RootsTech recently announced the winners of the FREE 3-day pass to RootsTech 2024. Here’s the list: RootsTech organisers have sent the winners an email with instructions on how to clai… Read More

RootsTech is generously offering a chance to win a FREE 3-day pass to RootsTech 2024 to attend RootsTech 2024 in Salt Lake City. Enter now for a chance to win. (Currently open to legal resid… Read More

Hey History Buffs! 5 Reasons You Cannot Miss RootsTech 2024 Hey there fellow family history enthusiasts! Want to know the BIG 5 reasons to attend RootsTech? If the thrill of diving into your… Read More

The blog post announces the winner of my RootsTech registration giveaway: The perfect retreat for a family historian. The winner was randomly drawn using KingSumo. The winner can be seen on… Read More

RootsTech 2023 Registration Giveaway Are there days you have so many tasks to do? So many others relying on you from work, home, society volunteering, kids sport and more that you feel you c… Read More

Attached, to download, are my notes and slides from my Sands of Time Local & Family History Conference presentation. The pdf file covers my slides and talk with many additional comments… Read More

I remember a young child of a friend that was always saying, “Can’t wait!” and the reply was always, “you have to wait”. When an event like a birthday, Christma… Read More

August 2022 is Family History Month in Australia and New Zealand. To help celebrate blogging genimates are sharing family history stories each Sunday in August thanks to the suggestion by Al… Read More

It is so long since I had time to write a blog post for my own blog I thought I should make an effort to get back into this part of my family history I Read More ... The post “Merry&rd&hell…Read More

If you are on social media, follow family history blogs or attend society meetings you might have seen people moaning about the FamilySearch tree. “People keep changing MY tree.”… Read More

This post is about how RootsTech works. I was going to give more explanations in the post today about connecting yourself to the FamilySearch Tree so that your Relatives at RootsTech gives y… Read More

Did you get zero Relatives at RootsTech when you opted in? This is probably because you are not in the FamilySearch tree or just in a small branch that is an island and not joined Read More… Read More

I’m breaking up Relatives at RootsTech into a number of quick bite-sized posts. Relatives at RootsTech gives you links to others that have registered for RootsTech Connect that you con… Read More

Your next task for getting ready for the RootsTech Connect virtual conference is to ensure your FamilySearch account is set up, working and you know how to access it. Already have a FamilySe… Read More

There is an online store already live on the RootsTech Website where you can check out the merchandise or the virtual conference. There is a range of products including Headwear, T-Shirts &a&hell…Read More

Continuing on from yesterdays post, here is some more about the wondrous website. Today it is about the Sessions, Guide Me and the My Playlist. Sessions At the time of the ambassador briefin… Read More

Today the RootsTech Connect ambassadors from all around the world met up on Zoom for a briefing. Usually, we meet up in a room at the Salt Palace and it is a cacophony of laughter Read More… Read More

Your task today, should you decide to accept it, is to follow RootsTech on Facebook. First like the RootsTech Facebook page. Next, if you are an Aussie, request to join the Australians at Ro… Read More

You know that saying from the kids in the back of the car, “Are we there yet?” will RootsTech might be a bit of a “What time is it?” for you. Keynote Speaker Timing F… Read More

If you checked in yesterday to read the blog post getting Ready for RootsTech Connect: Review the sessions you will have seen the extensive list of talks that are going to be presented at Ro… Read More

RootsTech Connect Sessions Breaking news overnight was the release of the list of RootsTech sessions. 18 pages of them. Your task for today is to download the RootsTech sessions pdf and star… Read More

So you have registered for RootsTech Connect however you feel you have little idea about how this is going to work. Behind the scenes It is now 13 days to RootsTech and behind the scenes, Re… Read More

It’s only 14 days to RootsTech Connect 2021. As they say on the RootsTech Connect website: Discover Your Story at RootsTech Connect Join the world’s largest family celebration fo… Read More

