“Australian history has been transformed by the contributions of family historians”, says Dr Tanya Evans, historian at Sydney’s Macquarie University. Her new book Fractured Families: Life on the Margins in Colonial New South Wales, is the result of collaboration between Tanya Evans and some of the many family historians who have worked with the archives of Sydney’s oldest … [Read more...] about “Genealogists are becoming the new social historians” says professional historian
Family History
Bombs, Clothes Lines and Jeeps
Our apartment in Singapore is like most apartments in Australia but one corner of it is quite different. We have a bomb shelter. Yes, our nine-year old apartment has a fair dinkum bomb shelter. This is because all apartments in Singapore are required to have a bomb shelter under Singapore’s Civil Defence Shelter Act 1997. As you can see from the thick door and walls, this … [Read more...] about Bombs, Clothes Lines and Jeeps
Ruminations on a Thing
It is a Thing. It just is. You might have a Thing at your place. You have grown up with it. It is always there, part of your everyday life. So seen, so used that is has become invisible to you. It is difficult to find a Thing if you don't know you have it. A few months ago I discovered that my family had a Thing. It revealed an interesting aspect of family history. I'll tell … [Read more...] about Ruminations on a Thing
Family History – the Kernel of All History
“The kernel of all history is family history.” I wrote that comment this morning in response to a thought-provoking post by Emeritus Professor David Carment about the importance of historians exploring and writing about their own family histories. The post picks up on a theme from a conference held in honour of highly regarded historian, Alan Atkinson. Every one of us is part … [Read more...] about Family History – the Kernel of All History
New WWI Website from State Library NSW
The State Library of New South Wales holds the diaries and letters of over five hundred people who served in World War I. Today they launched a new section of their website to make these more accessible to the public and to seek more information about the diarists from family members. A few months ago I wrote some posts about this collection and added a page on this blog to … [Read more...] about New WWI Website from State Library NSW