The end of 2011 is almost here, so we thought we’d get a list our of top 50 best selling titles for the year. And what an interesting list it is. With software, archival storage, heritage scrapbooking papers, and the Unlock the Past guides all dominating the list.

1. History and Genealogy 2011: Australia and New Zealand

2. Certificate Polypocket (single)

3. Discover Scottish Church Records

4. Family Tree Maker 2012 Upgrade Australia and New Zealand Edition

5. Family History on the Cheap

6. Scrapbook Pages 12×12 (1 sheet)

7. A4 Polypocket C1 (single)

8. Getting Most Out of FindMyPast.com.au

9. Google Your Family Tree

10. Death Certificates and Archaic Medical Terms

11. Family Tree Maker for Macintosh Australia and New Zealand Edition

12. Family Tree Maker 2012 Deluxe Australia and New Zealand Edition

13. It’s Not All Online: A Guide to Genealogy Sources Offline

14. Locating Your German Ancestor’s Place of Origin

15. Copper Brought Them Here: Pioneers Buried in the Kadina, Moonta and Wallaroo Cemeteries
16. Family Tree Maker 2012 Platinum Australia and New Zealand Edition

17. K & Company Ancestry.com 12×12 Pedigree Chart

18. Family and Local History Resource Directory for Victoria

19. Writing and Publishing Your Family History

20. Social Media for Family Historians

21. Your Family History Archives: A Brief Introduction
22. What Was the Voyage Really Like?: A Brief Guide to Researching Convict and Immigrant Voyages to Australia and New Zealand

23. DNA for Genealogists

24. Solving Riddles in 19th Century Photo Albums

25. 7 Generation Pedigree Chart

26. Irish Family History Resources Online

27. AIF Unit Histories of the Great War 1914-18

28. Family History Research in South Australia

29. 15 Generation Pedigree Chart

30. Which Genealogy Program?

31. A4 Journal Holder (single)

32. Paper Loft 12×12 Double-sided Family Tree Pedigree

33. Sewerage Records: An Untapped Magnificent Resource

34. Irish Family and Local History Handbook

35. A4 Polypocket C2 (single)

36. Organising a Family Reunion

37. 9 Generation Pedigree Chart

38. Historical Records of New South Wales Volumes 1-7

39. A3 Landscape Polypocket (single)

40. National Burial Index for England and Wales CD 3rd Ed

41. A4 Landscape Polypocket (single)

42. A Primer for The Master Genealogist

43. Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885
44. A4 Polypocket C4 (single)

45. Legacy Family Tree 7 Deluxe (CD & printed manual)

46. Researching Scottish Family History

47. London Marriage Licences 1521-1869

48. New South Wales State Electoral Roll 1913

49. Tracing Your Family History on the Internet

50. South Australian Government Gazette Compendium 1841-1850

This list only lists the top 50 best sellers for 2011, with over 10,000 titles on our website there’s a whole heap more for you to checkout. If you’d like to keep up to date with the new titles and the latest specials, you can subscribe to our weekly email newsletter (look for the Join Our Newsletter box on the right hand side).

Along with a new year, 2012 will see the release of many more genealogy-related titles, so it’ll be interesting to create new year’s Top 50 Best Selling Titles list in a year’s time, and compare it to this one. But before that we’ve got a whole year of living and researching …

While for most Family Tree Maker is an easy program to get into, interacting with a User Group will enable you learn more about the program, including new ways of doing things from interaction with others. There are always lots of tips and tricks to pick up and you will learn creative ways of using Family Tree Maker. If you are new to Family Tree Maker (or new to a newer version), attending a User Group meeting will help you get started, both in finding out what you can do in Family Tree Maker, and how to how to use it efficiently.

New South Wales – Botany Bay
Meetings: 3 times a year
Where:
When: check website for details
Cost: $3.00 for members, $5.00 for non-members
Contact: Web http://www.bbfhs.org.au/  Email: botanybayfhs@yahoo.com.au

New South Wales – Sydney
Meetings: once a quarter
Where: 120 Kent Street, Sydney
When: need to check the SAG website for details
Cost: $8.00 for members, $12.00 for non-members
Contact: http://www.sag.org.au/
Organised by the Society of Australian Genealogists, they also have an online forum for FTM Users
http://www.sag.org.au/component/content/article/17-general/142-subscribe-to-the-family-tree-maker-forum.html

Queensland – Brisbane
Meetings: 1st Friday of every month, and last Sat of each even numbered month
Where: 58 Bellevue Avenue, Gaythorne
When: starts 10.00am
Cost: free (and non-members are welcome)
Contact: Kerri Kleidon familytree@qfhs.org.au or http://www.qfhs.org.au/
Organised by the Queensland Family History Society

Queensland – Cleveland
Meetings: 4th Wednesday each month
Where: RVVG Bldg, Cnr Passage & Middle Sts, Cleveland.
Starts: 9.30am
Cost: free (and non-members are welcome)
Contact: mcfadzen@bigpond.net.au
Organised by the Redland Genealogical Society to assist both new and experienced users.

South Australia – Salisbury
Meetings: 3rd Saturday of each month
Where: Salisbury TAFE Heritage Centre, 3 Ann Street, Salisbury
When: from 1.30pm-3.30pm
Contact:  info@andfhg.org
Organised by Adelaide Family Tree Maker User Group, in association with the Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group. You can find them on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Tree-Maker-FTM-Adelaide-User-Group/130167707058063?ref=ts or you can visit their website http://www.andfhg.org

South Australia – Stirling
Meetings: details for 2012 to be confirmed
Contact:  info@andfhg.org
Organised by Adelaide Family Tree Maker User Group, in association with the Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group

South Australia – South East
Meetings: no meetings
Contact:  http://www.sefhg.org/index_files/membership.htm
The South East Family History Group don’t hold regular Family Tree Maker User Group meetings, but they do have an online forum where you can post queries. Their Membership Page has information about how to do so.

Victoria – Melbourne
Meetings: 3rd Monday of each month (not December or January)
Where: Wadham House, 52 Wadham Parade, Mount Waverley
When: doors open 7.00pm for a 7..30pm start
Cost: $2.00
Contact: ftmusers@vicgum.asn.au
held in association with VicGUM http://vicgum.asn.au or on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/VicGUM/193869012290

If you know of any other FTM groups around (even informal meetings), or are interested in starting one up, please send an email to alona@gould.com.au, so I can keep this list up-to-date.

SPECIAL OFFER
While stocks last, customers who buy the full version of Family Historian 4 (not the Aus/NZ edition)on or after November 10th, from participating stockists only, will be sent a free CD upgrade to version 5 when it is released. So you can give friends or relatives version 4 to unwrap on Christmas Day, with the upgrade to follow shortly. Or you can just keep it yourself of course …

For full details of this offer, including the list of participating stockists, see www.family-historian.co.uk/v5-xmas-offer.

WHAT’S COMING IN FAMILY HISTORIAN VERSION 5
- New tool for creating family tree books and booklets
- Much improved website generation and support for family tree CDs & DVDs
- New Fan Chart diagrams
- New ‘flat’ style All-Relatives diagram (much-requested)
- Improved data entry – especially with regard to date-handling and date validation
- New query for detecting possible errors with dates in existing records
- Enhanced ‘How Related’ tool shows graphically exactly how people are related
- Improved, more comprehensive backup-and-restore
- Improved import and export, including direct import from other program formats
- All reports have enhanced performance and features, including optionally an index
- Silhouettes can now be used in diagrams where required
- Much improved support for background pictures in diagrams
- Much faster diagram loading
- New reports, including a new ‘how-related’ report
-  New tool for marking lines connecting individuals & branches in diagrams
-  New ‘shapes’ toolbar for diagrams, including ‘smart shapes’ such as arrows
-  Extensive new formatting options for diagrams
- Enhancements to the query capability for searching & analyzing records
- Support for plugins – a new way of extending the power of the program
- Integrated access to a new Plugin Store, with numerous free plugins adding even more features – such as a new mapping tool – and more being added all the time
- Numerous improvements to make the program even easier and more enjoyable to use
- And much more…

Calico Pie say that in the coming weeks, they’ll be adding more details about version 5 and the new features on our website, at www.family-historian.co.uk/whats-new-in-v5.

