Our September class was a great opportunity to focus again on our family trees.
 
Between sessions, Cassie has dedicated a lot of time to researching her family tree. She shared some of the frustrations that can happen when you lose direction as you go further down a ‘rabbit hole’. Re-focusing back to the details of the person that you originally started searching, jotting down key points you have found and verifying them are all useful steps in the researching process.
 
Today, we reviewed how to save newspaper articles in Trove and add them to a record within Ancestry. We were able to locate some useful resources for Cassie including a newspaper article and some shipping records. It is always enlightening when you discover that often the father travelled first to Australia, before sending for his family. It is hard to imagine journeying on a ship with lots of children for months on end.
 
Andrew was keen to find out more details about a family member whose name had changed since birth, but not as a result of being adopted. Tracking when these changes occurred is not directly possible through using Births, Deaths and Marriage Records, even though those changes do appear in subsequent records. We discussed ways to find a parent who has not been named on a birth certificate. DNA testing is one way as it enables you identify a relationship with another family researcher through programs such as Ancestry.
 
Gary continued to work on the paternal side of his family tree. He has recently signed up for access to the newspaper articles in Ancestry. Today, he enjoyed reading through an article about his Grandfather who had been unfairly cheated of feed for his livestock when negotiating the purchase of some farmland. Articles like this provide a great insight into our family’s story.
 
Overall, we had a very productive session.
 
Our next session will be on 23rd November. Please note that there will not be a session in October.
 
Deb Saunders (Convenor)

​Our August class was a great opportunity to re-focus on our family trees. After an extended break for many, we began the session with individual members setting a starting point for their research.
 
Cassie brought along a treasured family heirloom that has motivated her search for more information about that branch of her tree. She was bequeathed a stomacher brooch from her Grandmother. It is a large ornamental piece of jewellery historically worn centered on the front of a bodice or corset. Her brooch has three sections – each featuring a photograph of a different woman, that possibly dates back a number of generations before her ancestor migrated from Ireland. Piecing together the story of this item will have its challenges but will be well worth researching.
 
After hearing some family stories recently, Terri used the session to locate where those relatives belonged on her Family Tree.
 
Linking Family Tree Maker with Ancestry has recently created some challenges for Karen. We worked through these during the session.
 
Gary continued to work on the paternal side of his family tree. Researching Births, marriages and deaths from NSW, helped to confirm some family details. While Find a Grave did not provide answers to burial details, we were able to locate some detailed obituaries in the newspaper using Trove that provided the answers we were looking for.
 
Overall, we had a very productive session. Our next session is 21st September.
 
Deb Saunders (Convenor)

With the commencement of Semester 2, the Family Research - Getting Started class now has now reverted to one monthly group session called Family Research Time.

Anyone who has completed the Family Research – Getting Started course over the past three years is welcome to attend this session on the third Monday from 2-4pm in Room 2. It may provide the motivation you need to re-visit your Family Tree.

In our July session the time was spent researching together to establish extended family members using births, deaths and marriage websites, cemetery records, find a grave and trove to confirm dates in family trees.

​Deb Saunders

 With the commencement of Semester 2, the Family Research - Getting Started class now has now reverted to one monthly group session called Family Research Time.
 
Anyone who has completed the Family Research – Getting Started course over the past three years is welcome to attend this session on the third Monday from 2-4pm in Room 2. It may provide the motivation you need to re-visit your Family Tree.
 
In our July session the time was spent researching together to establish extended family members using births, deaths and marriage websites, cemetery records, find a grave and trove to confirm dates in family trees.
 
Deb Saunders (Convenor)
 

June was a quiet month for Family Research – Getting Started as many members were
unable to attend the group session. The one-to-one sessions provided an opportunity to
review key online resources such as Births, Deaths and Marriages, Cemetery Records, the Ryerson Index (death notice index) and Trove. We discussed Ancestry membership options, and how to prepare and save our Ancestry files if we are planning to produce a book in the future.

Commencing in second semester the course will revert to group sessions only.

