GSV News

Get your tartan out and celebrate all things Scottish with the GSV in July.

• GSV Scottish Library Discovery Day: Tuesday 30 June: your choice of two sessions: 10.30am and 1.30pm. (in-person event)
• Introduction to the GSV and its Resources: Thursday 16 July at 10.30am on Zoom
• Researching from Australia back to Scotland: Friday 24 July at 1.30pm on Zoom
• Learn how to access ScotlandsPeople: Wednesday 29 July at 1pm on Zoom

Bookings are essential for these events. Book on our website under the What’s On > Events tab. Zoom links are sent on registration. They are free for GSV members and $10 for non-members - visit https://www.gsv.org.au/current-and-upcoming-events

Other Melbourne Tartan Festival events you might be interested in are:

• Wear your tartan with pride and join the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Service on Sunday 28 June at 11am.
• Two online talks presented by Kenneth Park, both $15: 
  • Celebrating Heritage with the National Trust of Scotland on Wednesday 1 July at 5.30pm; and 
  • Celebrating Scotland’s Literary Heritage on Wednesday 15 July at 5.30pm.
• Tartan Day Parade: Celebrating the Centenary of the world’s first women’s pipe band which began in Melbourne. Over 200 pipers drummers and Highland dancers will parade down Collins Street from 2pm on Sunday 5 July. Piping and Highland dancing displays at 11.30am and 1.30pm.
• Join the World Record Attempt for the largest ladies pipe band ever assembled, at 2.30pm in Melbourne City Square

For more information go to https://www.melbournetartanfestival.com.au/

Don’t know what your tartan is?
The GSV have a couple of books and journal articles that can help. Search our catalogue with the word tartan. If you can’t get into the library you might be able to send in a Quick Look up request via our research services page, or you could try a Google search.

The Genealogical Society of Victoria is much more than a library or a website. It is a community built by people who share a passion for family history and the joy of helping others discover their stories.

I’m sure you know that much of what the GSV offers is made possible by volunteers? From assisting researchers and presenting educational programs, to maintaining resources and supporting our activities, countless hours are freely given by members and staff alike. This generosity of time and expertise is at the heart of who we are.

The generous support we have received from donors over the years has allowed us to broaden and deepen our services, creating more resources, programs and opportunities for members to learn, connect and research. We are deeply grateful for that support.

As we look ahead, we have a number of important projects underway and others ready to begin. To make them possible, we need funding beyond membership subscriptions and education income.

As the end of the financial year approaches, we invite you to consider making a donation to the GSV. Whether your gift is $20, $50, $100 or $500, every contribution helps secure a strong and vibrant future for our Society.

Donations of $2 or more are fully tax-deductible. You can donate online via the Donate Now link on the GSV website homepage, by calling the GSV on (03) 9662 4455, where Linda will be pleased to assist you, or by posting a cheque to:
Genealogical Society of Victoria
Level 1, 10 Queen Street
Melbourne, Vic 3000

Thank you for being part of our community and for helping ensure that the stories of the past continue to be discovered, preserved and shared for generations to come. We hope to be thanking you personally very soon.

Brian Reid
President

Join us for an essential session on navigating and interpreting the records that form the backbone of family history. Presenters Dr. Elizabeth Hartnell-Young (Honorary Fellow, University of Melbourne) and Meg Bate (GSV Library & Digital Resources Manager) will guide you through the vast landscape of Australian vital records:

• Official Milestones: expert guidance on BDMs, adoptions, divorces, and naturalisation.
• Legal & Final Records: navigating inquests, wills, probate, and cemetery data.
• The Personal Touch: incorporating letters, diaries, and oral histories to add depth to the data.

This is not your average BDM talk!

Finding the document is just the start. We will examine what to expect from these records and, more importantly, how to get the most out of them to ensure your research is accurate and comprehensive.

Thursday 25 June at 1:30pm-5pm, online via Zoom
GSV members: log in to access your discounted rate.
NB: This course is Session 5 of our 9 session Australian Family History Course: Research Strategies and Resources but can be joined as a stand alone session. You do not need to register if you have booked the entire course.