So buy your copy of Family Historian 4 (UK edition) now, and you’ll receive a free copy of Family Historian 5 when it is released.

And you can do so with a FREE ‘fully-functional’ 30 day trial that you can download from the publishers website.

As you become more familiar with the program and find yourself wanting to do new things with your data, more advanced features are waiting for you behind the scenes – ready for you to customize to fit your personal research needs.

For TMG users who need some help, or just wish to learn more about the endless ability of this program, there are User Groups.

I first produced this list as a blog post last year, but as does happen, details change, so it was time to update to for you. So here is the latest listing of TMG User Groups that are in Australia and New Zealand.

If there are any others that you know of, or if details of any below change, please send advice to Alona at alona@gould.com.au.

On the bottom of this list, you’ll find a few extra links which users of TMG will find useful.

Australian Capital Territory – Canberra
Meetings: Bi-monthly (3rd Tuesday of each even month)
Where: at a member’s house
Contact: Lindsay Graham (02) 6285 4008, email: LDGraham@aapt.net.au

New South Wales – Sydney
Meetings: Bi-monthly meeting
Where: at Society of Australian Genealogists, Level 2, 379 Kent Street, Sydney
Cost: $8.00 for members, $12.00 for non-members
Contact: Kerry Farmer, email: TMGSydney-owner@yahoogroups.com

Held in association with the Society of Australian Genealogists
website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tmgsydney/
blog: http://tmgsydney.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TMGSydney
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TMGSydney

Northern Territory – Darwin
Where: at a private residence
Contact: Rosemary Chalmers, email: rosechal@iinet.net.au

Queensland – Brisbane
Meetings: 3rd Saturday of each month (except December)
Where: at the Queensland Family History Society, 58 Bellevue Avenue, Gaythorne
When: from 1.30pm
Contact: George Kearney 0438 073 344 and  Kevin Haley (07) 3359 7491 email: tmg@qfhs.org.au

South Australia – Adelaide (Northern Adelaide Group)
Meetings: 3rd Monday of each month
Where: At Paddocks Neighbourhood House, cnr Bridge & Kesters Rds, Para Hills West
When: 7.30pm-10.00pm
Cost: $5.00 per person
Contact: Patrick Norton (08) 8250 6623, email: witelite@adam.com.au

South Australia – Adelaide (Paddocks House Genealogy Group)
Meetings: 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month – except school holidays
Where: At Paddocks Neighbourhood House, cnr Bridge & Kesters Rds, Para Hills West
When: 1.00pm-2.30pm
Cost: $5.00 per person
Contact: Patrick Norton (08) 8250 6623, email: witelite@adam.com.au

Victoria – Melbourne
Meetings: : 4th Wednesday of each month (except for December)
Where: at a private residence
When: from 7.30pm
Contact: Janice Cornwell (03) 9885 0957, email: janiceme@bigpond.net.au

Supported by VicGUM http://www.vicgum.asn.au
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/VicGUM/193869012290

Western Australia – Perth
Meetings: once a quarter
Where: at WA Genealogical Society, Unit 4, 48 May Street, Bayswater
Contact: Neil Bradley, email: nbradley@iinet.net.au or Cynthia Brock, email: brokc@iinet.net.au
Website: http://wags.org.au/o/wags-special-interest-groups/the-master-genealogist/

New Zealand – Auckland
Meetings: Bi-monthly meetings
Where: at a private residence
Contact: gazza@woosh.co.nz or (09) 368 5636

TMG Related Links
http://www.whollygenes.com/ – publisher of TMG
http://www.tmgtips.com/ – Lee Hoffman’s useful TMG tips
http://beesoft.soho.on.net/BeeSoft/index.html – Bryan Wetton’s add on product
http://www.whollygenes.com/forums201/index.php – TMG forums

TMG Lists
The Rootsweb TMG mailing list for use by all TMG Users worldwide, is often the best way to solve problems, and discuss new features. To subscribe to this list, just go to the website listed below, and choose either the list or digest edition.
http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Software/TMG.html

TMG Facebook Group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=48011045007

They advise that TMG v8 is in the final stages of testing and it is believed to be stable and functional in all of its major features. However, some minor issues remain, and by releasing this public beta they hope to accomplish two things:

1. Make reporting functions available to all those for whom v7 reports have become non-functional because of an upgrade to a 64-bit operating system.
2. Enlist your help in identifying and fixing any remaining issues before the full public release.

For full details about TMG v8 beta, the new features, the cautions, as well as the upgrade process if you have and earlier version of TMG you can read about it on the Wholly Genes website.

The Master Genealogist (TMG) has long been regarded by many as THE program for recording your family history. One of its strengths is its ability for the user to analyse every piece of information in amazing detail, the other is its customisability in charting which is second-to-none.

If you’d like to take part in the TMG v8 Public Beta Test, you can do so by visiting here, (scroll right to the bottom, and click I agree), but please read the instruction page carefully FIRST.

RootsMagic is one world’s leading genealogy software programs. Easy-to-use, yet with a lot of features that many might not use to their full potential, the publishers of RootsMagic have decided to offer some online webinar courses for you to help you gain more from your program.

Here are the upcoming classes for April and May:

• Places and Mapping in RootsMagic
  Wherever you go, there you are!  Places and geography are an integral part of our lives and the lives of our ancestors.  Join us for a look at the many tools in RootsMagic which help you accurately record the places in your family history, clean and standardize names, and even view them on a map!
  Wednesday, April 13, 2011
  2pm MST See In Your Time Zone
  90 minutes

• Ask the RootsMagician!
  This is your chance to ask your questions and get the answers straight from the source!  Bruce Buzbee, the author of RootsMagic will be answering your questions about the software in this special, open-topic webinar.
  Tuesday, April 19, 2011
  5pm MST See In Your Time Zone
  90 minutes
• Google Search Tips and Tricks
  Frustrated by thousands of irrelevant search results in your recent Google searches for your family history? Do you want to achieve better results in a shorter amount of time?  Learn the art of online search with Google expert and genealogy podcaster Lisa Louise Cooke, author of the new book The Genealogist’s Google Toolbox. In this webinar you will expand your Google search repertoire and learn techniques, tricks and tips to achieve better genealogical search results.
  Thursday, April 28, 2011
  6pm MST See In Your Time Zone
  90 minutes
• Creating and Printing Wallcharts with RootsMagic
  Ever wish your family tree wasn’t confined to a computer screen or a small sheet of paper?  Wallcharts let you see the “big picture” of your family history!  Join us for a look at RootsMagic’s wallcharts and how to customize them.  Also joining us will be Janet Hovorka of Generation Maps to show us how to easily and affordably print our charts and some special services which they provide.
  Tuesday, May 3, 2011
  5pm MST See In Your Time Zone
  90 minutes
• Google Earth for Genealogy
  Google Earth is a 360 degree, 3-dimensional way to view your ancestors world! In this webinar you will learn how to unlock mysteries in your research – from unidentified photographs, to how a location looked a hundred years ago or more. You’ll also see the potential this free program has for helping you tell your family history stories in a compelling visual way that will fascinate your family.
  Tuesday, May 24, 2011
  6pm MST See In Your Time Zone
  90 minutes

Converting the time
To convert the time for you own timezone can be done easily by using a timezone converter such as WorldTimeServer.com.

