Tag Archives: History
Family History Research Day
Today, as part of my ongoing family history research, I found a great website featuring Historic Australian Newspapers, 1803 to 1954. I don’t know how long it’s been around for, but gosh it’s fantastic, as it contains a searchable database of newspaper articles you would otherwise need to visit the State Library to see. For [...]
Irish Famine Walk
I’ve just spent a few hours walking around in the company of historian, Richard Reid. Richard, who works at the National Museum in Canberra is noted for his interest in the history of the Irish in Australia. In particular, his interest in the many young women who came to Australia during or immediately after the [...]
Prague Spring Anniversary
It’s forty years today since the Soviet tanks arrived in Prague to “take control”, amidst student unrest. The uprising was supressed, many people were killed, and the Russian troops shot at the National Museum, believing it was the home to the Czech radio station which had been broadcasting anti-Russian programming. Forty years later, there was [...]
The Ponds
Today, my interest in genealogy took me to Dundas Valley near Eastwood. In particular, I wanted to find out more about the land granted to my GGGGG-grandparents, John and Martha Love, who came to Australia in 1791. John Love, who was a member of the NSW Corps, was granted 30 acres of land at “The [...]
Anzac Day
It’s funny, isn’t it, what images you remember from your childhood? Ask me what I did yesterday and I have to check my diary to remember. Ask me to describe my bedroom as a 10 year old and I can do that in detail. Even now, I can still vividly remember the “Cetificate of Appreciation [...]
My NSW Plates
When I moved to Brisbane at the beginning of 1984 I toyed briefly with the idea of changing my car to Queensland plates. “You know they don’t have annual inspections in Queensland. They’re all rust-buckets on the road”, I remember my brother-in-law saying at the time. I probably didn’t need to change my plates that [...]
Living History
You know you’re starting to get old when you begin to hear yourself say things like, “Oh yes, I remember when that happened” and… “Oh that used to be so-and-so the dry-cleaner, before they tore it down to make way for the high-rise”. I found myself both thinking and saying similar things today during a [...]
Flood Memories
In the last few days I’ve had quite a few emails, messages and phone calls from friends concerned about how my family have fared in the current floods. “That’s not a flood”, I’ve told them, “It’s a high river. 74 – now that was a flood”. At which point I’ve gone on to tell them [...]
10 Fascinating Tales
I spent a couple of hours at the State Library of NSW today going through old copies of “The Bombala Times”. As part of my family history research, I was keen to find any newspaper references to the period immediately after the return home from World War I service of my maternal grandfather. “Who cares? [...]
Sydney Harbour Bridge Tour
I went on an “historic walking tour” today, called “Touches of Pathos”, exploring the areas immediately around the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Led by historians Ian Hoskins (North Sydney) and Dr Lisa Miller (City of Sydney), there was a focus on the land resumptions on both sides of the bridge (with the obvious social implications) that [...]
Mardi Gras
As well as Chinese New Year, Tropfest, and countless other celebrations, we’re also in the midst of Mardi Gras in Sydney at the moment. So far, I’ve been on the annual History Walk (which I wrote about last week), and tomorrow I’m heading off to Fair Day. I’ll also probably head up to watch the [...]
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