The Genealogical Society of Victoria thrives on curiosity, generosity and shared discoveries. Every new member adds another story, another discovery, another connection.

We would love to welcome a new wave of family history enthusiasts to join us. If you can help us spread the word, we’d love your support. Please invite your friends, cousins, neighbours and fellow family history lovers to join. 

As a thank you: 

• we will extend your membership by two months
• we will waive the joining fee of the new member

To take advantage of this generous offer, please phone our office on 03 9662 4455 between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Or you could email and we can get back to you gsv@gsv.org.au

Please note, this offer is available for a limited time. Members can introduce more than one member and receive further extensions. New memberships must be for annual membership category only, see our website for details of membership categories - https://www.gsv.org.au/membership-types-and-fees.

Do you know how your ancestors lived? What affected their lifestyle, the decisions they made, where they lived, how they were able to feed and clothe themselves and their families?

Guest speaker, author Jeff Alexander will join us from the UK to talk about how becoming guardian of an album of family photographs spurred him to discover more about the lives of his Welsh ancestors. It led him to explore the story of how they lived, worked, worshipped, sang and played. 

Jeff is the author of two local history books: Cribarth - the Giant Awakes; and Y Tymbl - The Tumble – the Growth of a Gwendraeth Valley Mining Village.

Jeff’s paternal ancestors, originally from Carmarthenshire, were attracted by opportunities in the rapidly industrialising lower Swansea Valley. His mother’s family, like many others from England’s West Country, moved to work in the South Wales coalfield in the late 19th century, escaping the rural poverty of the time. 

Jeff describes how the coming together of people from either side of the Bristol Channel, some of them established Welsh-speaking, chapel-going natives and others who were English-speaking, church-going new arrivals helped shape the present-day culture.

We all want to place our ancestors in context of time and place as Jeff has done through his extensive research.

All GSV members are welcome to join this free session of the Welsh Research Discussion Circle on Thursday 4 June at 7.30pm on Zoom. Please note the evening time slot. To book, log in to the GSV website and go to What’s On > Events tab.

 People don't just appear in the historical record - they arrived somewhere. They may have travelled onwards in search of work, family or opportunity. Understanding how and why your ancestors came to Australia, and where they moved once they were here, is fundamental to unlocking their story. 

Our next Australian Family History Course session: Exploring Immigration and Shipping Records looks at the ways people came to Australia and moved around the country from 1788 to the 1960s: 

• the government and private immigration schemes that shaped who came 
• the shipping records that document their arrival and dispersal 
• the coastal and river shipping networks that drove internal migration across all states.

This session will be presented by Fiona Tellesson, GSV member and founder of Experts in Genealogy. Fiona has a Dip Fam History (UTAS) and is a certified trainer Cert IV T&A. She has been involved with and researching family history for over 50 years.

When: Thursday 28 May at 1.30pm on Zoom. 
Please register on the GSV website under the What’s On > Events tab. Don’t forget to log in as a member to get the special price.

Whether your ancestors arrived as assisted migrants, paid their own passage, or travelled between colonies once they were here, these records can provide fascinating clues about their lives and movements.

Did you know that in the year 2000, around 1.8 million Australians could trace their roots back to Scotland? If that includes you, you’re in good company!

The GSV’s Scottish Discussion Circle (ScotDisC) is here to help you to learn how to research your Scottish families and to promote an understanding of the nuances relating to research into Scottish family history, cultural heritage and society. Whether you are just starting out, or already deep into your research, the ScotDisC offers a friendly place to explore, share discoveries and enjoy the journey.

As for the old idea that Scots are a bit staid? We’re happy to prove otherwise - we’ve shaken up our schedule. From May 2026, ScotDisC will now meet quarterly on the fourth Saturday at 2pm (usually via Zoom).
Please update your diary: the dates for 2026 are 23 May, 22 August and 28 November.

To keep you inspired between meetings, the Circle publishes Thistle, a quarterly newsletter distributed two weeks before each gathering.
To receive news and notices (and Thistle), please log in to the GSV website, go to Noticeboards, then Manage your subscriptions and make sure you have ticked ScotDisC. Our meetings are free for members and can be booked on the What’s On? - Events tab.
You can email the convenor Eric Smith on scotland@gsv.org.au

So whether your ancestors came from the Highlands, the Lowlands, or somewhere in between, why not join us and see where your Scottish story leads?

