GSV News

What might a hospital admission from 150 years ago reveal about your ancestor's life?

The Melbourne Hospital Ward Books reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary lives of 19th century Melbourne. As a GSV member you can access this unique index of patient histories through the GSV collection for free as part of your membership.

Since 2000, GSV volunteers have been painstakingly digitising and indexing these fragile, leatherbound ward books, the patient files of their time. Today, more than 103,000 records now feature in the Genealogical Index of Names (GIN) database. This index has been steadily expanding, with the latest 2000 records to be made available in November 2025, making it well worth revisiting as you may discover entries that weren’t there before!

Each entry reveals more than a name. You might find occupations, religions, addresses, arrival ships, marital status, or a remark made from attending doctors on discharge. Notes often describe admission and discharge outcomes, including whether the patient was cured, absconded or even “went out on a pass and did not return”. They can also reveal missing information if you can’t find death records. Together these fragments reveal everyday experiences of our ancestors such as the dockworkers injured on the job, the struggle of illness in “Marvellous Smellbourne,” and the children hurt in street accidents. Through these records, the hardships of ordinary lives are brought to life, turning medical history into human story.

Could your ancestor’s story be among them?

Access the records at the Research and Education Centre by clicking on the “GIN (Genealogical Index of Names)” link under “Research Library Resources” on the GSV Research Library Menu page.

At home log in to the GSV website, click on “OUR COLLECTION>CATALOGUE AND DATABASES” and then the Catalogue and Databases link. Select “Genealogical Index of Names (GIN)."

Enter at least a surname into the “Surname:” field, and “patients in the melbourne hospital” into the “Source title:” field.

“… Click for more” to see the details for an individual entry in either the Comments or attached pdf file.

GIN connects thousands of Victorian names across GSV collections, helping you uncover links that may have been missed elsewhere.

Elyse Carmel

Image credit: "Chelmer" [340 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne, home of pioneering radiologist and amateur photographer, Dr Thomas George Beckett] 1920s. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gsofv/14247383661/

Did you know that at least 15 convicts on the first fleet were of African descent?
Did you know that by 1840, there were almost 500 black convicts?

Some of these lives were documented and their likenesses hang in places like the National Portrait Gallery, but others: even their descendants are unaware of their existence. By uncovering lives whitewashed out of our history, in stories spanning Africa, the Americas and Europe, Santilla Chingaipe's book, Black Convicts, traces Australia’s hidden links to slavery. Situating European settlement in its global context, Santilla shows that the injustice of dispossession was driven by the engine of labour exploitation. Black Convicts will change the way we think about who we are.

Want to learn more? Come along to the next Convict and Transportation Discussion Circle meeting on Thu 27 Nov at 1.30pm on Zoom to be part of a discussion with Santilla Chingaipe about her work on her book Black Convicts.

Santilla is a filmmaker, historian and writer, and would like to have people ask her questions as part of her presentation. Here is a great opportunity to ask about writing historical non-fiction, handling historical crimes and other issues sensitively, research processes and much more.
You can read more on the Convict Noticeboard section of the GSV website.

I heard Santilla talk as part of a panel talking about Writing Non-Fiction at the Sorrento Writers Festival. She shared some great insights into researching and writing history. 

Please register for the Zoom link on the GSV website under the Activities tab. This event is free and for GSV members only.

Jackie van Bergen

With so many of the most important records spread out among 3200 counties in the USA, and governed by the laws of 50 different states, searching for your family records can be difficult.

Thomas Nelson, a Content Strategist from FamilySearch will speak about the challenges of learning and accessing county records. He will focus on the tools, resources and organisations that can help people achieve success in finding their families in the records. There will be time for Q&A.

A couple of presentations, specific to Illinois and Massachusetts will be shown in the second half of the meeting. There will also be time to discuss your research problems and brickwalls. You might want to submit them in advance to isg@gsv.org.au

We hope you will support the inaugural combined GSV / SAG meeting of their respective groups: 

• International Settlers Discussion Circle, and the
• USA and Canada Research Interest Group.

When: Sat 22 Nov at 10am on Zoom.
Please note the earlier time due to the time zone of the speaker.

This is free for GSV members who should register on the GSV website through the Activities tab to receive the Zoom link.