After Tuesdays Cemetery Topic at #ANZAncestryTime on Twitter Carmel put up a geneameme for us to share our cemetery memories. Here are a few of mine. A beautifully tended plot or cemetery La… Read More

At RootsTech in Salt Lake City in February 2020 GeneaBloggers awarded Randy Seavers the GeneaBloggers lifetime achievement award.  Fellow blogger, Dear Myrtle, says it best so check out… Read More

The other day I landed at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta. I was on my way from Australia to visit a cousin in Tallahassee. By passenger numbers, it is said t… Read More

Looking back at RootsTech London It’s that time of year again. It’s getting close to Christmas and I am still trying to catch up with my work that pays for my fantastic family hi… Read More

I have received a media update from Rootstech News about David Kennerly to Keynote RootsTech so here is an extract. To see the full release check out the FamilySearch newsroom. White House P… Read More

Bring on the Donny Osmond Fans for Day Three Rootstech London Day three drew in a large crowd with the Donny Osmond fans eager to see him on the large Rootstech stage for his keynote Read Mo… Read More

Day two had two keynote speakers, Kadeena Cox MBE, British Paralympic Gold Medalist and Steve Rockwood, FamilySearch International CEO. Both gave invigorating talks about their lives and fam… Read More

RootsTech Ambassadors attend the Ancestry breakfast The day started super early for me at 7.30 am the Ancestry breakfast meeting for Day One Rootstech London. Fortunately for me, it was loca… Read More

I rarely pack sooner than the night before I fly. If I start earlier it just means I spend the prior days trying to squash more and more into my suitcase until I am dismantling Read More … Read More

Recently I attended both the 3-day Sydney and 1-day Brisbane DNA Downunder events. Here I totally grounded my knowledge so that now I am comfortable with more than the DNA basics. Secondly… Read More

Click to go straight to the chance to win. So you are thinking of going to London in October? Then one place any family historian would not want to miss is RootsTech London being held Read M… Read More

It is a while now since I had my did my first genetic DNA test. I pick up the Ancestry kit at RootsTech in the USA a while before kits were available in Australia. So Read More ... The post… Read More

This is the estimated colour of my eyes in GEDmatch back in February 2018 although they do not seem to offer this feature anymore. GEDmatch Estimated Eye Colour Wrong In this case, the Gedma… Read More

Research Had Come to a Dead End The most exciting DNA matches, for me, are the ones that help break down a brick wall. The first one that comes to mind is that of my Read More ... The post D… Read More

The Waves in Time Family & Local History Conference will be held in May 2019 on the Sunshine Coast. One speaker that will help most us make better use of our research time is Milli Read… Read More

Following is my AtoZChallenge 2019 Reflections and before this a summary of the posts. A big thank you to those that visited my blog over April 2019 and especially to those that left comment… Read More

At last! I’m at the letter Z in the A to Z Challenge. Now just a summary post and getting my badge. With the help of a suggestion from a friend who follows me on Read More ... The post… Read More

#genealogyphotoaday Yellow Embroidered Hand Made Creation Here’s the story behind this #genealogyphotoaday for the prompt “hand made” : Super busy week. I was thinking of s… Read More

Question – How many DNA talks can you attend? Answer – As many as you can. DNA Down Under Events Start in Brisbane I will be going to the DNA Down Under happening in Brisbane Rea… Read More

AtoZChallenge Xmas  – If you have been following my A to Z bloggers challenge this April I have mentioned already how I struggle with the last few letter of the alphabet. I’… Read More

I found this photograph of Worser Bay at the online digital collection of images at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa where I  occasionally look for images as I do not have ma… Read More

The Waves in Time Family & Local Conference that will be held on 24 to 27 May 2019 on the Sunshine Coast. There will be a variety of topics from family and local history streams.  R… Read More

The term veteran is often used to mean someone that has returned from war. Unfortunately not all return. Remembering them on Anzac Day Today, the 25 April, marks the anniversary of the landi… Read More