Family Research Time will be held on the 3rd Monday from 1.30-4pm in Room 2. 

This will be an opportunity for members who have completed the beginner course, to
continue to work on their family tree in a group setting. I will be available to provide support as needed. 

It will be a time to consolidate your family tree using the research tools we have covered in first semester and learn about other resources as the need arises.

Deb Saunders (Convenor)

The focus for today's session will be learning how to search TROVE to find more information about your family.

​We will also be learning how to create a copy of newspaper articles downloading them within TROVE or alternately using a snipping tool or screenshot. 
​
As the name suggests TROVE is a collection of digitised resources including newspapers, gazettes, photographs, letters, diaries, maps, artworks and posters.

It is managed by the National Library of Australia and can be found at this link: trove.nla.gov.au

The handout explains some of the key ways it can help you to research your family:   
How trove can help you research your family

The following video explains how to search newspapers using TROVE.

​The key topics covered are:
Introduction: 00:00 - 03:03
Basic search and navigation search results: 03:04 - 10:27
Advanced search: 10:28 - 17:54
Combining basic and advanced search: 17:55 - 22:00
Using the newspaper browser and difference between browse/search: 22:00 - 30:42
Audience questions and conclusion: 31:00 - 48:33

Search for articles in TROVE

Time to Explore ... as a group then individually

The events and information that you are searching for needs to be pre 1940. A good place to start would be a marriage or death around the early 1900s.

Remember to begin with broad terms then narrow them down.

How do I create a digital copy of the article?
​
To create a digital image of the article you can either :

• use the sidebar in TROVE to download it as an image or pdf OR
• use the Snipping Tool if you are using a Windows Laptop or Tablet OR
• take a screenshot using an iPad or iPhone and crop as required

This video demonstrates how to set up and use the snipping tool on your windows device.

Create a copy of an article 

Try taking a copy of an article and saving it.

Remember to set up a folder first so that you can store the images in a central place.
​
When saving the image include a name that identifies the person, information and date.

Check your booking time for one-to-one sessions for May and June before you leave.

Our next group session will be on Monday 15th JUNE. 

Happy Researching!

Deb Saunders
​Convenor

Share something you have discovered about your family since our last session.

Information and Resources:
Today we will focus on how to research archival websites such as the National Archives of Australia (NAA) with a focus on Military Records and the Public Records Of Victoria (PROV) with a focus on Shipping Records. 

Military Records:
As ANZAC Day draws closer it is timely to explore Military Records for your family members. The documents are quite informative and often include details that you may not be aware of.

The National Archives of Australia website (NAA) holds these digitised records for you to access. 

Follow the steps outlined in the handout below:
finding__and_saving_military_records_on_the_national_archives.pdf

Public Records Of Victoria (PROV):

A quick overview of this website before we begin focusing on Shipping Records.
public_records_of_victoria.pdf

Afternoon Tea
​
Shipping Records:
Have you ever wondered where your ancestors came from and when they arrived in Australia?

Searching Passenger Lists within Shipping Records is a good place to start. 

Here are some examples of Shipping Records and the information that you may find once you begin searching.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ARRIVAL
Example 1

Death on board ship
Example 2

VICTORIAN ARRIVAL
Example 3

How to get started:
Guidelines before you begin searching. You can view the video below and/or refer to the
Instructions for Searching the Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV) handout.

Handout

Refer to the suggestions at the end of the Handout before you begin searching.

Here are the weblinks for searching records in Australia:
​
National Library Guides to finding Shipping Records for each state
https://www.nla.gov.au/research-guides/finding-ship-and-passenger-records
 
Public Records Office Victoria – Shipping Records
https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration
 
South Australia Records online
https://passengers.history.sa.gov.au
 
NSW records transcribed
http://marinersandships.com.au
 
Western Australia access to Shipping Records
https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/state-records-office-of-western-australia/passenger-lists-and-immigration
 
https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/fact-sheets/passenger-records-held-perth


Next group session: May 18th

Those who attended Family Research Time this month had a productive two hours working on their Family Tree.

