GSV News

We’re very excited about what is coming to GSV in 2026.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be giving you a sneak peak.

The first is one of the biggest!
The Australian Family History Course: Research Strategies & Resources.

A big thank you to those who put their hands up in the recent survey. From this response, the Education team has been able to identify a course manager and gather together some amazing presenters. Just wait until you see what they have developed!

This course will be open to non-members and if ever there was a reason to join the GSV, this is it! 
Perhaps a membership or a course entry fee could be your Christmas gift?

So, why should you do a course such as this?
We all have gaps in our knowledge and skills. This course aims to give you a comprehensive guide to researching families in Australia, placing them in a framework of place and time.
Throughout the seven months, you will:

• gain an increased understanding of research skills and techniques
• achieve a broad appreciation of Australian history
• increase your knowledge of the types of records available
• improve your skills and application of where and how to access and use these records
• apply your findings effectively in your own family history

To kick things off, there will be a full day hybrid seminar on Saturday 21 March, and another full day hybrid seminar to close it on Saturday 24 October 2026. The rest of the course will be presented on Zoom.

Especially for Christmas, online bookings for the full course and session 1 (the opening seminar) have just opened. At this stage, bookings are only open online. If you prefer to book through our office, this will open on 13 January. A discount is given for GSV members so remember to log in to the website when booking. Priority is being given to those who book the entire course. 

Book the full course at https://www.gsv.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=2943
Book the opening seminar at https://www.gsv.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=2944
And don’t forget to tell us if you are attending in person or on Zoom for the hybrid seminar.

You will be able to book individual sessions through separate entries on the Events page from 13 January 2026.

If you have a question or would like a syllabus, you can email Michael, the course manager, at austresearch@gsv.org.au

The GSV has a large collection of aging and fragile microfiche and film records. We know they contain information which in some cases is not available elsewhere. Currently these records are only accessible through ageing microfilm equipment. With our current scanning equipment it would take more than a lifetime to convert them!

We are launching a special fundraising appeal to raise $20,000 for a new microfiche and microfilm scanner so that we can quickly and efficiently digitise and preserve this collection.

Your donation will allow us to create high-quality digital copies, safeguarding these fragile historical records, ensuring they will be preserved for the future and made accessible to GSV members. It will be possible to view, search, and use them with greater ease, helping our members with their family history research for many years to come.

Will you donate to this appeal?
Whether it be a small amount or a four figure donation, every gift will get us closer to the goal, enabling the equipment to be purchased and the collection preservation work to get underway.

Donations to the GSV are tax-deductible. They can be made:

• online through the Donate Now link on the GSV website homepage;
• by calling the GSV (on 03 9662 4455) with your credit card details; or
• by cheque in the mail (to Level 1, 10 Queen Street, Melbourne Victoria, 3000).

With very best wishes for Christmas and 2026.

Brian Reid
President

You only have a few days left to purchase DNA kits at the best price I’ve seen.
ancestry.com have a Black Friday price of $59 + postage
MyHeritage.com have their kits priced at $48 + postage.

Buy one for yourself, for your parents, siblings and/or cousins. Potentially confirm some relationships, knock down some brick walls or simply spark their interest in family history.

If you haven’t done anything with DNA before, don’t worry, early in 2026 the GSV will run a simple introductory session on zoom for members and non-members. 
This will include answers to all the questions you don’t want to ask because you think you’ll “look dumb”: 

• How do I do the test?
• What do I do with the results?
• Do I have to have an ancestry subscription?
• Can someone else look after my results? How does that work?
• How can GSV help me?
• What about my privacy and security?

This talk will lead in to a repeat of the “Using your DNA for Family History” course to start a month or two later and run for about seven sessions. This course is designed in separate modules and you can book for the entire course, or just modules where you feel your knowledge needs a refresher.

And don’t forget our DNA Study group aimed at the more intermediate or advanced level.

You can find more information about DNA and the GSV here:
https://www.gsv.org.au/dna-and-family-history-gsv

Watch our Activities/Events page, and follow our social media pages for the announcement of the dates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gsv.org.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genealogyworld/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GSVFamilyHistory

Ancestry DNA Offer: https://www.ancestry.com.au/c/dna/offer

MyHeritage DNA Offer: https://www.myheritage.com/dna?utm_source=ppc_google&utm_medium=cpc&utm…

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!