Cost
There is no cost to be involved in any of these Webinar’s, they are FREE!

Registering
However you do need to register if you wish to ‘attend’ and be involved in the Websinar. You can do so here http://www.rootsmagic.com/webinars

Past Webinars
Remember if you happen to have missed some webinars, you can always watch them online later. You can find them using this link http://www.rootsmagic.com/webinars/

Being unique in the way it looks and works no doubt contributes to the loyal following that program has. Whereas other genealogy software tends to emphasize the family unit, this software’s focus is on each individual person. This distinction is subtle and is a feature of this program. In iFamily for Leopard you can see at a glance whether an individual has more than 2 parents, more than 1 spouse or the number of siblings they had. Parent-child relationships may be natural (the default), step, adopted or foster relationships.

iFamily for Leopard, one of the genealogy software programs around for Mac users, has just been updated to version 2.522. Many bug fixes and some interface enhancements make up this release. There are no new features in this release.

You can find the full list of fixes on the iFamily for Leopard forum.

For those who are new to the program, download the free trial version and have a play, or buy it online from here.

Queensland Post Office Directory Compendium 1901-1905 (Wise) – DATA CD – $99.50 This compendium of Wise’s directories contains the five directories covering the 1901-1905 period. South Australian Government Gazette 1844 – DATA CD – $23.50 Issued weekly with occasional special issues, the South Australian Government Gazette contains information such as proclamations, land transactions, court notices, notice of acts, public notices, tenders, appointments and resignations, bankrupt and insolvency notices, impoundments, police auctions, unclaimed letters, licenses (publican’s, wine and beer, storekeeper’s, occupation, and depasturing), notices of protection, dissolution of partnerships, rewards on offer and more … Victorian Directory 1923 (Sands and McDougall) – DATA CD – $47.50 A massive directory of almost 3,200 pages, this Sands and McDougall directory, which in 1923 was in its 67th year of publication, consists not only of a Melbourne Directory, but also its Suburbs and the country areas too. Western Australia Commonwealth Electoral Roll 1949 – DATA CD – $59.50 This CD includes the rolls for the Canning, Curtin, Forrest, Fremantle, Kalgoorlie, Moore, Perth and Swan Divisions of Western Australia in 1949 – more than 5,000 pages. Entries are arranged alphabetically within each subdivision. You will find the details of over 300,000 voters who resided in Western Australia at this time, and who were entitled (and registered) to vote. Importantly, the roll includes the names of many women qualified to vote for the election of members of the Commonwealth parliament. Also available in individual electoral divisions: Canning Curtin Forrest Fremantle Kalgoorlie Moore Perth Swan

Software

Family Tree Maker for Macintosh Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $99.95
There is no doubt that Family Tree Maker is one of the leading genealogy programs available. It provides users with the tools they need to build their family tree, record their memories, as well as organise their family photos, stories, videos and audio clips in a way that will help them easily capture and share the story of their ancestors.

Some may not know that the very first Macintosh version of Family Tree Maker appeared 13 years ago, but didn’t last very long. The Mac market has changed radically in the last few years, and now it is back, totally rewritten, and updated to current Mac specifications and is based on Family Tree Maker 2010 (PC version) feature-wise.

RootsMagic is one world’s leading genealogy software programs. Easy-to-use, yet with a lot of features that many might not use to their full potential. So with a growing number of RootsMagic users worldwide, the publishers have decided to offer some online webinar courses for you to help you gain more from your program.

The following is the announcement direct from RootsMagic:

Throughout the year we travel to various cities teaching RootsMagic classes.  We are always asked when we will be visiting different areas of the country (or world).  The simple answer is that we just haven’t gotten the cloning process down well enough to do that yet.

So we’re doing the next best thing.  We are now offering free online classes. You will be able to sit at your computer and watch as we present classes on everything from getting started with RootsMagic to advanced features like creating custom reports, and everything in between.  We’ll also be able to answer questions from attendees.  And classes won’t be limited to just RootsMagic.  We will be offering classes on our other products as well: Personal Historian, Family Atlas, and Family Reunion Organizer.

Each class will be limited to the first 1000 people to sign up, but if you miss out or can’t make it, don’t worry because we will record the class for you to download and watch later.

To sign up for the free classes, visit us at: http://www.rootsmagic.com/webinars

Here are the first 5 classes we will be offering:

• Getting Started with RootsMagic
  Saturday, January 8, 2011
  3pm (PST), 4pm (MST), 5pm (CST), 6pm (EST), 11pm (GMT)
  90 minutes
• Publishing a Family History with RootsMagic
  Tuesday, January 11, 2011
  5pm (PST), 6pm (MST), 7pm (CST), 8pm (EST), Wednesday 1am (GMT)
  90 minutes
• FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic
  Tuesday, January 18, 2011
  5pm (PST), 6pm (MST), 7pm (CST), 8pm (EST), Wednesday 1am (GMT)
  2 hours
• RootsMagic To-Go: Running RootsMagic on a Flash Drive
  Monday, January 24, 2011
  1pm (PST), 2pm (MST), 3pm (CST), 4pm (EST), 9pm (GMT)
  90 minutes
• Sources, Citations, and Documentation with RootsMagic
  Friday, February 4, 2011
  9am (PST), 10am (MST), 11am (CST) 12pm (EST), 5pm (GMT)
  90 minutes

Converting the time
To convert the time for you own timezone can be done easily by using a timezone converter such as WorldTimeServer.com.

Cost
There is no cost to be involved in any of these Webinar’s, they are FREE!

Registering
However you do need to register if you wish to ‘attend’ and be involved in the Websinar. You can do so here http://www.rootsmagic.com/webinars

What Do You Want RootsMagic to Teach?
The first month of classes is as above, but now RootsMagic want to know what you want to learn about, and what days and times work the best.  So they’ve set up a short survey so you can let them know your needs: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RMWebinar

Click on titles below for more details on each. Some of the titles below are ‘special order’ titles.

7 Generation Pedigree Chart – Stationery – $4.50 This has always been a popular chart, and now it is finally back in print. This large chart is printed in green ink, and is on parchment paper, and features a tree in the background, with lines for you to fill in seven generations of your direct line family tree. It is perfect for framing or display. Bumper Sticker: Genealogists Never Die, they Just Lose their Census – Scrapbooking – $5.00 After many requests, the publisher has had this classic quote made into a removable bumper sticker. Handbook to the Colony of New South Wales 1858 – DATA CD – $7.50 This ‘Handbook to the Colony of New South Wales’ was one of a series of similar guides to the Australian colonies written by the editor of the Australian and New Zealand Gazette as information for potential emigrants. EK Success Jolees Stickers: Trees – Scrapbooking – $7.50 You will love these 3D stickers from EK Success. Great “family trees” designed just for the genealogist! The pack contains three stickers, each with a tree of multiple layers. A4 Accessories Holder – Stationery – $5.95 A useful A4 size envelope pocket with Velcro fastening, made from acid free polypropylene. Will hold loose items securely in 2, 3, or 4 ring binders.