Utilising the World Records in Ancestry, Karen discovered many records related to her family tree. Working through date discrepancies in family trees is a time-consuming task. Sheryl made great progress on this during the class time.

Meanwhile Gary set up his Ancestry Account and began building his Family Tree. With the assistance of well researched family history books, he has a great head start. Heather continued working on her family tree while I began reading through a genealogical report from My Heritage to begin creating a book for one of my ancestors.
​
Our next session is on Monday 11th May from 2 – 4pm.
 
Deb Saunders (Convenor)

Our group session for March was well attended. It focussed on how Births, Deaths and Marriage Certificates can provide useful information and help us  verify details of members in our family tree.
 
Class members were able to utilise a Births Deaths and Marriages website to explore an ancestor in their family tree. There can be many variations in the spelling of names recorded in these documents so we began by keeping the search broad. It is important to be aware that there are limitations with the information available. Births must be 100 years before today’s date, Marriages 60 years before today’s date and Deaths 30 years before today’s date.
 
Once the year of marriage was established using the website, it was then possible to begin searching from that year to establish the children from that marriage. Searching births with a 20-year range and the added information of the mother’s maiden name provided a list of the children.
 
We finished the session by watching a YouTube clip that demonstrated the best way to search for records within Ancestry using a card catalogue search.
 
Our next group session in April will focus on using PROV (Public Records of Victoria), an online website that holds a range of records including wills and probate, census records, electoral and voter rolls, inquests, passenger shipping records, convict records, researching your home, researching land and property, adoption and divorce records and burial records.
 
Deb Saunders (Convenor)
 

​Share something you have discovered about your family since our last session.

Information and Resources:
Today we will focus on Births Deaths and Marriages and learn how to search using the websites available in Australia.

Brief Introduction:
What do the certificates look like?

BIRTH CERTIFICATE 

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

DEATH CERTIFICATE

What information can I find on birth, death and marriage certificates?
Information in Birth Death and Marriage Certificates

Note the date limitations when searching these sites?

How to get started:
Use an example to demonstrate searching, finding, noting details and purchasing a certificate or recording its number for future use.
Information weblinks from Session 1

Complete the activity sheet using the name of someone in your family tree born or married in Australia between 1850 and 1900.
Activity Sheet

Afternoon Tea Break 

Ancestry skills 
Today we will focus on how to follow, accept or decline a hint. 
Consider what could happen if you accept a hint without verifying it with other information sources.

Searching for other sources on Ancestry.
Start broad and then narrow down your search.

Watch this video from the 6minute mark to the 16 minutes mark:

After the video try searching for a source document for someone on your family tree.

In previous years class members of Family Research – Getting Started have identified two key factors that impact on their success when researching. Firstly, it is often difficult to find an uninterrupted time slot at home. Secondly, staying connected with other class members provides motivation to continue.
 
Family Research Time is a follow up to Family Research – Getting Started. It is an informal session where you can touch base with other family research enthusiasts and then focus for two hours on your family tree.
 
For first semester we have a subscription through Ancestry to the World Records, which you can access during this time. I am also available for any queries you may have with your research.
 
Our next scheduled Family Research Time is on:
​
​Monday March 2nd from 2- 4pm in Room 2.
 
 
Deb Saunders (Convenor)

The one-on-one sessions have been a great opportunity to meet the enrolled members for this year’s course and determine their goals for Family Research.
 
During these sessions we discussed some of the online resources that can be useful tools when researching. These tools will be introduced during group sessions.
 
Based on members knowledge of family members, they set up a pedigree chart on paper. The charts will be very useful not only as a starting point for building their family tree using Ancestry, but also to identify where to start their research using the online tools we will be using.
 
Our group session on March 16th will be divided into two parts, with time allocated for members to try out new skills on their own device (laptop, iPad or phone).
 
The first part will be learning how to search the Births, Deaths and Marriages websites. We will explore the information that can be discovered when you purchase these certificates and how you can gather extra family information when searching online.
 
