The History Council of New South Wales invites you to attend History Week 2010 to be held 4-12 September 2010.

History Week is the state’s annual festival of history. An initiative of the History Council of New South Wales, it is now in its 14th year. With over 150 events across the state, History Week gives a voice to our past and aims to promote the fact that history is exciting, interesting, relevant and all around us.

During History Week, community groups, local councils, libraries, archives, museums, universities, cultural institutions, professional and amateur historians across New South Wales open their doors to present the latest in today’s historical research – fascinating stories, artifacts and experiences about both our past and ourselves today.

Events include talks, walks, exhibitions, workshops, performances and more.

The official theme for this year is Faces in the Street. Join in History Week 2010 for a walk down the streets of the past and into the lives of those you pass. Explore the biographies of our leaders, those who shaped our world and the worlds of lesser known identities.

More information, including the “when and where” for each event can be found on the History Council of New South Wales’ website.

BIG, BIG, NEWS!!
The New South Wales Electoral Roll 1903 is now available CD-ROM

You’re hearing this ‘almost’ first, we did give our Facebook fans a hint of what was coming a few days ago. And while the New South Wales Electoral Roll 1903 is the first, there are more Electoral Rolls to come … soon!!

For those who may be unaware of their importance, Electoral Rolls are the nearest thing Australians have to census records, and therefore are ‘extremely important’ and useful for local, family and social historians.

This partial roll (2 of the 4 volumes) for New South Wales in 1903 totals over 3,600 pages and lists approximately 250,000 names. It covers Districts C-G and M-R. Entries are arranged alphabetically by district and by division within the district. You will find the details of tens of thousands of voters who resided in New South Wales at this time, and who were entitled (and registered) to vote. Apart from the annual roll, the CD includes the supplementary rolls published for each district.

The electoral districts covered by these volumes are: Camden, Canterbury, Castlereagh, Clarence, Clyde, Cobar, Cootamundra, Corowa, Darling, Darling Harbour, Darlinghurst, Deniliquin, Durham, Glebe, Gordon, Gough, Murrumbidgee, Namio, Newcastle, Newtown, Northumberland, Orange, Paddington, Parramatta, Petersham, Phillip, Pyrmont, Queanbeyan, Raleigh, Randwick, Redfern, Richmond, and Rous.

Importantly, the roll includes the names of many women qualified to vote for the election of members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales at this time.

The following information is included for many (but not all) entries:

• No. on Roll
• Christian name and surname in full
• Residence
• Occupation
• Electoral district and division

Now available on CD-ROM for the first time, it is fully searchable, bookmarked for easy reference, and pages can be printed and enlarged if needed, so using the Electoral Rolls has never been easier.

We have received the above photo, together with a request asking if we could help identify it.

The information given to us includes the following …

“On the back is handwritten “Avoca Station Homestead, Darling River NSW 1875″… Somewhere adjacent is the shearing shed that was burnt down during the shearer’s strike of 1895. The same time that the PS Rodney was burnt at Pooncarie.”

If you can help, please send an email to Des at desmavis@impulse.net.au.

You may have seen recent news reports regarding the fire at Inverell, New South Wales, which destroyed numerous businesses, houses and the local history centre.  The Inverell District Family History Group is asking for help in restarting. They have written:

I don’t know if you were aware, but the Family History Group was destroyed in a massive fire in the early hours of Sunday morning Jan 24th, which claimed other businesses and 13 apartments.

The Group lost everything in the fire including many historical family records of the Pioneers from the area, microfilms and microfilm machines, photocopier, computers, CDs, local history books etc. This has been a devastating blow, not only to the Family History Group that work tirelessly, but also for the residents of the town.

If there is any way that you …  can help the Group “rise from the ashes” in a small way through a small donation, it would be greatly appreciated.

It is a general fact that local regional groups do it tough financially, but we would be lost without them and their dedication to preserving the records and history of the local people and area.  Inverell is no different, with their volunteers who have dedicated their time over the years, to piece together records and photos of the region’s history.  The group apparently never created digital copies of the holdings. A lesson is there for others.

If you would like to send a donation to the Inverell District Family History Group, you can find details (and a donation form) on the group’s website.

Here’s a couple of photos showing the damage:

One thing Australia doesn’t have is a single place to look for a burial. As there are numerous groups and individuals doing a wonderful job of photographing and transcribing our cemeteries, much of what would have otherwise been lost, we have compiled a listing of some of those that you can find online.

This is far from being a complete list of those currently available, but it is the start of a list which we aim to continue adding to.

Australia
Australian Cemeteries
Australian Cemetery Index
CoraWeb cemetery list
German Headstones in Australia
Internment for Australia
OzBurials
OzGen Online

Australian Capital Territory
Canberra’s Public Cemeteries

New South Wales
All Cemeteries in the Hunter Valley
Australian Cemetery Index
Cemeteries in Shoalhaven
Hawkesbury Cemetery Register
Milton Ulladulla Cemeteries
Newcastle Cemetery
Rookwood Anglican and General Cemetery
Wononora Cemetery and Crematorium

Queensland
Brisbane City Council Cemeteries and Crematoriums
South-East Queensland Cemeteries

South Australia
Cemeteries of South Australia
Cemeteries and Burial Places in South Australia
Centennial Park
Family History SA
Flinders Ranges Research
Forever Remembered
Grave Secrets
South Australian Cemeteries (& a few others)

Tasmania
Genealogical Photography Tasmania
Graves of Tasmania
Headstones from Cemeteries of Tasmania
Millington’s Southern Cemeteries
North-West Coast of Tasmania

Victoria
Ballarat Genealogy Society
Bendigo Cemeteries Trust
Cemeteries of South West Victoria
Deniliquin Genealogy Society
Fawkner Crematorium and Memorial Park
Glen Wills Cemetery
Necropolis Deceased Search

Western Australia
Lakes Memorial Park Cemetery
Metropolitan Cemeteries Board
Mid-West Cemeteries
Swan Genealogy

If you wish to advise of other sites that you’d like added to this list, please send an email to inquiries@gould.com.au.