Free Family History Seminars in North Queensland (June 2013)

Next month I will be presenting a total of six family history talks at four libraries in North Queensland. Admission is free but bookings are recommended and must be made by contacting the relevant library (not me) as explained below.

• Atherton: Thurs. 20 June 2013, 10:30am - 2pm (three talks - bring your own lunch).
  
  10:30am: 'Black Sheep and Vanishing Relatives'. This talk discusses sources and strategies for researching the 'black sheep' of the family and people who 'disappeared' (either temporarily or permanently). Problems and sources to be discussed include unregistered deaths; aliases; family stories that hide the truth; illegitimacy; mental asylum records; electoral rolls; inquests; 'no-inquest' preliminary enquiries; police and prison records; Police watchhouse records; murder files; registers of criminal depositions; maintenance records; Police Gazettes; and various series of Court records. For those with Queensland research, this session will provide a wealth of information; and because most Government archives hold similar records, learning about Queensland resources will also help with research in other areas.
  
  11:30am: 'Using Indexes: Tips and Traps'. Family historians use many indexes. We are less likely to miss relevant entries in indexes if we understand the different formats used. We also need to be aware of the many mistakes that are commonly made by indexers. In some handwritten documents, it is impossible to distinguish between certain letters of the alphabet. If we know what those letters are, we can predict some mistakes and thus search more thoroughly. By showing examples of many problems that we may encounter, this talk will help us to avoid the traps involved in using indexes.
  
  12:30pm - 1pm: short break (bring your own lunch).
  
  1pm: 'Who Else is Researching Your Family?' Distant relatives are likely to have photos, letters and other precious items from your branch of the family. Learn how to contact these 'new' relatives using Societies' journals and Members Interests; the GRD; visitor's books; conferences; personal Web pages; online family trees; genealogy blogs; Google searches; Rootsweb's WorldConnect, Freepages, mailing lists etc; LostCousins; CuriousFox; GenesReunited; MyHeritage; DNA testing for genealogy; and social networking (Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, the 'Genealogists for Families' project, etc.) This talk also briefly discusses ways to prevent the results of your research from being destroyed by fire, flood, computer failure, or disinterested descendants.
  
  Venue: Atherton Library meeting room, 16 Robert St, Atherton.
  More info: phone Gwen, 4043 4787.
  Bookings: phone Atherton Library, 4091 2229.


• Innisfail: Fri. 21 June 2013, 5:30pm - 6:30pm.
  
  'North of the Border: an overview'. This is an introduction to the main repositories in Brisbane; history and genealogy resources available on the Internet, and published and unpublished indexes for Queensland; and important records that are only available in the Search Room at Queensland State Archives. This talk will highlight some major differences between Queensland and NSW research. It will also demonstrate why you should look in Queensland for information about people who lived or died in other States or overseas.
  
  Venue: Innisfail Library, 49 Rankin St.
  Bookings / enquiries: phone Wendy Orbell-Durrant, 4030 2249.


• Tully: Mon. 24 June 2013, 10:30am - 11:30am.
  
  'My Favourite Archival Sources'. Some sources in Archives are of special interest to family historians, with personal details that 'put flesh on the bones', and information about people whom you might not expect to be mentioned. This talk demonstrates the benefits of using mental asylum records, probate files, annotated electoral rolls, and various records created by the Courts, Justice Department and Police.
  
  Venue: Tully Library, 34 Bryant St.
  Bookings / enquiries: phone Helen Pedley, 4043 9138.


• Wongaling Beach: Mon. 24 June 2013, 2pm - 3pm.
  
  'My Favourite Archival Sources'.
  Some sources in Archives are of special interest to family historians, with personal details that 'put flesh on the bones', and information about people whom you might not expect to be mentioned. This talk demonstrates the benefits of using mental asylum records, probate files, annotated electoral rolls, and various records created by the Courts, Justice Department and Police.
  
  Venue: Wongaling Beach Library, 2018 Tully-Mission Beach Road.
  Bookings / enquiries: phone Claire Shepherd, 4068 8153.