Guest Speaker: Archivist Fabian LoSchiavo

Chris Iacono, Chairman, Co.As.It. Italian Family History Group, & his Committee invite you to attend the first IFHG event of 2018

Fabian LoSchiavo was the third child born to Dario and Helen LoSchiavo. He was born at St.Margaret’s Hospital, Bourke Street, in 1949. He grew up in Pymble and Marsfield, and attended Catholic schools there, including boarding school in Bathurst (as an attempt to help him survive asthma). In 1969 he entered the Premonstratensian Order of Canons Regular but left in 1972 to return to lay life.   After completing a degree at UNSW in History, he did a Graduate Diploma in Archives Administration, a one-year course to train archivists for government or private archives. In 1981 he began work at the Archives Office of NSW in their office in The Rocks, taking early retirement when that Office was closed in 2013.   Fabian’s interest in family history probably began when, at Grandma’s house in Malabar, he was allowed to look at the old photos which ‘Granny’ had stored in a box under the house. ”Who were these people, the ladies dressed in white frilly frocks of the Edwardian era and enormous hats with flowers on them?” He obtained his first historical death certificate when he was 16….Great Great Grandfather Hobbs, who died in 1871 and was described as “Governor of Her Majesty’s Gaol in Wollongong”. Fabian says: “Mum was thrilled, and brandished the certificate at Dad, saying ‘See! I told you we weren’t convicts’. My father, very proud of his origins in the Aeolian Islands, would tease Mum terribly about her Anglo-Irish ancestors…’When Rome ruled the world, your ancestors were digging up potatoes!’ (Historically incorrect, but he loved to boast of Roman glory.)”   In retirement, Fabian has not lost his interest in family history, helping friends for the sheer fun of it.   Fabian will talk about “Tall Stories”…getting to the truth of family history…does it matter?”

Event date:     Wednesday 28 February 2018
Event Time:    6:45 pm for 7.15 pm start
Event Venue:  The Cultural Centre, Italian Forum
23 Norton St, Leichhardt NSW 2040

Entry $5 ~ No bookings required ~ Please register at front desk on arrival

Please join us at La Giara Café Restaurant in the Italian Forum after Fabian’s talk. (Refreshments at your own cost.)

Subsidised Parking available in the Italian Forum Carpark.  Validate your ticket at Cultural Centre front desk.

Contact Pina Leyland at Co.As.It. for more information. Tel: 02 9564 0744 or email pina.leyland@coasit.org.au.

Please note: This event will be filmed

 

 

National Family History Month

State Library NSW are running some exciting courses for National Family History Month.

If you are interested we also have a family History Workshop at Balmain Library on the 2nd Friday of each Month 11-1pm Next One is Friday August 12th at Balmain Library

Family History Month2Family History Month

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/back-basics-indigenous-family-history-research-beginner

Family History – Internet History Resources

Are you conducting family History research.

Don’t forget you can access Find My Past and Ancestry.com at you local library.

family tree

Genealogy at Leichhardt and Balmain Library

Family and Local History Resources

‘THE NEW ITALY STORY’

index

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John Barnes
PRESIDENT – ‘NEW ITALY’
25 FEBRUARY 2015
‘THE NEW ITALY STORY’
6.45pm for 7.15pm start
Palace Cinemas, cinema #1, 99 Norton St, Leichhardt, NSW Australia

The words turmoil, tragedy and triumph aptly describe the eventful saga of 340 Italians who were enticed to a fictional paradise in the South Pacific Islands in 1880. Extreme privations were their lot until they eventually reached sanctuary in Sydney. Shortly afterwards the 217 survivors largely moved as a group to Northern NSW where they carved a living and established a village (New Italy) in isolated virgin bush and on poor soils.
As they adapted to the harsh conditions of Australia, their story of ingenuity, thrift and perseverance along with eventual success, became both legendary and inspirational.
Hear their story with a supporting slide show from one of their descendants who is president of the New Italy Museum Inc. – a body entrusted with the preservation and promotion of the story and the display of Italian culture on the site of the original settlement.
Entry fee is $5.00 at the door
RSVP by 20th February coasit@ifhg.org
click here to contact us

SAG Society of Genealogist Workshops – May 2014

 

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Family History Workshops at SAG for December 2013 and Janurary 2014

Full details on all upcoming activities at http://www.sag.org.au/ Unless otherwise advertised, all activities are held on the top floor of ‘Richmond Villa’, 120 Kent St and are limited to 40 bookings. We regret there is NO disabled access to this area. Prices are shown as Member/Non-member price – when booking online please note that a discount code is no longer needed for members as the price code shown now relates to the non-member price.