Tracing Your Family History in New South Wales – DATA CD – $25.00 If you are researching your family in New South Wales, and really don’t know where to look – this guide details the many different types of records useful for your research, together with where you can find them. A new feature in this edition, is that for the first time not only ‘hardcopy’ (or printed) sources are noted, but also the internet, and the all the amazing resources that are available for the genealogist researching in this Australian state. New Cousins: How to Trace Living Descendants of Your Ancestors – K. Bali – $13.00 This book is a guide to descendant searching – that is looking for living relatives. It can be fascinating, rewarding, and potentially life-changing. Research can lead you not to dead ancestors, but to living, breathing relatives who share your genetic heritage – members of your extended family. K & Company Ancestry.com 12×12 Double-Sided Paper Pack – Scrapbooking – $25.00 K & Company has teamed with Ancestry.com to bring you a beautiful, comprehensive, family history scrapbooking collection! Ideal for those creating a whole heritage album … this paper pack from K & Company’s Ancestry.com range, contains 36 12×12 double-sided pages (3 x 12 different designs). My Mind’s Eye 12×12 Life Stories Kit #2 – Scrapbooking – $24.95 Tell your Life Story with this collection, printed on Kraft paper in soft brown, reds and purples! With 2 die cut accessory sheets, 24 patterned papers, and 30 mini journaling cards you are sure to find something for your every scrapbooking need! Binder and Slip Cover 40mm: Black – Stationery – $19.50 Binder and Slip Cover is identical to the other binders in 300 pack albums but with no pages and minimum graphics on cover. 40mm wide spine.

Family Tree Maker 2011 Upgrade Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $39.95 Family Tree Maker 2011 provides users with the tools they need to build their family tree, record their memories, as well as organise their family photos, stories, videos and audio clips in a way that will help them easily capture and share the story of their ancestors. If you have an earlier version of Family Tree Maker, you can upgrade to the latest version now. Domesday Book: A Complete Translation – A. Williams & G. Martin – $39.95 ‘Domesday Book’ is one of the most famous documents in English history – and arguably in world history. Now available in one volume, here is the complete, authoritative translation from the original Latin of ‘Domesday Book’, together with an index of places and a glossary of terms used. South Australia Pre-Civil Registration Deaths – DATA CD – $25.00 ‘South Australia Pre-Civil Registration Deaths’ is a database bringing together the known material including some not so obvious records, to present all the deaths in the period leading up to June 1842 on the one listing. Tracing Your Second World War Ancestors – S. Fowler – $39.50 This book is designed to help both the complete novice and the more experienced researcher to find out what resources are available for those that were in World War Two in the English forces, as well as where and how they can be accessed. They include the National Archives at Kew, the Imperial War Museum and Regimental Museums. Single and Free: Female Migration to Australia 1833-1837 – E. Rushen – $39.50 The life-experiences and writings of the women demonstrate that they were drawn from a wide cross-section of nineteenth century society. They were eminently suitable as domestic and agricultural workers and as future wives for the women-hungry colonies.

Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837 – DATA CD – $79.00 Lewis gives details about every parish, town and village in Ireland, including numbers of inhabitants, the economy, history, topography, religion and parish structures, administration and courts, schools, and much more. He also gives the names of the principal inhabitants (generally landlords, merchants and professionals). Fox’s History of Queensland 1919-23 – DATA CD – $79.50 ‘Fox’s History of Queensland’ is similar to the Cyclopedias that were published for most states of Australia around the beginning of the 20th Century. These (including Fox’s) are a vast resource of historical and biographical information – consisting of information on the people, towns, industries, professional, commercial and social institutions and much more. ‘Fox’s History of Queensland’ is the largest of these publications and is extremely rare to find copies. Aldine Centennial History of New South Wales 1888 – DATA CD – $69.50 Published in 1888, William Frederic Morrison produced the ‘Aldine Centennial History of New South Wales’ in a two volume set as a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated record of the history of New South Wales and its prominent inhabitants. Picturesque Atlas of Australasia 1886-88 – DATA CD – $59.50 Published in Sydney in 1886-88, the enormous, multi-volume ‘Picturesque Atlas of Australia’ was an attempt with words and pictures to describe the Australia of the time. Its publication was one of the most significant cultural projects in 19th-century Australia. Writers, artists, academics, and politicians came together to prepare a book of unprecedented grandeur and ambition, and a publishing company was established to publish it. The 1100+ engravings on steel and wood contained in the Picturesque Atlas were among the finest engravings to be found anywhere in the world at this time, and many of the illustrations were specially commissioned works by leading Australian artists of the era, for the publication. Grantees of Arms Volumes 1 and 2 – DATA CD – $50.00 Published by The Harleain Society in three large books. Volume one contains the names of those granted the right to bear arms to the end of the seventeenth century. The second and third books cover the years 1687 to 1898. The Heralds at the College of Arms consider these books to be one of the most important reference sources available to them and we consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be able to make them available on CD to historians and genealogists all over the world.

Click on titles below for more details on each.

Birth Year Calculator from the Census 1841-1911 – Stationery – $5.95 This is a handy chart to have next to you when looking at census returns. Calculate possible birth year working back from age given at any census 1841-1911. Includes the actual UK census dates as well. It comes as an A4 size page, and is laminated. Kaisercraft Duchess Alpha Stickers – Scrapbooking – $6.95 Three pages of antique styled serif letter stickers. Includes uppercase, lowercase and numbers. Paper Loft 12×12 Double Sided Family Tree Pedigree – Scrapbooking – $1.70 This paper caters not only for the scrapbooking genealogist, but also the genealogist that would like to present their family history nicely and easily. ‘Family Tree Pedigree’ from Paper Loft is a beautiful four generation pedigree chart. Abbreviations for Australian Genealogists – E. Marks – $8.00 One thing that you will learn when beginning family history research is that there are no standards for abbreviations (except for a few exceptions). Each resource seems to have its own system. This lack of uniformity prompted the author to start recording these references, and in 1995 ‘Abbreviations for Genealogists’ was released. Cite Your Sources Sticky Notes (Pack of 3) – Stationery – $8.00 WOW! What a neat item this is! “Cite your Sources” are designed for you to take along to the library, use at home or even the archives office!

Binder and Slip Cover 40mm: Oxford Blue – Stationery – $19.50 Binder and Slip Cover Identical to the other binders in 300 pack albums but with no pages and minimum graphics on cover. 40mm wide spine. Seven Gypsies Memorabilia Envelope Album – Scrapbooking – $15.50 A perfect album for your small heirlooms. This 7 Gypsies string-tie album contains 10 envelopes in a spiral binder (measuring approx 5″ x 7″). The heavy weight cover is a perfect protection for the envelopes inside. You can embellish the outside of the envelopes with photos and stickers while storing memorabilia inside, or just write a note about what the item inside is, and where it came from. Dating Nineteenth Century Photographs – R. Pols – $19.00 This volume covers both the Georgian and Victorian eras. Our Family Tree Chart – Stationery – $19.50 This is a wonderful family group record that allows you to add all kinds of data. It is printed on a nice soft brown parchment type paper with a black ink which gives a great contrast. Australians Remembered Map: Australia’s Involvement in Military Conflicts Since Federation – Map – $14.95 This brilliant map features a political world map showing all the conflicts in which Australians have been involved, differentiating the conflicts by colour-coded boxes and inside the boxes are the units involved in these conflicts.