The second part of the session will focus on helpful skills when using ancestry.com.au. In March we will be focusing on using and verifying Hints.
 
Deb Saunders
​ (Convenor)

Welcome

Course outline - group sessions and one-on-one mentoring

Bookings and dates for one-on one sessions

Set up your laptop / device on the network
​
Introduction - How and when did you become interested in researching your family tree?
​
Information and Resources:
Gathering information worksheet - handout
Information weblinks

Afternoon Tea Break

Starting my Family Tree:
Pedigree Chart
Complete what you know about your family on the pedigree chart

Which Family Tree program should I choose?
Ancestry
My Heritage
Find My Past  
Family Search

Questions to consider:
Is it easy to use?
What is the cost?
Can I trial the website first?
Does it include the records / sources that I want to access?
Is it possible to transfer the information I set up into another family tree program?
What other features are included?
Can I choose to take a DNA test? (optional)

Setting up a Family Tree in Ancestry

Book your one-to-one session for February before you leave today

​Next group session: Monday 16th March

This month we had our final session for 2025. As a follow up from our October session we explored how to print information from our family tree in Ancestry. This included printing facts, life stories and family trees. 

We discussed how to manage your account if you want to take a break from Ancestry. While the information you have inputted remains in your account, it is worthwhile creating a backup file called a GEDCOM file. This allows you to transfer your family tree information into other Family Tree programs.

We then looked at Family Tree books that have been created by adapting a genealogical report using My Heritage.

Before enjoying afternoon tea together we shared our achievements and challenges for the year. Everyone has made progress building their family trees and uncovering stories through family members and TROVE. The biggest challenge identified was finding the time to research. 

I wish everyone all the best and hope that the research tools we have explored throughout the year help you to discover more about your family tree.

Deb Saunders

After setting individual goals for October's session, we began with a demonstration of how to follow up and utilise hints within Ancestry.

Before following any hints, it is important to read the facts you have already gathered about your ancestor. When working through hints you can then establish whether they do refer to your ancestor. Hints can include indexes of births, marriages and deaths, electoral rolls, burial details, military records, connections to family trees of relatives.
 
While looking at the suggested hints for one of Bill’s ancestors we discovered some examples of electoral rolls. By adding the electoral roll resource to the relevant ancestor, their address and occupation at that time was automatically added as well. Bill continued working through hints for his ancestors for the session.
 
Heather brought along a copy of family history details that had been researched by another family member. She utilised the session to begin inputting some key facts about ancestors. Family Tree Books usually provide information from the earliest known date. When transferring this into your family tree it is important to locate yourself in the tree and then work from present day back to the earliest time a generation at a time.
 
The focus for Betty in today’s session was to concentrate on one family and use Births, Deaths and Marriages to find all of the children of that family. She was then able to add these family members in her Ancestry Family Tree.
 
In our final session on Monday November 17th, we will briefly cover two more topics and then celebrate our achievements for the year. The topics will include how to print information from Ancestry and an introduction to how DNA can help when building your family tree.
 
Deb Saunders

​Our September class was well attended. We began the session with a review of the progress made on our family trees, followed by individual goal setting.

Following on from our visit to the Benalla Family Research Room, Betty was keen to use the results from the ‘Digger’ program to follow up some family births and death certificates.

With a family connection to Bishop Matthew Gibney who administered the last rites to Ned Kelly at the Glenrowan Siege, Marian wanted to follow up newspaper articles about the event using TROVE.

Eve shared her recent visit to PROV (Public Records Office of Victoria) to research an ancestor’s Will and Probate and an Inquest Record from 1879. It was very helpful to hear first-hand about her visit.

Deciphering the hand written documents was today’s challenge in class for Eve.

Bill chose to work through some Ancestry Hints on his Family Tree and then looked more closely at the DNA relationships within his tree. He made contact with a close relative through Ancestry.
​
Heather’s main goal for the session was to find Military Records from World War II for an uncle who served in the army, while Karen focused on searching the South Australian death records for ancestors in her Family Tree.