WhenTimeTitle/PresentationPriceBrief Description
Wed 4 Dec 120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pm The Griffiths Valuation and its survey maps and the wonders within - Hilary Walker$20 / $30The Griffith Valuation (overseen by Richard Griffith & published between 1847 & 1864) was the first full scale valuation of property in Ireland. The Index gives us occupiers’ names, parish and townland with survey map numbers identifying individual properties. Hilary will demonstrate how to make the most of these maps, locating information about your ancestors and the farms, houses, or cottages that they occupied.
Sat 7 Dec 120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pmSocial Media for Family Historians - Carole Riley$20 / $30The internet is a medium for social interaction as well as a source of information. Social media tools such as such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and blogs enable family historians to find and communicate with friends and family around the world to share research, family news and photos. This session will introduce tools that can help with research into family both past and present, and how to recognise and avoid the dangers.
Sat 7 Dec 120 Kent St
1.30 pm - 3.30 pmHistorical photographs of places online – postponed from 7th Sept
- Kerry Farmer
$20 / $30Historical photographs reveal the character of a place and challenge our preconceptions. Comparing old and new can provide fascinating insights. This session concentrates on the Historypin website, but also examines other historical photographic collections such as Flickr, Trove and NSW State Record’s Photo Investigator.
Thu 12 Dec 120 Kent St
10.30 am - 12.30 pmGetting Started on your Family History - December
- Kerry Farmer
$10
Limit 10
Members only
For new members with no family history research experience.
Learn the basics of how to start researching and what to do.
Sat 14 Dec 2/379 Kent St
9.00 am – 10.00 amLibrary Orientation Tour
- December
Free
Members only
Join us for a tour of the SAG library – learn about its layout and the services offered. Why not stay on after the tour and do research!
Mon 16 Dec Your Place
8.00 pm – 9.00 pmhttp://www.sag.org.au/events/webinars/374-webinar-english-wills-and-probates.html$10
Members only
Celia Heritage, UK professional genealogist, will discuss how to find English wills & probate records and how they can add extra depth and knowledge to your family research.
January 2014
Thu 9 Jan 120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pmApprenticeships in England
- Pauline Kettle
$20 / $30Pauline Kettle will demonstrate how to research English apprenticeships using both the SAG’s library collection and online resources, such as English Origins.
Sat 11 Jan 120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pm2014 – An organised approach to your family history!
- Bruce Fairhall & Heather Garnsey
$20 / $30Need more time for family history? Need to be more organised?
Heather Garnsey will show how by setting research targets you can progress your family history in 2014, while Bruce will demonstrate how important good recordkeeping is - an organised family historian is a successful one!
Wed 15 Jan Your Place
8.00 pm – 9.00 pmWebinar:
Irish Online – What’s new?
- Cora Num
$10
Members only
Focussing on new websites & resources for Irish research and how to use them, Cora will help further your research on the internet with this webinar.
Thu 16 Jan
2/379 Kent St
9:00 -10:00amLibrary Orientation Tour
- January
Free
Members only
Join us for a tour of the SAG library – learn about its layout and the services offered. Why not stay on after the tour and do research!
Fri 17 Jan 2/379 Kent St
10.30 am - 12.30 pmFamily Search - Hands On
- Vicki Eldridge
$30 / $45 Limit 14
The FamilySearch website has had many changes recently. In this hands-on session learn how to get better results by refining searches and exploring new features on this essential website.
Sat 18 Jan 120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pmParish Chest
- Jeremy Palmer
$20 / $30These records reflect the lives of many of our ancestors in the period up to the mid-19th century and can be an excellent additional source to parish registers. Many hold overseers of the poor accounts, settlement and removal certificates, bastardy documents, constables’ accounts and local land records.
Sat 18 Jan 120 Kent St
1.30 pm - 3.30 pmJourney around the Journals
- Richard Thomas
$20 / $30Have you ever sat in the Richmond Villa conference room wondering what is in those journals on the shelves around the walls? The Society is currently reorganising its extensive genealogical and family history journal collection. This lecture will explain how to search the SAG catalogue from home and find out what journals we hold in the library and in Villa stack. You will learn how the collection is organised and have a chance to search for a jewel in the Australian collection.
Wed 22 Jan 120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pmOnline Resources at State Records NSW including getting the most out of Photo Investigator
- Gail Davis
$20 / $30The State Records website is becoming a comprehensive starting point for researching family history in New South Wales. Resources include indexes to records, the catalogue Archives Investigator, Photo Investigator, guides to using the NSW State archives and more. Whether you are researching at home or planning a visit to our reading room this session will help you to navigate your way around the website.

Family History, Land Title and WWI workshops for April 2013 at SAG.

Society of Australian Genealogists:
120 Kent Street
Sydney
NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9247 3953 Fax: 02 9241 4872  E: info@sag.org.aufamily tree

Visit their website
www.sag.org.au
for further details.