The Convict Ships 1787-1868 – DATA CD – $39.00 Originally published in 1959, ‘The Convict Ships’ has been accepted by historians and scholars as the standard work on the subject. This Australian edition, which follows the revised and enlarged second edition (1969), includes the results of research into hundreds of journal of ships’ surgeons in an authoritative and fascinating account of this little-known field of maritime history. Sydney Street Directory 1924 (Wilson) – DATA CD – $29.50 Wilson’s Sydney and Suburbs Street Directory for 1924 contains over 100 maps of the city, suburbs and Blue Mountains – which also shows Sydney Harbour, the Municipalities and Shires, the railways, tramways and main roads. Google Your Family Tree: Unlock the Hidden Power of Google – D. Lynch – $44.95 The contents of this new book will help you understand and use dozens of specialized commands to dramatically improve your search skills. Many of these commands seem custom built to help with our pursuit of our family heritage. The great news is that most are easy to master and perfectly suited for finding people, places, and events. A special command even lets you narrow results by date range to filter results more quickly. K & Company Ancestry.com 12×12 Double-Sided Paper Pack – Scrapbooking – $25.00 K & Company has teamed with Ancestry.com to bring you a beautiful, comprehensive, family history scrapbooking collection! Ideal for those creating a whole heritage album … this paper pack from K & Company’s Ancestry.com range, contains 36 12×12 double-sided pages (3 x 12 different designs). Scrapbooking Family Heritage: Treasury of Favourites – Stationery – $25.50 This collection of heritage articles which have appeared in the ‘Creating Keepsakes’ magazine over a period of five years will show you design ideas, give you journaling jumpstarts, and tips for restoring damaged photos.

Digital Restoration From Start to Finish: How to Repair Old and Damaged Photographs – Ctein – $59.50 ‘Digital Restoration From Start to Finish’ 2nd edition guides you step-by-step through the entire process of restoring old photographs and repairing new ones using Adobe Photoshop, Picture Window, and now Photoshop Elements, for those that don’t have Photoshop. Ancestral Trails: The Complete Guide to British Genealogy and Family History – M. Herber – $75.00 ‘Ancestral Trails’ includes information on research in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, as are the latest developments in information technology applications on CD and through the internet. This new edition is illustrated throughout and contains detailed lists of further reading. It is the essential companion to all family historians researching in the United Kingdom. Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History – Scrapbooking – $69.50 Irish Records: Sources for Local and Family History is designed to facilitate Irish family history research by providing a comprehensive listing of the record sources available for each county in Ireland. Indeed, there are records which can answer vital questions about Irish records: Where did they live? Who were their relatives? What were their occupations? Such sources as civil registers, censuses, land records, and church records are available to those who know where they can be found. Family Tree Maker 2011 Platinum Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $99.95 Family Tree Maker 2011 provides users with the tools they need to build their family tree, record their memories, as well as organise their family photos, stories, videos and audio clips in a way that will help them easily capture and share the story of their ancestors. National Burial Index For England and Wales (3rd Edition) – DATA CD – $69.50 The NBI has always been a great resource for those researching burial records in England and Wales, and with the increase of around an extra 6 million records since the 2nd edition, how can that not be useful?

Tasmanian Pioneer Index 1803-1899 – DATA CD – $220.00
The Tasmanian Pioneer Index is an index of all birth, death and marriage records for the period 1803-1899 which were created by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Tasmania. This is an index of over 425,000 records of baptisms, births, deaths, burials and marriages in the Australia state of Tasmania between 1803 and 1899.

OpticFilm 7400 Film/Slide Scanner – Scanner – $399.00

Reunion for Macintosh Version 9 – Software – $149.50
What is Reunion? Reunion is a genealogy software program — a ‘family tree program’ for the Macintosh. Reunion helps you to document, store, and display information about your family — your ancestors, descendants, cousins, etc. It records names, dates, places, facts, plenty of notes, sources of information, pictures, sounds, and videos. It shows family relationships in an elegant, graphic form — people and families are linked in an easy-to-understand fashion.

New Zealand Electoral Roll 1935 Volumes 1-20 – DATA CD – $129.50
This compendium contains the electoral rolls for all New Zealand districts for 1935 – almost 20,000 pages. Entries are arranged alphabetically within each district. You will find the details of about 900,000 people who were entitled (and registered) to vote.

Australian Cyclopedias Compendium Set – DATA CD – $199.50
The Australian Cyclopedias are an incredibly important resource for all historians researching Australian history, but just what are they, and what do they contain? Firstly the definition of ‘cyclopedia’ from the dictionary states that it is a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty. This pretty much sums up what these Cyclopedias are … multi-volume sets, which contain so much biographical and social history of the era, that nothing really compares.

Click on titles below for more details on each.
Some of the Genealogy titles below are ‘special order’ titles.

Australia

The Courtneys: A Victorian Military Family – R. Austin – $59.00
The saga of the Courtney’s commences in Ireland, and moves to Australia during the gold rush where the family soon became heavily involved in the local volunteer movement at Castlemaine. Military service became a tradition carried through four generations, embracing not only the Great War and Gallipoli where two brothers served as officers, but also the 19139-45 War with one family member serving as a doctor in the RAN and the other as a doctor in the British Army, landing with the paras in Arnhem, where he was captured by the Germans.

In the Name of the Law: William Willshire and the Policing of the Australian Frontier – A. Nettlebeck & R. Foster – $29.95
During his time in the Territory, Willshire wrote of his experiences in several extraordinary memoirs. In these he represents himself as an explorer in the service of his country, as an anthoropologist gathering knowledge about Aboriginal Australia, and as an exemplary Australian bushman, at a time when the bushman legend was in its gensis and the nation was yet to be. Most of all, he appears as the representative of the law, working to make the country safe for the ‘brave pioneers who push out the frontier’. After his murder trial in 1891, he becomes its martyr.

They Came Direct: Immigration Vessels to Queensland: Prince Consort 1862 – E. Johnson – $16.50
Contains all known information on this voyage (departed Liverpool 29 July 1862, departed Queenstown 2 August 1862, arrived Brisbane 3 November 1862). Details come from official, newspaper and other sources. Also includes b&w photos, and a map.

Round the Compass in Australia – DATA CD – $27.50
Consisting largely of articles appearing first in journals and then published in 1892 as a complete work, Gilbert Parker gives a glimpse of life and social conditions at the time in Australia.

New South Wales Post Office Directory 1936 (Wise) – DATA CD – $39.50
A huge volume of almost 1,600 pages, the 1936 Wise’s New South Wales Post Office Directory is divided into several main sections …

Early Days in North Queensland – DATA CD – $23.50
Published posthumously in 1903, this book by Edward Palmer gives an overview of the history of northern Queensland. He came to the colony in 1857, two years before separation and remained there till his death in 1899.

Radio Call 1952 – DATA CD – $19.50
Radio Call, described as “South Australia’s Only Broadcasting Newspaper”, commenced during 1937. It covers news from the Adelaide Studios and a host of other topics including all things musical, theatrical, the week’s radio programs, and lots of other news from Australia and overseas.

Melbourne Directory 1906 (Sands and McDougall) – DATA CD – $47.50
The Sands and McDougall directories are amongst the most comprehensive. You can find out more details about places in which people lived, the other residents in the area, and the services available in the region … all of which help to paint a picture of your ancestors’ life.

England

History of the Diocese of Worcester – DATA CD – $24.00
First published in 1883 and republished here on fully-searchable CD-ROM is the first edition of the Diocesan History of Worcester. Containing some 383 printed pages the History of the Diocese of Worcester was written by the Rev. I. Gregory Smith, then Vicar of Great Malvern and the Rev. Phipps Onslow and published in London by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

London 1912 Kelly’s Post Office Directory – DATA CD – $34.50
Kelly’s Post Office Directories contain both the Street Index, which lists streets alphabetically with residents’ names; and the Court Directory, which includes an alphabetical list of people by name with the street included, and so can be used with name or address information as a starting point.