AtoZChallenge Uniform As we get towards the end of the A to Z Blogging Challenge I find the letters more difficult. Fortunately, I posted this image on Instagram so have something to share t… Read More

When the #genealogyphotoaday prompt was three I posted this photo I received from a distant cousin. Today I share it for the letter T in the April 2019 A to Z Blogging Challenge. AtoZChallen… Read More

For the last few AtoZChallenge blog posts I have been sharing a little about me and my family history projects. We are often being told to share the research we have found about our ancestor… Read More

What do you do when you discover the post you wrote a while back announcing you were selected to be a RootsTech London Ambassador actually was still sitting in drafts? Especially when RootsT… Read More

I have been busy for a year on the website for the Queensland Family & Local History Conference. With about a month to go before the conference starts on Friday 24 May things are not Rea… Read More

Yesterday I attended a talk at Caloundra Family History by Shauna Hicks. Soldiers in The Family: Find Out More, as the title explains, was a talk that covered the archives, documents and tec… Read More

When the #GenealogyPhotoADay prompt was the word book I shared one called Promoting Prosperity. And now I share this book for the letter P: AtoZChallenge Promoting Prosperity, The Art of Ear… Read More

#genealogyphotoaday Occupation For the #genealogyphotoaday Occupation prompt, I shared two images from the 1851 England Census. If you check out the images posted, you can see many Kitto&rsq&hell…Read More

Sometimes I joke that some of my Kitto family had a permanent desk at the local newspaper because they appear so frequently in print. Alongside the expected birth, death and marriage notices… Read More

AtoZChallenge Miramar South P1 Class in 1931 The Instagram GenealogyPhoto prompt for 16 February 2019, was school. When I am looking for images to post for GenealogyPhotoADay I cannot always… Read More

Meet Sharn White: This is the next post in this series introducing speakers at the Waves in Time Family & Local History Conference that will be held in May 2019 on the Sunshine Coast. At… Read More

Back in 2017 I posted on Instagram, “Thinking I need to learn more about DNA instead of playing with it”. Over a year has passed by since then. What I have discovered is that the… Read More

With a surname like Kitto, how can I not repeat it again for this years blogging A to Z held each April – AtoZChallenge Kitto. AtoZChallenge Kitto – All Dressed up for a Wedding… Read More

I wrote about the Jeffries, including Flora in a previous A to Z Challenge back in 2016. The post mentions Flora Elizabeth Jeffries was born in 1868. She was my paternal grandmother’s… Read More

#genealogyphotoaday I for Ipswich One great thing about looking for things to post for Instagram is that you find things that you know however don’t know that you know them. While look… Read More

If there is ever a prompt for #GenealogyphotoADay related to flowers, colour, sunshine, bright or other option that I can force to post one of the hibiscus flowers in my garden or photos of… Read More

G for Great Grandmothers This AtoZChallenge Great Grandmothers, reports a coincidence on the date of death for Amelia Bretel and Mary Scott McDonald. Both occurred on the 7th of March. On th… Read More

For my first meet the speaker interview I would like to introduce Dr Lynne Hume, Anthropologist and Associate Professor with The University of Queensland. Lynne will be presenting at the Wav… Read More

Starting Primary School Years AtoZChallenge FraserCresent School for F: In 1961 I started primary school at the beginning of the school year at Fraser Cresent School in Upper Hutt, New Zeala… Read More

Next, I am sharing a post and picture of Ernest James Ireland, my grandmother’s brother. AtoZChallenge Ernest James Ireland The photo is from Ronald Jamieson Bell and Nellie Ireland&rs&hell…Read More

I have featured my grandfather, Charles Collis Dawson, a number of times for the #genealogyphotoaday so here is a combination of some Instagram posts. The photo above is from 1949 at my Aunt… Read More

AtoZChallenge Catholic Station My great great grandmother and great great grand father were married on 9th June 1853 at the Catholic Station in Nelson, New Zealand. I was unsure what the ter… Read More

