4947's blog

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?

For family historians, dates on the calendar often open doors into deeper stories, and 8 May is no exception.

World Red Cross Day commemorates the birth of Henry Dunant, whose response to the suffering he witnessed at the Battle of Solferino in 1859 led to the founding of what is now the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. From those beginnings grew an organisation whose records, activities, and people give a picture of wars, migrations, disasters, and everyday acts of care across generations.

Here in Australia, the Australian Red Cross offers a particularly rich field of resources. Established in 1914, it quickly became part of the fabric of wartime life. For researchers, Red Cross records can provide remarkable insights, eg wounded and missing files, prisoner of war records. The records often contain personal details not found elsewhere: letters, witness statements, and glimpses of individuals caught up in global events.

But the story is not only one of war. Red Cross branches in towns and suburbs across the country brought people together: organising fundraisers, sewing circles, blood drives, and community support. You may find an ancestor listed in a branch minute book, a photograph of volunteers rolling bandages in a library collection, or mentioned in a local newspaper report.

World Red Cross Day is a prompt to look (again) at these connections. Have you searched for Red Cross records in your research? Could an ancestor’s wartime story be added to from these collections? Formal archives, books, journal articles, family papers, letters, certificates, and badges may all hold clues to a story of service.

The GSV library has a large collection of resources related to the Red Cross and its services. Searching our catalogue using the term “Red Cross” will yield a treasure trove of journal articles as well as a couple of books and webcasts. Search our GIN index and find journalists, nurses, presidents and more.
https://www.gsv.org.au/our-collection

There are also some great digitised records available on the Australian War Memorial website:
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1414585

And don’t forget the The Heritage Archives Collection of the Australian Red Cross:
https://www.redcross.org.au/about/history-and-heritage/

If you have ancestors who lived in 19th-century Victoria—especially those who lived through the decades of gold rushes, free selection, and bushranging—the upcoming Irish Ancestry Discussion Circle is one you won’t want to miss.

On Saturday 9 May at 1pm on Zoom, guest speaker, Lachlan Strahan, will share the fascinating story behind his book Justice in Kelly Country. This is a well-researched work that cleverly blends family history with Victorian social history. At its heart is Lachlan’s great-great-grandfather, Anthony Strahan, a fiery young Irish immigrant who arrived in Victoria in 1860 and went on to build a long diverse career in the Victorian Police Force.

Through Anthony’s life, Lachlan brings to life the realities of rural policing in the late 19th century—an era that touched many of our own ancestors. From the challenges of maintaining order on the goldfields to the tensions surrounding free selection and the threat of bushrangers, this is a vivid look into the world they inhabited. The infamous Kelly outbreak is at the centre of the story, and this book offers fresh insight into a defining chapter of Victorian history.

Lachlan has always had a compelling interest in history and writing whilst simultaneously forging a distinguished career in Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Whether you have connections to the Victorian Police Force between 1870 and 1900, Irish ancestry, or simply an interest in the lives and times of early Victorians, this presentation promises to both inform and inspire.

This is a free, members-only event. To attend, log in to the GSV website and register via the What’s On? > Events section.

Last year, award-winning author Jeff Steel spoke to the GSV Writers Circle about his latest book. Generous with his time, Jeff offered fascinating insights into writing and publishing - leaving us inspired and full of ideas. After that meeting, over a coffee, convenor Jenny asked Jeff: What will you write next? He wasn’t sure so Jenny made the passing comment, “You could always write about my uncle.” It was one of those throwaway comments you never expect to go anywhere. But it did.

Fast forward to February this year, and that conversation has grown into an incredible new book: Against the Rising Sun: An Australian POW’s Survival – From Changi to Nagasaki. It tells the remarkable story of Jenny’s uncle, Don Graham—a story she is deeply grateful Jeff has brought to life.

One of the reviews says: "When the war took everything, he gave his mates a reason to go on. This is more than a war story, it’s a testament to human spirit and brotherhood behind the wire. Jeff Steel’s gripping narrative brings Don Graham’s courage and wit vividly to life.”

On Wednesday 6 May at 12:30pm via Zoom, Jeff Steel returns to the Writers Circle to share how this book came to be. He’ll take us behind the scenes of the writing process, and what it means to tell someone else’s story with respect and authenticity.

If you’re interested in family or military history, in writing or simply the journey from idea to publication, this is a session not to miss.

This is a free, members-only event. To attend, log in to the GSV website and register via the What’s On? > Events section.

Want to Write Your Family Story but Not Sure Where to Start?

Boxes of Research. Folders of Facts. Digital Archives… But where’s the story? You've got charts, census records, and vital certificates galore, but the stories of the people behind these records remain hidden. Your characters may be modest or majestic, and have played minor or major roles in society, but they are your family and they matter to you. How can you make their story engaging for others?

A good way to begin is with small pieces. Think about one part of your bigger story. Keep your research in the background, and focus on writing something short and well-structured. It could be a single memory, an interesting event, or one ancestor’s moment in history. Completing short pieces helps move your larger story forward, making readers naturally want more!

If you want to develop your confidence, writing style and skills, you will benefit from Writing Family Stories. This new course from GSV, launched in 2025, helps writers craft 500-word pieces while receiving input from presenters and experienced mentors. It is an interactive course with a difference: It’s not just one day, not just lectures, and not even just writing exercises. Our mentors, including authors, academics, historians, teachers, and UTas grads, work with you throughout the course, providing one-on-one support to help you shape and refine your piece.

COURSE SCHEDULE 

– TUE 28 APRIL:  ‘Getting ready to write’ – warm up your pen!
– TUE 12 MAY: ‘Tell your story’ – let the words flow!
– TUE 26 MAY: ‘Revise and polish’ – shine your story!
– TUE 9 JUN: ‘Share your story’ – show off your masterpiece!

(Classes are held from 2.30 to 4:00 Australian Eastern Standard Time)

BOOKING DETAILS

– This course is limited to the first 16 registrants 
– Course fee: $200 for GSV members, $300 for non-members
– Registrations: https://www.gsv.org.au/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=3014