On Tuesday 2 December at 1.30pm we welcome Essential Genealogist, Carole McCulloch.

In her presentation, Carole will take us through how artificial intelligence, digital archiving, and emerging agentic browsers are transforming the practice of family history research.

• Discover how cutting-edge AI, advanced digital archiving, and agentic browsers are revolutionising family history. 
• Explore practical strategies for using AI to transcribe records, analyse sources, and craft richer ancestral stories. 
• Learn how interactive platforms like WeAre.xyz can preserve your research as living digital archives, and 
• See how agentic browsers unify your workflow for smarter, more connected genealogy research. 

Join us to unlock your storytelling potential and shape the future of family history—where technology and tradition merge for lasting legacy.  

There will be a Powerpoint presentation, a live demonstration, and time for Q&A. 
We will also discuss beginning a GSV AI and IT discussion circle.

This talk is will be held via Zoom, is for GSV members only, and will cost $15. 
Please register for this talk on the website under the Activities tab to obtain the Zoom link.

Member responses to our recent survey indicated a desire for more face-face meetings. Many in the GSV Writers Group miss the face to face contact where unstructured chats about their work and ideas are possible.

The members of the GSV Writers help each other to turn their research into a lasting narrative for family and others to enjoy.

So we are planning to meet up for another WRITERS REALITY LOUNGE on 18 Nov 2025 at 10.30 am (coffee) and/or 12 noon (lunch) at Vibe Hotel GF, Queens Street Melbourne (opposite the GSV Offices). We hope to have some recent books on show and to share our progress on current endeavours.

All GSV members are welcome to join the Writers Group for no additional cost (all part of your membership). And you don’t have to have written anything!

Join the Writers group on the website at https://www.gsv.org.au/join-the-gsv-writers and join us on 18 Nov 2025 to learn more about us.

Let us know if you would like to come to that event. 
Bill Barlow -  billbarlow@bigpond.com
Jenny Scammell -  gsvwriters@gsv.org.au

The Ancestor Editorial team is pleased to inform you that the judging panel has selected Louise Millar-Hoffmann as the winner for the 2025 GSV Writing Prize competition. The results were officially announced by GSV president Brian Reid at the Society’s AGM on Saturday 4 October.

The fabulous cover of the December edition of the GSV’s journal, Ancestor, is a photo from Louise’s story. Have a look at it and then read her winning entry, ‘The hostile housekeeper’. It covers the growing conflict between Bella McQuillen, housekeeper to the parish priest, and Frank Floreani, the Italian immigrant artist decorating St Mary’s parish church in Bairnsdale.

Louise’s prize is a 12-month worldwide subscription to ancestry.com and an ancestry DNA test kit, courtesy of our sponsor, ancestry.com.

All entrants are to be congratulated for taking the time and making the effort to be part of this annual competition. The GSV Writing Prize is a valuable event on the GSV’s calendar, and we hope many more members will consider entering next year’s competition.

GSV and Ancestor thank Ancestry for their provision of the prize for winner.

Whether you are a novice or just have some gaps in your knowledge, a Windows or Mac user, this presentation is designed to help you harness the power of technology to research, record, and preserve your family history—safely and efficiently.

Why Attend?

This practical guide will show you how to use your home technology:

• Safer & Lasting: Digital copies and backups: protection from loss.
• Searchable & Organised: Easier to find files, names, dates, and places.
• Shareable: Enable you to easily share your tree.

What We'll Cover

• The IT Essentials: A basic checklist for your computer setup, including updates, security, and using an external drive for storage.
• Mastering Backups: We'll demystify the 3-2-1 rule and show you simple, reliable ways to automate and test your backup system.
• Organising Your Files: Learn a simple folder structure to organise your photos and documents, and the best settings for scanning.
• Software Showdown: Home computer software vs online databases.
• The Future is Now: A glimpse into the emerging use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): handwriting recognition, photo enhancement, and search assistance.

You'll leave with a simple monthly workflow to keep your research current and safe. We'll provide a handout with links to software, databases, and backup guides.

When: 1:30 to 3:00 pm on Thursday 20 November 

GSV members only. Please register for this free talk on the website under the Activities tab and the Zoom link will be sent to you.