The Parish of Eastham, Cheshire – DATA CD – $20.00
This is a history of Cheshire’s parish of Eastham which also includes a list of Officers and Men from Eastham who fell in the 1914-1918 war and names from the Electoral Roll 1920. With Notices of the Restoration of the Church by the Rev. H. J. Storrs, B.A., Vicar, 1871-1880.

Durham Parish Registers: Ebchester 1619-1812 – DATA CD – $20.00
Transcripts of the records from the Ebchester parish in Durham between the years 1619 and 1812. Complete with indexes of places and names.

Lancashire Parish Reigsters: Liverpool 1660-1704 – DATA CD – $30.00
Transcriptions of the Earliest Registers of the Parish of Liverpool (St. Nicholas’s Church) Christenings, Marriages and Burials 1660 to 1704. With some of the earlier Bishop’s Transcripts commencing in 1604. Also includes an appendix being a Report on Ecclesiastical Records in the Diocese of Liverpool.

Rutland Parish Registers: North Luffenham 1565-1832 – DATA CD – $25.00
Transcripts of the parish registers for the parish of North Luffenham, in Rutland. This CD covers Baptisms 1572-1812, Marriages 1565-1832 and Burials 1565-1812. It is complete with indexes of places and names.

Yorkshire Parish Registers: Calverley 1681-1720 Vol. III – DATA CD – $25.00
Transcripts of the registers of the parish church of Calverley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Covers baptisms, marriages and burials from 1681 to 1720, with useful additional notes. These notes include – some inscriptions on tombstones in Calverley churchyard; inhabitants of Idle; notes from wills proved at York; Calverley wills; notes from Deeds; Inhabitants of Pudsey; part of the Pudsey Nonconformist Register; vicars of Calverley.

A Catalogue of the Ancient Charters belonging to the Burgesses of the Town and Parish of Sheffield, Yorkshire – DATA CD – $25.00
An essential reference for family historians with Sheffield and district ancestors, this book contains transcripts in English of Sheffield Charters and Wills covering the period 1297-1554. Many names are mentioned, and it even includes deduced family trees. Complete with a useful index, this book was compiled by T. Walter Hall, and originally published in 1913.

Ireland

Tracing Your Mayo Ancestors – B. Smith – $32.50 NEW EDITION
This book sets out the records available to the family history researcher, detailing each source, its location and reference.

The Birth of Ulster – DATA CD – $29.50
Written by Cyril Falls this is a detailed account of the colonization of the northern province of Ireland, beginning with the attempts by Elizabeth I to calm the region, the rebellion of the tenants, and finally, the eviction of natives and the introduction of Protestants from England and Scotland, and therefore, the creation of the Plantation. It is an account of both the problems that precipitated the settlements and of the settlements themselves.

Software

**Pre-order now – first stock expected November 2010**

Family Tree Maker 2011 Deluxe Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $59.95
Family Tree Maker 2011 provides users with the tools they need to build their family tree, record their memories, as well as organise their family photos, stories, videos and audio clips in a way that will help them easily capture and share the story of their ancestors.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS DELUXE EDITION?

• - Family Tree Maker 2011 CD
• - Printed ‘Quick Start’ Guide
• - Interactive Training Tutorial (DVD-ROM)
• - Companion Guide to Family Tree Maker 2011 (on the CD)
• - Exclusive Offer for ‘Your Family History’ Magazine
• - 3 Months Subscription to Ancestry.com.au (UK Heritage subscription)

Family Tree Maker 2011 Platinum Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $99.95
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS PLATINUM EDITION?

• - Family Tree Maker 2011 (CD)
• - Printed ‘Quick Start’ Guide
• - Interactive Training Tutorial (DVD-ROM)
• - Companion Guide to Family Tree Maker 2011 (on the program CD)
• – Pallots Marriage Index 1780-1837 (CD)
• – Pallots Baptism Index 1780-1837 (CD)
• – New South Wales, Assisted & Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896 (DVD-ROM)
• - Exclusive Offer for ‘Your Family History’ Magazine
• – 6 Months Subscription to Ancestry.com.au (UK Heritage Plus subscription)

Family Tree Maker 2011 Upgrade Australia and New Zealand Edition – Software – $39.95
See description on website for eligible upgrades.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS UPGRADE EDITION?

• - Family Tree Maker 2011 (CD)
• – Quick Start Guide (on the CD)
• – Interactive Training Tutorial (DVD-ROM)
• – Companion Guide to Family Tree Maker 2011 (on the CD)
• – 1 Month Subscription to Ancestry.com.au (UK Heritage subscription)

The good news for you is that Family Historian 4 (UK edition) has now dropped in price to $69.95  – which saves you $30.00!!

Family Historian is a very different looking genealogy program, as it is a ‘person based’, in preference to most which are ‘family based’. But it does have a number of unique features that others don’t, mostly in the way you view information, but also in its ability to view charts on screen.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of using Family Historian 4, why not give it a whirl using their 30 day trial version which you can download for free.

Still not quite convinced? Don’t take my word for it, have a read of of the ‘Choice’ Magazine’s genealogy software overview for 2010.

Please note, the price drop only applies to Family Historian UK edition, not Family Historian Aus/NZ edition.

Related Products:
Family Historian 4 UK Upgrade from 3
Family Historian 4 Australian/New Zealand Edition
Getting the Most Out of Family Historian 4

Useful Websites:
Family Historian website
Family Historian Users Group website
RootsWeb Family Historian Mailing List

As it is also not the cheapest of programs, you do want to be sure of just what the program does before going ahead and buying it. One way to do this is to download the free Demo of Reunion, or to view the YouTube videos that Leister Productions (the publishers of Reunion) have put together to help you with getting started or to evaluate if this genealogy program is right for you.

Much to my surprise, I found out that it is just a more modern PDA. This was exciting, as I do use my PDA for contacts, as well as having a copy of my genealogy software – perfect to be able to whip out and compare families any time it’s needed. So I started looking around to see what genealogy apps are available for my iPod Touch.

I found a review of ‘Families’ by Dick Eastman, which also mentioned that it allowed direct import from Legacy Family Tree, which is fabulous, since that is the main genealogy software program I use.

So I downloaded the Families app from iTunes for US$14.95, and the accompanying “Families Sync” program which is required to run on your PC. This enables the transfer of family files to and from the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. It can be downloaded free of charge from the publishers website. Note that iTunes must be installed in order to use this ‘Families’.

Here’s just some features that “Families” can do:
- Family and Pedigree Views
- Pictures, including the ability to add pictures from camera or photo albumLocations and addresses, with geolocation via Google Maps
- Multiple family files
- New family files can be created from scratch
- Index, searchable by given name, surname, or RIN
- Events
- To Do Lists
- Master and detail sources
- Alternate names
- Portrait and landscape mode on all views
- Full screen support on the iPad
- direct import of Legacy version 6 and 7 files

So if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or an iPad and are interested inbeing able to take your family tree files with you wherever you go take a look at TelGen Limited’s ‘Families’, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

You can find a whole bunch of screen shots on the publisher’s website, but I’ve included just a few below.

The makers of RootsMagic have been hard at work with the latest version of RootsMagic 4, and this latest installment implements some requested new features, and well as fixing a number of pesky bugs.

If you have the RootsMagic News screen come up when you start RootsMagic, it may have already notified you of this update.  If not, you can do “Help > Check for Updates” from the RootsMagic menu to download and install this update.

You can also download the update from http://www.rootsmagic.com/updates/rootsmagic.

