The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has run their Introduction to Family History course twice, with an incredible response each time.
Now they are offering a new course for family historians. One on writing family history.
As with the earlier course, it is done fully online, and it is FREE.
So don’t just ‘collect’ to stories, write them down, and share them, it helps to bring your ancestors to life.
Writing Family History is a fully online course from the University of Tasmania. Join students around Australia for an introduction to writing non-fictional and fictional narratives based on real genealogical records. As with the earlier course, this one gives thoe doing the course free access to Ancestry.com Library edition.
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Use and reflect on a range of key strategies and techniques for writing narratives based on genealogical records;
- Contribute to a supportive online workshop environment by giving and receiving constructive critical feedback on short writing exercises;
- Produce a coherent piece of short fiction or non-fiction based on genealogical research.
This course runs from 23 November 2015 until 31 January 2016.
To take part in this course you:
- need to have a computer with internet access.
- be prepared to spend approx. 4-5 hours a week on study.
- need to be an Australian citizen
For further details, including enrolling and a number of FAQs, visit the University of Tasmania (UTAS) website http://www.utas.edu.au/arts/writing-family-history.
Last week I learned of your course and now feel totally disappointed to know it ended January 31. Are you offering again during 2016? I began looking into family history in 1986 when my 6 year old son said his teacher wanted to make a family tree for classroom. I went into NSW State Library and was asked to wait for a librarian at a large table covered in early newspapers.To my amazement I recognised two names at the edge of a page: Engel – Diehl. I’d sat down in front of the wedding announcement of my grgrandparents :John Alexander Engel and Josephine Diehl. That day two sparks ignited in my heart. One was to know John and Josephine. The other was to know all my Ancestors as I sensed their story was a link to help me complete a sense of belonging which I’d never known. Since then numerous coincidence and curious happenings have followed my intermintent research. Generally I am spurred into action through interconnecting coincidence such as feeling at home in a strange place and years later finding family had lived their or relocating to an area to discover years before family also lived there. I knew my family stemed from Germany, France and Ireland but finding they came from England, British India, South Africa and New Zealand expanded my curiosity for history and other cultures and so began a steady sense of connection to world bigger than myself. Last evening I saw an advertisement of an actor playing an early settler. He asks to have his story told. This ad is accurate as when the door to family of yesterday opens it never closes. This is part of a poem I wrote years ago: ‘For a very long time they have waited in line. They have waited in line for a very long time: waiting for someone to wake, listen and call their names.’ Years of coincidence confirms that I do hear their chorus of voices but I cannot listen to all. I get overwhelmed with curiosity and excitement and have to stop. I need your course to established timeline boundaries and get the information idown and nto form. Part of my delima is the diversity of my family. One, a convict,worked for his ticket of freedom, gained land, ran away with another man’s wife. Their son married back into a link of the other family so created a very complex branch to family tree. Others were straight forward, well educated, progressive pioneers who raised families, built business and contributed to establishing a town. Two entered the establishing arenas of local and state politics. One received a medal from France for his invention of a railway tool. One disappeared, believed murdered, leaving his wife to raise their children which she did successfully. One jumped ship, married a free settler. They lived with first people until they built a house. Some were illiterate, failed to succeed and died impovished and separated from family. Others have large memorials. Two died inCallan Park. One death certificate records: died of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. The diversity takes me into many areas and I suspect it must mirror many families who established European settlement in Australia. I do tend to get a tad overwhelmed with the vast amounts of information now available. I need your writing family history course to establish timeline boundaries to write a document a gratitude to my Ancestors and a path of encouragement and strength for myself and my descendants. walk gently Christine Engel
Hi Christine, the UTAS website are running this course again, and their website has the date of 31 October 2016 as to when their next intake is on. For all the relevant information (including contact details, and enrollment info), visit their website http://www.utas.edu.au/arts/writing-family-history.
Not sure if this is the correct place to enro l but I would like to do this course when it is available again.
REgards Kathleen ( Kitty) VALE
Hi Kathleen, to know what courses are coming up when, I suggest keeping an eye on the UTAS website and/or also their FB page https://www.facebook.com/Family-History-University-of-Tasmania-145892082428231/?fref=ts.
I’m just disappointed it’s only for Australian citizens. I’m in Canada and it sounds wonderful. I had Australian ancestors as well – just discovered yesterday on Ancestry that one of my several times great-aunts emigrated from the UK to Australia with her family in 1858.
Does the course take a break over the Xmas and New Year period?
Hi Marjorie, it sure does. The UTAS website says the following “Writing Family History begins on 20th November 2017 and concludes on 26th January 2018. There will be a four-week break from this unit over the Christmas/New Year period.”