On Tuesday 19 May at 7.30pm on Zoom, the British India Discussion Circle will hear from Kate James, an editor and writer for Lonely Planet who has an deep interest in Indian religions, and spent her childhood in south India, the daughter of Australian Christian missionaries. Kate is the author of “When Gods Collide: an Unbeliever’s Pilgrimage along India’s Coromandel Coast”: part detective story, part personal journey, Kate explores India's complex tapestry of religion and mysticism, assessing its Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and atheist heritage as she comes to terms with the faith she has rejected.

She is an intrepid explorer, considering air-conditioning a luxury and delighting in eating the dosa and idli of her childhood, bought from street stalls, while traveling the length and breadth of India by train. 
 
A very worldly person, Kate still brings a freshness to her interactions with those she meets on her travels. She shares her obviously deep knowledge of India and its religions with disarming gentleness and absence of judgement. She has a lovely, wry sense of humour and genuine humility. This should make for an entertaining talk.

Kate has told us she is especially keen to talk about India’s British hill stations — places such as Ooty and Darjeeling — what they were like historically and how they have changed today.

The talk will take the format of a Q&A, keeping Kate sharing her observations and reminiscences with our questions. You are welcome to ask questions too.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see India through the eyes (and words) of someone who knows and loves it deeply.

Please register on the GSV website, What’s On > Events tab. This is a members only, free event.

As promised earlier in the year, I said I’d get back to announce that the appeal for a microfiche and film scanner reached its goal. It did, and surpassed it, thanks to many generous donors.

The equipment has been purchased and training is underway. Then more than 10,000 microfiche and 400 microfilms will be scanned, involving around 500 volunteer hours. That will be followed by many, many hours of indexing and cataloguing.

I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our members, volunteers and staff for your interest in the Genealogical Society of Victoria. It is the vibrant, knowledgeable and generous involvement of many members which makes the GSV so special.

As our financial year draws to a close I’d like to ask you, as I do each year, to consider a donation to the GSV. Every gift, large or small, helps us to continue to delivery an ever broadening range of high-quality services.

If you have already donated this year, please accept my sincere appreciation.

If you haven’t given, or would like to again, donations to the GSV, which are tax-deductible, would be gratefully received. They can be made online through the Donate Now link on the GSV website homepage, or by calling the GSV (on 9662 4455) with your credit card details, or by a cheque in the mail (to Level 1, 10 Queen Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000).

With very best wishes,
Brian Reid
President

When was the last time you stepped into the GSV library?

If it’s been a while—or if you’ve never visited in person—our Library Discovery Days are the perfect opportunity to reconnect, explore, and break down that brick wall.

Throughout 2026, we’re offering a series of small, friendly sessions designed to help you uncover the full potential of our library. Some days will focus on specific themes, while others offer a general introduction. Our recent German Research Day was a wonderful success, with participants uncovering new leads and gaining confidence in their research.

Each small group session (limited to six participants) begins with an introductory talk from our librarians. This will be followed by plenty of time to explore our collection and the online resources under the guidance of our knowledgeable Library Research Assistants and experienced GSV members.

Upcoming sessions:

• Tuesday 19 May – General Library Discovery Day
• Tuesday 2 June – General Library Discovery Day
• Tuesday 30 June – Scottish Research Day
• Tuesday 28 July – Vic / Tas Research Day
• Tuesday 25 August – South West England Counties Research Day 
• Tuesday 29 September – Commercial Databases Discovery Day
• Wednesday 28 October – Irish Research Day

Why not mark a date (or two) in your calendar and watch for bookings opening on our Events page?

Have a specific question?

You can submit a question in advance. Simply email a brief outline to gsv@gsv.org.au, and our volunteers will be better prepared to help you get the most from your visit.

These sessions are free for GSV members (login to book), with some days open to non-members during special events.

Small groups, friendly support, real research breakthroughs - what have you got to lose?