AtoZChallenge Bermondsey in the Borough The Shepherds, my maternal grandmother’s family, at one stage lived in a neighborhood south of the Thames called Bermondsey. Bermondsey is an ar… Read More

For the AtoZ challenge in 2019 I am working through my collection of #genealogyphotoaday stories originally posted on Instagram. Here I share extracts about the people and places in my famil… Read More

Anyone that has meet me at a conference knows I see myself as a conference junkie. The word conference is good enough reason to consider if I should attend. I was a regular at Problogger Rea… Read More

Nana never missed an opportunity to have her photo taken even if the pyramids and camel are competing for presence. I remember when she returned from her trip in 1966. What a day! Read More… Read More

Edward William Gibson Dawson baptised on 16 May 1880 at St John the Baptist, Kentish Town, London. Read More ... The post Edward William Gibson Dawson Baptism Date appeared first on TravelG… Read More

#genealogyphotoaday Day 26 My father This pic is of my mother, father and maternal grandmother at Mum & Dads wedding on 5 December 1954 that I shared on Instagram for the #genealogyphoto… Read More

#GenealogyPhotoADay Day 22 Mother A mother is defined by having a child. Here is Mabel Kate Dawson born 15 March 1881 with her daughter Alexandra Ruby Violet Dawson born 19 October 1903. I w… Read More

GenealogyPhotoADay Library Being in #saltlakecity for #rootstech automatically makes you think of the Family History Library and yes I visited the Family History Library this week. This phot… Read More

Mary Teresa Harper, née Aldridge died on 16 October 1841 while sailing to Nelson, New Zealand on the ship Fifeshire. Read More ... The post Mary Ann Harper: Died at Sea 16 October 18… Read More

Genealogy Photo a Day via Instagram – Day 3 Sweets. When I was a kid one of my favourite childhood sweets was a thing called a chocolate fish. So you knew what they looked like Read Mo… Read More

Day 30 Beach – Photograph by FG Reade This photograph by FG Reade is from my father-in-laws collection. I have called is Child at the Beach. Francis Graham Reade (1924-1988) or F.G. Re… Read More

Alona Tester gave us The Ancestral Places Geneameme challenge for this years Family History Month so I thought I should squeeze into my busy life having a go at this. The bulk of my ancestor… Read More

Why share a story? Here is another review of a talk at the Footsteps in Time Conference: Being interested in how societies and individuals can use modern technologies to promote, share and r… Read More

What you can learn at a family history conference At conferences it can be worthwhile to attend a talk that you think will have nothing to do with your research so I attended Martyn Killion… Read More

The Prosecution Project Professor Mark Finnane was the opening speaker on Saturday morning. He spoke about the Prosecution Project where he is part of a group digitising and unlocking crimin… Read More

April is over and I am finally doing my reflections post for the #AtoZChallenge 2017. I had to catch up with some work first and do an assignment for the Family History Diploma I am Read Mor… Read More

Z for San Diego Zoo The first time I saw flamingos closeup was at the San Diego Zoo in California. We spoke to one of the zoo personnel who said that the value of the plants Read More … Read More

  Y is for Youngest to Oldest – Dawson Family The #GenealogyPhoto prompt was Oldest & Youngest however I’m turning it around to Youngest to Oldest with the Dawson family… Read More

X for X – Roman Numerals X for X – that’s ten in Roman numerals but I know you know that. Why did I take this photo? When traveling sometimes I get a topic in Read More … Read More

W for Wildlife in the Backyard We get lots of different animals visiting our home. Fortunately most stay outside. This is a big black parrot.  They usually come in pairs. We have a numb… Read More

Volleyball Versus Vegetables Today I have shared two Instagram pics. The prompt for the first one was to show something from my childhood.  I shared this image from the Upper Hutt Colle… Read More

U for Uniform – 25 April ANZAC Day. Lest we forget. On ANZAC Day we often hear the phrase “Lest we forget”. It’s to remind us not to forget the ultimate sacrifice so… Read More