MEETING DATES 2012

Meeting held 2nd Wednesday of the month at 10am in the Tebbutt Room, Windsor Library

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INFORMATION

NEXT MONTH

Wednesday 11 July 10am-12pm
Life of Margaret Catchpole with Laurie Forth
Hear about the extraordinary life of convict and pioneer Margaret Catchpole 1762-1819 through her letters.

FAMILY HISTORY CLASSES

• Tuesday 10 July 6.30-8.30pm
  Making sense of the census - Family History Class with Michelle Nichols, Local Studies Librarian Discover how census records can expand your family history research and where they can be accessed. Charles Harpur Room, Central Library, Windsor Cost: $10 - Bookings Essential phone 4560 4460 or email history@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au
• Wednesday 1 August 6.30-8.30pm
  Top 10 Hints for Family History Research - Family History Class with Michelle Nichols, Local Studies Librarian Find out what the "Top 10" hints are for your family history research as part of National Family History Week 27 July - 5 August. Charles Harpur Room, Central Library, Windsor Free - Bookings Essential phone 4560 4460 or email history@hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Ebenezer Church Anniversary Service

Ebenezer Church celebrates its 203rd anniversary on Saturday 16 June with a service commencing at 2pm. Afternoon tea will follow. The service will be led by Rev. Helenna Anderson and also participating will be Rev. Dr Brian Brown, Moderator, Synod of NSW & ACT, Uniting Church in Australia, and Rev Alexander McMillan, Moderator, NSW General Assembly, Presbyterian Church in Australia

Rex Stubbs OAM Memorial Annual Scholarship now open

Competition opened 1 Jun and closes 31 August 2012. The scholarship funds the attendance of two people (one to be 16 - 26 years of age) at the annual Royal Australian Historical Society state conference. Scholarship recipients also receive a two year Royal Australian Historical Society membership. Brochures available from the Council, Library or http://www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/community-awards/dr-rex-stubbs-oam-memorial-scholarship

Field Monument Appeal

Edward Field's monument at Castlereagh Cemetery was broken in a recent storm. It has had makeshift repairs in the past but needs careful restoration by a specialist. The cost is around $2000. Colin Field, a descendant who maintains the website "From a Distant Field" has launched an appeal to raise the money needed. Members of the Rope Pulley Family Heritage Association are also supporting the appeal. Please contact Colin Field cfield@pcug.org.au or Rosemary rosemary@ropepulley.org

Audrey Collins Friday 29 June 2012 9am-4.30pm

Audrey Collins from The National Archives UK, will be touring Australia in June-July 2012. This will be a special opportunity to hear one of the leading experts and presenters from the UK. She will be in Sydney on Fri day 29 June 9am to 4.30pm for a full day seminar at Parramatta RSL Club, Cnr Macquarie & O'Connell Streets. Cost is $50 pre-booked or $60 on the day. Book online http://www.unlockthepast.com.au/events/audrey-collins-australian-tour-2012

Convict Trail Project is looking for managerial assistance

Later this year the Executive Director of the Convict Trail Project (CTP) http://www.convicttrail.org/ will retire. The CTP executive are using this opportunity to review the position. One of the options that we are investigating is to put more emphasis on the managerial parts of the project. In particular we are looking at:

• Building closer relationships with our local councils and State Government organisations stakeholders
• Lifting our profile amongst local and State politicians in order to create more awareness
• New funding opportunities
• Exploring working relationships with other groups who could be involved in the maintenance and promotion of the Great North Road and as such share the burden of the workload
• Facilitating and coordinating activities with local councils and volunteer groups
• Fulfilling the requirements as set by the Heritage Office

The work would be interesting and rewarding on many levels. CTP executive are primarily looking for somebody with a personal interest in early Australian colonial history, potentially a retired business person with management experience in the areas mentioned above. We have grant funding to offer a token remuneration for this role/expenses incurred. Could one of your organisation's members be the right person? Even if we would be able to do this for a year or two this would enable us to break through the vicious cycle of underfunding of the activities that we are currently involved in. A strategic rethink based on this option could also create a better platform for the future of the CTP. I would be delighted to talk to anybody interested in assisting - Paul Budde, Chairman Convict Trail Project E: paul@budde.com.au T: 02 49988144

Closure of State Records City Reading Room

Please note that the City (Rocks) Reading Room will be permanently closed from Friday 29 June 2012. After that date only the Western Sydney Records Centre 143 O'Connell Street, Kingswood will be operational. For more information see the State Records website http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/

Liverpool Genealogy Society Seminar 2012

Saturday 28 July 2012 9AM-4PM. Speakers include Angela Phippen 'Wise Directories' - Alison Spencer 'Silk Postcards' - David Longfield 'Publishing Your Family History' & Keith Smith 'Boer War' Price: $25 (inc Lunch, Morning & Afternoon Tea) at St Luke's Church Hall Northumberland Street Liverpool NSW 2170 Bookings essential. Send your details with payment by 14/7/2012 to LGS Inc. PO Box 830 Liverpool NSW 2170 or contact info@lgs.org.au

FAMILY HISTORY STATE CONFERENCE & EXPO 2012-05-07 14-16 September 2012

Mark your diary for the above, to be held at Tradies Gymea, hosted by the Botany Bay Family History Society. Earlybird discounts now available. For list of speakers and more information see http://www.conference2012.org.au/

NEW LOCAL STUDIES ITEMS

Below are new items available to consult in the Local Studies Collection at Hawkesbury Library. To check the Library catalogue online go to http://catalogue.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/amlibweb/

• AFTC magazine RLN AUS Copies are also available for loan with magazines

• Inside History RLN INS Copies are also available for loan with magazines

• Irish Roots at RLN IRI

SURFING THE INTERNET...SITES FOR FAMILY HISTORIANS

Members with internet access should check out the following interesting sites. The Library has free access to the internet, contact 4560 4460 for bookings at Windsor & 4578 2002 for Richmond bookings. If you have your own laptop we also have free wireless. The password is available from the Information Desk.

• Rope Pulley Family Heritage Association ~ http://www.ropepulley.org/index.htm

• The National Archives (UK) free podcasts, including one on Medieval queens ~ http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

• Caloundra Family History (QLD) ~ http://www.caloundrafamilyhistory.org.au/

~ Let us know of sites, that you have tried with (or without) success ~