Below is a listing of the new, fixed, and updated items in this update:

NEW
- New Research Notes report (prints the source detail text and comments for a person or family)
- Timeline lists now support source citations
- Added wordwrap command to note editor
- Added “Mark by parents” and “Unmark by parents” to the “Select Families” list to allow criteria for selecting families
- Added “Unused Places List” to show places in your database that aren’t used by any events
- Added sex, birth and death dates to the edit family screen in Tools > Problem list

This paperwork is your research, and as such contains, names, dates, notes, mini pedigrees, contact details of distant cousins who might have family photos etc. So all extremely important stuff. But to really make sense of it all, and to keep a track of the info that you already have, you really need to put in into a genealogy program.

There’s several things to note when looking for a genealogy program. Choose a program that is right for YOU. They are all a little different, and one may well be better suited to you than another. Recommendations from others are great, but nothing beats being able to try a program out for yourself.

So below is a listing of the genealogy software we sell, together with a little about each, the price, and the publisher’s websites .

ANCESTRAL QUEST

Ancestral Quest 12.1 – $49.50
Win 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.ancquest.com
download the demo

Ancestral Quest (AQ) family tree software is an easy-to-use and versatile genealogy program for Windows. Its format is perfect for the beginner and yet powerful enough for the most advanced genealogist. Easy data entry, keyboard shortcuts, scrapbooking, professional printouts, and excellent sourcing capabilities are just some of this genealogy software program’s wonderful, award-winning features. The publishers offer a fully-functional version for 60 days, which gives you plenty of time to work out if this is the program for you.

FAMILY HISTORIAN

Family Historian 4 UK Edition – $99.95
Win 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
Family Historian 4 Aus/NZ Edition – $99.95Win XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.family-historian.co.uk
download the demo

This is a very different looking program, as it is a person based program, in preference to most which are family based. Apart from that it does have a number of unique features that others don’t, mostly in the way you view information, but also in its ability to view charts on screen. There is a demo available, so have a look at it if you wish. This came out at top choice in the ‘Choice’ Magazine’s genealogy software overviews in 2010.

FAMILY TREE MAKER

Family Tree Maker 2010 Aus/NZ Platinum Edition – $99.95
Family Tree Maker 2010 Aus/NZ Deluxe Edition – $59.95
Win XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.familytreemaker.com

The best known of all programs, this has been around the longest, and is owned by Ancestry.com, the world’s largest genealogy company. For many people it is their program of choice, while others won’t go near it, so it is really a personal opinion. This new 2010 edition has been added to from 2008 total rewrite. There is no demo of FTM, but the publishers have put a slideshow as well as a video tutorial on their website which you can look at.

LEGACY FAMILY TREE

Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Deluxe – $59.50
Legacy Family Tree 7.0 Platinum Aus/NZ Edition- $79.95
Win 98, Me, 2000, NT, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.legacyfamilytree.com
download the demo

You can download the ‘Standardd’ edition of Legacy for free. This is not a trial or demo version, and can be used for as long as you like. The difference between the standard and the Deluxe editions is that you don’t get the program CD, the printed manual, the licence code and some features have been disabled. The difference between the Deluxe edition, and the Platinum Aus/NZ Edition is that the Aus/NZ one comes with extra data CDs, a 3 month subscription to WorldVitalRecords.com and some gift vouchers. The program in both versions is identical.

ROOTSMAGIC

RootsMagic 4 - $49.50
Win 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.rootsmagic.com
download the demo

This is a good quality program that is continually gaining support through new users. Easy to use, and well supported, with good reports and charting capability, this is a good program for those wishing to start adding their family tree data to a genealogy program. There is a free version called ‘RootsMagic Essentials’, which is a functional program, with some features that are in the full program disabled but if nothing else it is an excellent way to assess the program.

THE MASTER GENEALOGIST

The Master Genealogist Version 7 Gold – $82.00 (program on CD)
$69.50 (program as a download) or $112.00 (program & manual)
Win 2000, XP, Vista, Win 7
http://www.whollygenes.com
download the demo

This is at the top of end of programs, but it is way too much for many in relation to what it can offer. If you’re wanting a nice easy program to use just to add names, dates etc. this program probably isn’t for you. It is so different from the other programs in so many ways, such as visually, its terminology, and its charting capability. The publishers offer a fully functional (allows import, export, printing, saving etc) 30 day trial of the program. After that, the demo is viewable, but not useable.

iFAMILY FOR LEOPARD

iFamily for Leopard – $44.00 (download only)
Apple Mac OSX 10.4 or later (Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard)
http://ifamilyforleopard.com
download the demo

iFamily for Leopard is a relatively new genealogy program specifically for the latest Macintosh with Leopard. It is a genealogy application for people who think differently. There is a demo available, so feel free to have a look.

REUNION FOR MACINTOSH

Reunion for Macintosh 9 – $149.50
Apple Mac OSX 10.3 or later (Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard)

http://www.leisterpro.com

download the demo

Reunion has been the best Macintosh program available for a long time now, and it continues to holds its place. It is a well-written, well-supported program, and is very easy to use, and does have powerful charting capability. There is a demo available if you wish to try before buying.

This is in no way intended to be a comprehensive list of all genealogy software that is currently available, but rather a good range of them. As each of them a little bit different, it is good for you to take the time to work out which program is going to suit you the best.

If you would like to read up some more before making your decision, here’s some great places to do so:
Genealogy Software Reviews
Choice Magazine

They have just released an update to RootsMagic version 4 (4.0.9.2), which is a minor update but does fix some bugs.

If you have the RootsMagic News screen come up when you start RootsMagic, it may have already notified you of this update.  If not, you can do “Help > Check for Updates” from the RootsMagic menu to download and install this update.

You can also download the update from the RootsMagic website

The RootsMagic blog has a full list of what was added and fixed.

The latest advice from Calico Pie Software (the publishers of Family Historian) is that …

“Version 4.1 was released yesterday. Version 4.x users can now download a free upgrade to 4.1. The new version has numerous new features and enhancements, including support for copying, deleting and renaming projects. There have been improvements in support for PDFs, pictures & thumbnails, charts & diagrams, the property box, reports, website generation, and much more. All 4.x users are recommended to upgrade. See What’s New in 4.1 for more details.”

For Aussie users of the program, I’m not yet aware of any Family Historian User Groups in Australia (although if anyone happens to know of any, please don’t hesitate to advise, so I can let others know about it), but there is a very active Family Historian User Group website, so if you do have queries or issues, I’m sure someone there would be able to help out.

If you’re reading this, but are not a Family Historian user, why not give it a try with the 30-day demo program.

Related Products:
Family Historian 4
Family Historian 4 Australia/New Zealand Edition
Family Historian 4 Upgrade from V3
Getting the Most out of Family Historian 4

While for most Family Tree Maker is an easy program to get into, interacting with a User Group will enable you to share your knowledge with others and learn from them too. There are always lots of tips and tricks to pick up and you will learn creative ways of using Family Tree Maker. If you are new to the Family Tree Maker (or new to a newer version), attending a User Group meeting will help you get started, both in finding out what you can do in Family Tree Maker, and how to how to use it efficiently.

