Who amongst us has not on occasion come up against misleading information in researching family history? In this edition, Jill Watson shares her experience in attempting to correct the written record in her article ‘Robert Nash, 3rd fleet convict: fact and fiction’.

Exploring his family history with cousins in the United States, Peter Collins came across a shocking tale. Pulling together a range of sources, he tells us about the life and death of his relative Audrey Burleigh. Closer to home, Jillian Brewer uncovers the highs and lows in the life of her ancestor Thomas Sherry. Beginning as a burglar with an unusual technique, he was sent to Australia as a convict, but established a family and career before more problems arose.

Dianne Lewis tells the story of her great-great-aunt Elizabeth Judd, and of her muff chain and photographs she has inherited. ‘A brush with the law’ sees journeyman brush maker, James Deakes, transported to Tasmania for stealing from his master. Supposedly crime does not pay, but in this instance, it enabled Stuart Hamilton’s 3x great-grandfather to eventually set up his own brush manufactory in Hobart.

Our regular columns feature a wealth of tips, resources and updates. In Research Corner, Meg Bate reports on current discussions about how generative artificial intelligence can support family history researchers. Based on a presentation and discussion at the GSV Writers Circle in May, Victoria Spicer explores aspects of structuring a family story that you may wish to consider before you get started. Cathy Carman reports on the annual meeting of the GSV Member Societies. Australia and New Zealand have a proud diaspora of people with ancestors from the Italian speaking regions of Switzerland. As part of that community, I am sharing my tips on how to research your Ticino ancestry in this edition’s ‘How to’ section. 

Emma Hegarty
Editorial team