April 2013
Sat 6 Apr
120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pm
Tracing WWI ancestors beyond using NAA – Kim Phillips
$20 / $30 1914 will be the centenary of the commencement of WWI. Learn about tracing WWI ancestors beyond the NAA website and accessing information about battlefield sites such as Gallipoli and the Western Front. How do you prepare for your
own visit to the battlefield sites?
Sat 6 Apr
120 Kent St
1.30 pm – 3.30 pm
‘The Battle Continues’ – Soldier Settlement after WW1 – Selena Williams, SRNSW
$20 / $30 Selena Williams from State Records NSW will outline how returned WW1 soldiers and nurses were eligible to take up land under the Soldier Settlement Scheme in NSW and how to locate them in online indexes and other records. The reality of
life on the land and the difficulties these settlers experienced will also be highlighted.
Tues 9 Apr
Your Place
8.00 pm – 9.00 pm
Webinar: NSW BDM Records – Marilyn Rowan
$10 Members only
NSW Transcription Agent Marilyn Rowan will share her extensive experience in searching the NSW online BDM indexes to their full potential and show you how to get the most out of these vital birth, death and marriage records.
Thur 11 Apr
120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pm
Getting Started on your Family History – Kerry Farmer $10 Members only Limit 10
For new members with no family history research experience.
Learn the basics of how to start researching and what to do.
Fri 12 Apr
2/379 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pm
County Spotlight: Bedfordshire, Berkshire & Buckinghamshire – Joan Healy & Philippa Garnsey
$30 / $45
Limit 14
Join us at 379 Kent for this session which will highlight selected online sources and other types of material available for these three counties and where they can be found in the SAG library.
Sat 13 Apr
120 Kent St
1.30 pm – 3.30 pm
The National Archives (UK)
Discovery catalogue – Heather Garnsey
$20 / $30 The National Archives UK holds a vast array of government records. See how the new ‘Discovery’ catalogue works, how it makes these records more accessible and enjoy a virtual tour of the TNA website.
Mon 15 Apr
2/379 Kent St
10.00 am – 11.00 am
Library Orientation Tour Free Members Only Join us for a tour of the SAG library – learn about its layout and the services offered.
Wed 17 Apr
Your Place 8.00 pm – 9.00 pm Webinar: NSW Lands Department – Carole Riley $10 Members only
Learn about how to use the NSW Lands Department website
to find titles, maps and plans from home.
Sat 20 Apr
120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pm
Online Family Trees
– Kerry Farmer
$20 / $30 Many sites online now allow you to store your family tree online. Whether you want to advertise your interests, collaborate with others or even just store the information privately for your own use, what are the risks and benefits of
sites like Rootsweb, FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Lost Cousins, findmypast, TNG, WeRelate – and others?
Sat 20 Apr
120 Kent St
1.30 pm –
3.30 pm
Introduction to Australian Land Research– Carole Riley $20 / $30 Are you confused about the terminology used in records for Land titles, deeds, maps & plans? Join Carole for a beginners introduction to researching this topic and navigating the
relevant websites.
Thur 25 Apr ANZAC DAY – Public Holiday
The SAG Library at 379 Kent St and SAG headquarters at Richmond Villa, 120 Kent St will be CLOSED for ANZAC DAY.
Sat 27 Apr
120 Kent St
10.30 am – 12.30 pm New Zealand Research Group – NZ Wars & Brick Walls in NZ research – Pauline Weeks $8 / $12 At the inaugural meeting of SAG’s New Zealand Research Group, Pauline Weeks will discuss the New Zealand Wars.
Where, When, Why & Who was involved and how to research the British, Colonial, Australian and Maori Troops. Brick Walls in NZ research will also be covered.

Shake your family tree on February 23!

 

Everyone has a history. The National Archives may have some of yours.To encourage more Australians to unearth personal treasures, the National Archives is hosting a Shake Your Family Tree day in each of its capital city offices.

The NAA holds information in their vast collection about many Australian families – quite possibly your own. If members of your family migrated here in the 20th century, served in the defence forces, or worked for, or had any other dealings with, the Australian Government, it’s  possible they will have something to interest you.

Each Archives office will offer a range of activities including talks, preservation workshops, demonstrations and introductory research training. With expert family historians on hand, visitors will learn how to locate treasures such as letters, photographs, service records, immigration and citizenship applications, employment records, copyright registrations and other government records.

A highlight of this year’s open day is the launch of the NAA’s new book Keeping Family Treasures, which gives tips on how to preserve your family’s heritage while taking a peek at what other Australians treasure. For all the details see:

http://www.naa.gov.au/whats-on/events/syft-2010.aspx