With the assistance of Sheryl and myself we worked together to reach the individual goals set by each member of our group. Overall, it was another productive session.

Deb Saunders (Convenor)

In August we visited the Benalla Family Research Room in Church Street.  Kaye, the Research Officer, gave us an overview of the range of resources and services available.
 
The resources include: Rate Books (1869-1943); Local History and Family Research Books; Hard Copies of the Benalla Ensign that are not currently on TROVE (1965-2016); Electronic copies of the Benalla Ensign (2004-2018); the Howslip Photo Collection (1901-1930); Parish Maps; Local Birth, Deaths and Marriage Certificates; Cemetery Records; Digger; Local Church Marriage Records and a range of books created by the group.
 
The services offered by the group include: Creating Family Trees and Books; DNA Analysis; Providing introductory sessions for Family Tree Maker and assistance with researching your Family Tree. We are fortunate to have a group of volunteers so skilled in this area to assist us in our research.

After the presentation and discussion, we were grateful for the opportunity to explore the resources in more detail. A number of our class members plan to return to continue searching.

​Deb Saunders

With the commencement of Semester 2, the Family Research - Getting Started class now has only one monthly group session.
 
At our July session we began by sharing some of the breakthroughs in our research. These included locating and purchasing certificates with clues to help future family research. One class member had located a report on a court case relating to a family member that was very helpful.
 
After setting individual goals for the session, class members spent the remainder of the time on their family research with assistance from myself as required.
 
In future there will be other mentors available to assist during these group sessions. In August we have a group session planned for Monday 18th. The following week there will be an organised visit to the Benalla Family History Research Room in Church Street on Tuesday August 26th. This will be a great opportunity to explore the range of resources available there that can assist local family history research.
 
Deb Saunders (Convenor)

The Public Records Office of Victoria holds a range of records including wills and probate, census records, electoral and voter rolls, inquests, passenger shipping records, convict records, researching your home, researching land and property, adoption and divorce records and burial records.

Visit the PROV website to explore the records collected by the Public Records Office.
Click on this link prov.vic.gov.au

How large is the collection of records?
Where is the main collection of records held?

Scroll down
View all Subject Search Guides … it takes you to Explore archives by topics

Begin with Wills and Probates and click on the title link.

From the subject guide for Wills and Probates find out:
What do I need to know?
What are in these records?
How do I search?
How to order a record or box?
About these records – contains terms used

Select two other topics / subjects to explore in more detail.
Use the Navigate to ... drop down menu and follow the links

Choose one to share your findings with the group.

Now go to Census Records and find out the limitations of these records.

PROV has a range of instructional videos. Check out the latest index of videos by clicking on this link: https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/researcher-resources

The first six videos are short and very helpful when considering how to search and order records. We will work through them in class today but you can refer back to them anytime using the link above.

How could you use the records in PROV when researching your Family Tree?

How to research your Family Home:
In 2023 the State Library ran a webinar on useful resources when researching your Family Home. You can download the information sheet by clicking the link below:
researching_your_family_home_handout_-_feb_2023.pdf

Are you wondering where to start with your Family Tree?

Have you started your tree but would like to further develop your skills using online family history resources?

This could be the course for you!

It is a very hands-on course that requires basic computer skills and access to a laptop or computer.

The course in first semester includes two sessions a month:

1. A group session each month, where we focus on presenting online family history resources that will be helpful in yourresearch. The presentations will include resources such as Ancestry.com; Trove; My Heritage; Scotlands People and other online records such as Births/Deaths/Marriages, PROV, State Library, Rates Notices and Cemetery Records
2. A one-on-one mentoring session each month, which will focus on your specific needs as you research and developyour Family Tree.

