve noticed a tendency towards ‘his’ stories, so this March we’ve chosen the topic 'Her Story'
​‘Her Story’  The chance to write about a woman in your family research you have come to admire; someone who has struggled and prevailed; perhaps someone who experienced a family or other tragedy, or multiple tragedies; someone who fought for women's stories to prevail; who participated in the woman's movement; who had a particular gift which she shared with the world or other theme which you feel pertinent. 
​Or
The ‘G+’ (female) Collection
Add a new story your ‘G+’ collection.  Write about a (great, great great, or even great, great, great) grandmother or aunt you haven’t written about previously. 

​Hello everyone,
 
It's time to collect your thoughts and select a 'Pain, Gain, Tip or Trick' from your research experience over the break to introduce to the group and write (or fine tune) the story you are planning to share in class on Thursday from 1 to 4pm.

The story topic for our first session on Thursday 23 February is ‘In Search Of…’ ‘Have you found yourself needing to search extensively for someone who holds a fairly central place in your family tree? Begin by describing the details you had at the beginning of your search. How did you apply yourself to get a better sense of their lives and their relationship with other people? What did you find out? Choose someone you haven't written about before.’

An alternative topic ‘Time Travelling!’ Have you ever felt that you have been time travelling into the lives of your ancestors, or that you have grown very close to a particular person or family in your family tree? Share this experience with the group.
 
A special welcome to new members. If you would like to contribute a story on one of these topics in ‘150 to 400 words or thereabouts, oral presentations fine too’, that would be wonderful, however don't feel you have to.   We try to keep ‘Pains and Gains’ to 3 minutes, and ‘Family Stories’ to 6 minutes. 
 
If you would like some reading and/or inspiration, here is the link to the Family Stories page.  
 
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday at 2pm.  
 
Best wishes,
 
 
Bev, Jane, Barry and Wendy

The story topic for our first session on Thursday 23 February is ‘In Search Of…’ Have you found yourself needing to search extensively for someone who holds a fairly central place in your family tree? Begin by describing the details you had at the beginning of your search. How did you apply yourself to get a better sense of their lives and their relationship with other people? What did you find out? Choose someone you haven't written about before.’

An alternative topic …. ‘Time Travelling!’ Have you ever felt that you have been time travelling into the lives or your ancestors, or that you have grown very close to a particular person or family in your family tree? Share this experience with the group.
​
Bev Lee, Jane Rushworth and Barry O’Connor