Don't let your family's history fade away—secure its future with technology!

Many of our survey respondents requested more face to face talks or meetings. Here is a most interesting offer:

At 1pm on Saturday 8 November, the Irish Ancestry Discussion Circle is hosting a face to face meeting at the Kathleen Syme library in Faraday Street, Carlton.

The speaker is Damian Gleeson, author, genealogist and historian specialising in Irish-Australia research. He is a most entertaining presenter and will speak about Irish convicts transported to New South Wales with particular emphasis on marriage, bigamy and family estates.

Bigamy was a constant issue in the early days of the Australian colonies and the discussion following Damian’s talk will touch on many instances beyond the Irish and the convicts. We would love it if attendees would share their own family research discoveries of bigamous marriages.

This is a GSV members only event. It is free and will include afternoon tea with a great opportunity to socialise after the meeting.

Please register at https://www.gsv.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=2906

Damian’s book Irish Bigamy: New Insights into Colonial New South Wales will be available at a special pre-order price of $30. Damian will bring orders with him.

Please note, this special event is not on zoom and will not be recorded.

We are still looking at our survey and want to address some more of the requests/concerns raised in the ‘Any other suggestions or comments’ box.

One-on-one assistance / private session / individual mentoring / on-site hands on training
We don’t quite have the resources to offer this on a full time basis. But we do have Library Research Assistants who have regular days and you might be able to arrange to meet them in the library on their days. One difficulty in arranging one-on-one is identifying the right mentor with the skills that the participant requires.
Discussion circles are small enough to ask for help. I’ve had some great leads on brick walls by submitting my timeline and questions in advance. Submitting in advance means the group members can consider your questions and if you’re lucky actually have answers rather than just ideas for you!
We are planning more small group ‘Library days’ based around different themes. Perhaps one or more of these will suit you.

Full or half day seminars - with plenty of notice and timing to suit members travelling from the country
We are planning at least one seminar for 2026. These take a lot of work and this usually falls on our busy volunteers. We will try our best to offer these as hybrid meetings for those who live at a distance or can’t physically get in to the city.
Perhaps you have expertise in organising groups or meetings and would be prepared to help our Education team? If so, please contact education@gsv.org.au 

Beginner’s circle / research techniques / separate real from ‘rubbish’ / how to verify and check
Our Family History Tips and Tricks discussion circle goes back to basics in research techniques.
Our Good Oil discussion circle talks at different, usually higher, levels related to more technology related aspects. 
If you log in and subscribe to the relevant Noticeboards on our website, you’ll be sent the recording link after each meeting. Sometimes there are handouts from these meetings but each circle or group has an email address you can send questions to.
We have almost finished working on a new IT talk aimed at beginner level and will schedule that soon.

Time poor
Now that is something we can help with! 
Watch recordings of our discussion circles and webcasts of our talks at a time that suits you. 
Search our catalogue at any time. 
If you see something in our catalogue that you can’t get in to look at, send in a Quick Look Up request. If you live more than 100km away, you get two hours free research per year, and of course Quick Look ups to supplement that. 
We have access passwords to many of the paid subscription sites that you can use from home. 
Send in your brick wall to a Discussion circle and even if you can’t attend, they will discuss it and get back to you.
Please explore our Members area to learn what is available as part of your membership — https://www.gsv.org.au/members-area.

We’ve ‘travelled’ to South Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand and Queensland in our State to State series so far. If you weren’t able to attend SA and NSW presentations, you can find them as webcasts in the Members area of our website. They are well worth a visit. The NZ and Qld webcasts will be available soon.

Tuesday 28 October at 1.30pm sees us ‘travel’ to the ACT. Michele Rainger, President of Family History ACT will highlight the unique resources in Family History ACT society’s collection and answer questions about researching ancestors who lived and worked in the Territory.

This event is open and free to all members via Zoom. Please register via the Activities tab of the GSV website to obtain the Zoom link - https://www.gsv.org.au/current-and-upcoming-events.

Forward notice:
On Wednesday 26 November at 10.30am we travel across the strait to Tassie:
President of the Tasmanian Family History Society, Robyn Gibson will give us a summary of the TFHS branches and the resources they hold. She will also give some general comments on Tasmanian family history resources.