Group Session:  3rd Monday 1.30 - 4 pm   U3A Room 2
One-on-one Mentoring: 4th Monday and Tuesday 1 to 4 pm   U3A Room 2

The course in second semester includes a group mentoring session each month: 
This group mentoring session is for members who have previously enrolled in Family Research-Getting Started and have begun working on their family tree.  Mentors will be available to provide ongoing support at these sessions. Members can use the time to share their pains and gains, set their own goals, ask questions and work on their family tree.
Group Mentoring Session:  3rd Monday 1:30 to 4 pm   U3A Room 2


Deb Saunders - Convenor
0419 898 236

"Our group session for November began with some information videos about using DNA results to help with family research. DNA results can present some surprises in regards a person’s Ethnicity – where they have originated from. The results can also be used to validate people in your family tree. We watched some videos including one that helped explain the DNA variations that can occur between siblings.

Reviewing goals and celebrating achievements of group members for 2024 was the focus for the remainder of the session.  Here are some of the achievements:

• Surpassing my original goals by extending my family tree to five or more generations.
• Surprise discoveries within family trees including a convict who served their time in Tasmania.
• Being able to share family research findings with other family members.
• Uncovering great family stories and information using TROVE.
• Utilising the resources at Benalla Family Research to search the rate books and maps to locate early family properties in the area.
• Using PROV to follow up Wills and Soldier Settlement Properties.
• Feeling confident to use the online resources from the course.
• Gaining confidence using Ancestry.

Family Research – Getting Started in 2025, will take on a different format.
The first semester will include a monthly group skill session on a range of online resources including Ancestry.com. Each month there will also be a one-on-one session for each class member as they begin building their family tree.

In second semester there will be a monthly group mentoring session where three mentors will be available to assist class members as they continue to research and build their family tree. These mentoring sessions will be open to anyone who has completed a semester of Family Research – Getting Started and have begun building their family tree.

Deb Saunders"

*'Family Research - Getting Started' Report, U3A Benalla December Newsletter 2024.

Why take a DNA test?
Making the decision to take a DNA test with Ancestry or MyHeritage requires you to research and determine whether the results will help you build your Family Tree.

The type of DNA test used by genealogical companies such as Ancestry or My Heritage is called Autosomal DNA Testing.

This testing produces a snap shot of ethnicity and genetic relationships with people. The bigger the family tree, the wider the choice of results you will receive.

Ethnicity provides information about where your family came from.
This video explains Ethnicity Results using Ancestry. It is interesting to note that the results can vary between siblings.

Relationships on my Family Tree
DNA test results provide clues that identify how you are related and help to validate relationships in your Family Tree.

The science behind the results is shown in the next video. It would be helpful to refer to the colour coded worksheet (How many Centimorgans do you share with your relatives?)  attached, to help you visualise the relationships being described.
chart_re_how_many_centimorgans_do_you_share_with_relatives.pdf

What do I do with my DNA Results?
DNA test results provide you with a pool of people who are related to you – you need to sift through these.

It can be overwhelming when you receive lots of matches, especially if you have a number of generations already in your family tree.

This next video steps you through some strategies. Since it was produced there have been ongoing improvements in the information provided. Thru-lines in Ancestry and the Theory of Family Relativity in My Heritage provide pathways to your family connections.

Be Prepared
If you take the DNA Test be prepared for:

• Unexpected surprises
• Lots of DNA results to work through
• Messages that you send to people (DNA matches) that may go unanswered

Welcome back to those who have enjoyed an extended winter break.

Today's session will be a great chance to re-connect with the group, share your progress or just re-ignite the spark you may need to re-commence your Family Research Journey.

The learning focus will be:
'How to print the Family Research Information that you have researched so far, from  either Ancestry or MyHeritage.'

Today's Session:

• Introduction
• Time to share the discoveries and frustrations you have experienced since you last attended a Family Research session.
• What would be helpful for future group sessions?
• The remaining calendar for 2024
• What support will be available in 2025 after I have completed the Family Research - Getting Started sessions?
• Log into Ancestry or MyHeritage
• Time for a cuppa
• Learning Focus - How to print information from Ancestry and My Heritage?

Next session: Thursday 3rd October

 How to print using Ancestry:
 
 Worksheet