New South Wales – Sydney
Meetings: once a quarter
Where: 120 Kent Street, Sydney
When: need to check the SAG website for details
Cost: $8.00 for members, $12.00 for non-members
Contact: the Society of Australian Genealogists
web: http://www.sag.org.au/
they also have an online forum for FTM Users

Queensland – Brisbane
Meetings: 1st Friday of every month, and last Sat of each even numbered month
Where: 58 Bellevue Avenue, Gaythorne
When: starts 10.00am
Cost: free (and non-members are welcome)
Contact: Kerri Kleidon familytree@qfhs.org.au
Organised by the Queensland Family History Society
web: http://www.qfhs.org.au/

South Australia – Adelaide
Meetings: 3rd Saturday of each month
Where: Salisbury TAFE Heritage Centre, 3 Ann Street, Salisbury
When: from 2.00pm
Contact: info@andfhg.org
Organised by Adelaide Family Tree Maker User Group, in association with the Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group
web: http://www.andfhg.org/

South Australia – South East
Meetings: no meetings
Contact: http://www.sefhg.org/index_files/membership.htm
The South East Family History Group don’t hold regular Family Tree Maker User Group meetings, but they do have an online forum where you can post queries. Their Membership Page has information about how to do so.

Victoria – Melbourne
Meetings: 3rd Monday of each month (not December or January)
Where: Wadham House, 52 Wadham Parade, Mount Waverley
When: doors open 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start
Cost: $2.00
Contact: ftmusers@vicgum.asn.au
held in association with VicGUM
web: http://vicgum.asn.au or on Facebook

If you know of any other FTM groups around (even informal meetings), or are interested in starting one up, please send an email to alona@gould.com.au, so I can keep this list up-to-date.

Firstly what is GEDCOM?
GEDCOM is an abbreviation that stands for GEnealogy Data COMmunications. In short,it is the language (file format) by which different genealogy software talk to one another. All recent genealogy software supports GEDCOM imports and exports.

Why do I need to know about it?
Can you imagine spending years and years typing in thousands of names, dates, places, and citations, only to find out that when you upgrade your trusty five-year-old desktop computer to a new swish little laptop you have to update your genealogy software too? Then you find out, your genealogy program won’t work on Windows 7 (or has since been discontinued) … what do you do? Would you consider starting all over again? If you have your files saved into GEDCOM you won’t have to!!

If this happens to you, the first step to do, is to save your current files into GEDCOM, because if your files are in this format you can then bring them into ANY current genealogy software. Then secondly look for another program (I won’t go into that here as that’s post for another day – but we do sell a range of genealogy software).

Another reason to know about GEDCOM, is that if you wish to send copies of your genealogy data to your reli’s who are also researching the family, there is a good chance that they may not be using the same program as you, so to be sure they can read it – the saftest way is to save your file as a .GED, and send that.

Another thing you will need to you know about GEDCOM is that it is good, but not perfect. Not all the data fields in a genealogy program are specified precisely in GEDCOM. Or your present genealogy program might be perfectly happy with a birth date listed as, “after 1847 but before 1852″. However once that information is exported to a GEDCOM file and then imported into a family tree program, the birth date may say something else, or typically is left blank. Despite all the shortcomings, GEDCOM is still a simple and somewhat effective method of transferring genealogy data from one program to another. Most of the data will transfer properly, and then there are easy ways of reviewing the data to look for errors.

Generally names, dates, places and relationships do transfer without a problem, text, events, notes and source citations may not always work perfectly. The exact problems encountered will depend upon the two genealogy programs involved. But for a family tree of 1000′s using GEDCOM to transfer your data still saves a lot of work, although retyping from scratch also does have its merits too.

How do I save my file into GEDCOM?
Without going into the specifics of each program, if you are wanting to save your file into a .GED format to send to a relative (or just for your own backup of course), this is usually done by going to the top bar of your program, click on File, then scroll down to something like ‘Export to’ or ‘Save As’ (programs do vary their wording, but they’re generally all pretty similar), then follow the prompts. If it isn’t obvious, press the F1 (Help) key, and search for GEDCOM.

When saving your GEDCOM file, the really important thing to know is “where” you are saving your file, as you will need to access that file sometime, so you will need to find it.

When should I save my file?
This is entirely up to you, as it also depends on how much work you do on your tree. Personally I backup my file into GEDCOM format everytime I do any work on it, some would suggest once a week, others once a month. I’ve also heard a number of bad news/good news stories of people who’s computer crashed and lost all data, only to then be able to recover most of it from recent backups or GEDCOM files. So it really does pay to take to extra time to have good backups.

Hopefully this gives you a brief introduction, and underlines the importance of having your file backed up in both your genealogy program’s normal format, and also GEDCOM.

Happy researching!!

Ancestry.com have made the announcement at the NGS Conference today that they are planning a Macintosh version of Family Tree Maker due for release later this year.

While I’m not a Mac user myself, I do know that the Mac market is definately a growing one, and will no doubt make many previously-PC Family Tree Maker users happy, as they can continue to use their fav program on a Mac.

It is said that … “it will be built on the functionality of Family Tree Maker 2010 and constructed from the bottom up to take full advantage of the Mac platform in terms of technology and user experience”.

So what do you think? Are you excited for a Mac version?

Stay tuned for more … we’ll let you know as we hear more details.

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The question from Tim was: “Can I use Legacy to trace more than one set of parents without creating two different family files?”

Legacy answer: Yes Tim. Here’s how…

First, notice in the image below (click to enlarge), that John Brown’s parents are Charles and Sally Carter Brown. Let’s assume that these are his biological parents.

To add a second set of parents (such as adding his adoptive parents) follow these steps:

1) Click on John’s “Parents” icon.

The “Parents of John Brown” screen appears. In the “Relationship to Father” and “Relationship to Mother” fields, you should enter how John is related to each parent.

2) Click on the “Add New Parents” button.

This adds the second set of parents (displayed as “Unknown & Unknown):

3) Click on “Unknown & Unknown”, and then click on the “Add Father” button.

Add the information for the father and click Save. Do the same with the “Add Mother” button. Add her information and click Save.

4) Enter how John is related to the second set of parents in the “Relationship to Father/Mother” fields.

Done!

When you click on the Select button to return to the Family View, you’ll notice that John’s second set of parents appear above him, and John’s Parents icon now has the number 2 next to it, indicating that he has two sets of parents. When you want to navigate between the parents, just click on this icon and select the other set of parents.

I think this should answer your question Tim. Do others have experience in researching/recording two sets of parents? Do you have other suggestions?

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You can find more information on Legacy Deluxe or Platinum here
To visit the publisher’s website click here

As FamilySearch certified software, RootsMagic and RootsMagic Essentials both allow you to share information to and from the new FamilySearch. In order to do any of this for a person, you must first match the person in your own file with the same person in the new FamilySearch system. In the past, a user was required to find a match for each person one-at-a-time, person-by-person.

The latest news from the makers of RootsMagic is …

We have just released a minor update to RootsMagic 4 (version 4.0.8.0).

We’ve been busy adapting a lot of internal code preparing RootsMagic 4 for translation into other languages, but we decided to go ahead and release this update with some bug fixes in the meantime.  We realize it has been longer than usual between updates, but we had major parts of the program torn out during the language reconstruction. But with that out of the way we will be getting back to a more normal update release schedule.

If you have been using RootsMagic’s New FamilySearch features, then this is a required update, because changes to New FamilySearch effective Monday morning, March 29th (at midnight) will cause older versions of RootsMagic to be unable to connect to New FamilySearch. This update is required to continue using RM’s New FamilySearch features after that date. (NOTE: New FamilySearch is still in a phased rollout, and will become available to the general public later this year).

If you have the RootsMagic News screen come up when you start RootsMagic, it may have already notified you of this update. If not, you can do “Help > Check for Updates” from the RootsMagic menu to download and install this update.

You can also download the update from here.

To see what was added and fixed you can see them here.