From time to time I come across all sorts of interesting history and/or genealogy related tidbits that I wanted to share with you, so I’ve have collected them together to make up a new Snippets post.

These aren’t meant to be comprehensive, but rather they are just bits that I’ve found or been given, and wanted to share with you.

If you have any news that you’d like to share, please do so by emailing Alona at inquiries@gould.com.au, or your can phone (08) 8263 2055, Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm.

—————————————————————————

Who Do You Think You Are? Australia Season 10 (2019) is Coming
Good news folks, Who Do You Think You Are? Australia is returning in 2019 for a 10th season and will feature stars such as Casey Donovan (singer), Kurt Fearnley (paralympian), Scott Cam (television personality) and Rodger Corser (actor) with others still to be announced. The air date has not yet been announced as yet.

Halls Creek Cemetery, Western Australia

Help Needed With Unmarked Graves in Western Australia
A remote Kimberley shire has identified 400 unmarked graves in the town cemetery.  The Shire of Halls Creek says the unmarked graves are a result of poor record keeping decades ago and Shire President, Malcolm Edwards, is calling on residents to come forward if they know where their family members may be buried.

“In the past there’s been some poor recording – actually no recording – of some of the grave sites, and so they’ve identified four hundred graves that are unmarked. And it’s created a huge problem for us which we’re trying to address,” he said. “We’ve identified forty since we started this, we’re trying hard. We think years ago it was just, I think a lot of the graves down there are probably white people and Aboriginal people have just been buried wherever, so it’s been a bit of an issue in the past.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Shire. https://www.hallscreek.wa.gov.au/

NSW History Week 2019 – Registration for events has opened!
The History Council of NSW is pleased to announce that registration has opened for History Week 2019 events! You must be a member of the History Council of NSW to register an event for History Week 2019, events must be relevant to history and the theme, Memory and Landscapes, and the event must take place during History Week 31st August – 8th September 2019. Registrations close 5pm Friday 14 June 2019.  You can register your event online here.

FamilySearch Adds Another 50,000 South Australian School Records Online (and Free)
At the end of January FamilySearch added another 50,944 index entries to the South Australian School Admission Registers covering 1873-1985. That brings the total of entries currently indexed to 186,700. There are images for these records, so there’s a good chance that not all are indexed yet. So don’t be afraid to browse if you can’t find the name you’re looking for. Also unfortunately I haven’t been able to find a way to see just what schools (and years) are covered, as they seem to all be lumped in together. Still it’s more records that are being preserved and that are available online than there were. https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2862204

Canberra’s Culture Loop Bus

Canberra’s New Free Shuttle Service
A free shuttle bus, which transports visitors on a convenient loop from easy parking areas to some of Canberra’s most loved cultural attractions and places of interest, has begun. The Culture Loop shuttle bus is a joint six-month pilot venture among 10 organisations. It will run seven days a week from 9am to 5pm with nine conveniently situated stops, with the whole route taking about an hour. The bus route will include stops at the National Museum of Australia (NMA), National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), Regatta Point — home to the NCA’s National Capital Exhibition and VisitCanberra’s Canberra and Region Visitor Centre, National Library of Australia (NLA), Questacon, Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) at Old Parliament House, Australian Parliament House (APH), Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG), and the Canberra Centre. Find out more here.

‘Explore History’ Website Launched
The Explore History is a new website launched by the History Trust of South Australia and is essentially a useful directory listing all those in the South Australian History Network and it is a handy resource for those touring South Australia and wanting to discover South Australia’s rich heritage. It also contains news stories about the organisations featured in the directory as well as the History Trust’s work supporting them. http://explorehistory.com.au

Revamped website for Cooroy-Noosa Genealogy
If you have an interest in the Cooroy-Noosa region of the Sunshine Coast, be sure to take a look at the totally revamped website of the Cooroy-Noosa Genealogical & Historical Research Group. It’s very snazzy and incredibly easy to navigate. So big congrats goes to the team behind the upgrade.  The group has been running since 1996 and their aim is to collect, promote and encourage genealogy, heritage and local history. https://www.genealogy-noosa.org.au/home

Family History Association of North Queensland Suffers Major Flood Damage
We all heard about the non-stop, torrential rain in North Queensland a few weeks ago, and the massive flooding that it caused. Now those in the region are still trying to recover – but it’s going to be a very, very long road. The Family History Association of North Queensland is in Townsville and the flood went right through their building. Having had to empty their premises for assessors and cleaning, much of their library has now gone into a shipping container, and then there are 70+ boxes have have been frozen (and will be for several months), before they can recover them and put them back into use if they can.  They wrote on their Facebook page that “I know there are a lot of members who are wanting to come back and research but unfortunately until these essential activities are done – professional cleaning, sanitising and dehumidifying the interior is completed, servers purchased after approval and power including air conditioners replaced – we do not have a safe environment for members to work in.” And they say that with everything to do, they do not expect to fully reopen until possibly late July. You can find updates and photographs on the progress of it all on the FHANQ Facebook page.

Job Opportunity at the History Council of NSW
A rare opportunity is available for someone to join the History Council of NSW as a Programs and Administrative Officer.  As part of a small and dedicated team, the Programs & Administrative Officer will be required to undertake take day-to-day administrative tasks and event coordination in the HCNSW office.  This includes membership services, social media, program coordination, bookkeeping and support for the Executive Officer, to whom this position reports. Applicants should be prepared to work occasional flexible hours to assist with evening and weekend events. To find out more and apply for this role see here.