Family History Festival: Kids Corner

This weekend we celebrate our Family History Festival through a series of blog posts with information and activities.

Read: Family History Festival: Family History Month

Read: Family History Festival: WW2 Tribute

Read: Family History Festival: Digital Mags

Kids can have fun learning about their family history and where they have come from.  We have pulled together a list of activites and ideas that families can enjoy together.

Age Guide: Primary School

Scavenger Hunt Game (pre-schoolers can join in this one)

Family History is everywhere. Have a scavenger hunt in your house to see how many things you can find that are about your family history. You can look for a family bible, old papers and photos and scrapbooks, medals and jewellery or anything that reminds you of the past. If the items are moveable you can make a display, and if not, you can take and print photos or share online with other other family members. Create a name for your "family history museum," and ask mum and dad to tell you stories about the items and the relatives associated with them. Write these down or video or audio record them.

Gather Stories

Talk to parents and grandparents and ask them them about what they know about your family history. Write these down in a special keepsake book or journal, where you can add other information as you find it. Or video or audio record the stories.

The City of Whittlesea “Googling Grandparents” project aims to collect and share stories inviting children, grandchildren, carers, interested friends or community members to “interview” an elder, record the story and send it to Council for sharing in the future. Scroll down on the Council's Cultural Heritage page for more information.

Learn genealogy words and their meanings

Find Your last name.  Where does your comes from and what does it mean?

Try this Relationships word scamble (printable pdf)

Who’s Who Game. Have fun finding out "who's who" in a family tree.

Scrapbook copies of heritage photos.

Create a family tree

After talking to your relatives, fill in your names on a paper tree or chart. Printable PDFs  include Fill Your Family Tree, or My Family Tree includes space for photos or drawings. Check out this colour-in version. This decorative My Family Tree includes information to record dates and places of birth.  If you would like to record family information, download the My Family Group Record chart from FamilySearch.

How are you related? Check out this cousin chart to see how your cousins are connected to you.

Older kids may like to choose a free chart to download and fillout and print on your computer.  If you are 13 years or older, you can create a free online tree on FamilySearch. 

Read

Family, Friends and Furry Creatures

Family History Festival: Digital Mags

This weekend we celebrate our Family History Festival through a series of blog posts with information and activities.

Read: Family History Festival: WW2 Tribute

Read: Family History Festival: Family History Month

Read: Kids Corner: Family History Festival

While investing  time in our family history this August, whether you are a newcomer to this interest, or looking to further your discoveries, our digital magazine offerings via RB Digital have two titles that may offer you some tips and hints to further or indeed commence your voyage into family history and genealogy!

Magazines are a great way to learn about what is new online, read tips from the experts and read interesting tales.  Back issues are also available.  

Access YPRL's subscriptions on the RB Digital magazines platform 

Two popular titles relating to family history include:

Who Do You Think You Are?

Family Tree Magazine

If you are new to digital magazines, check out our guide to get started.

Family History Festival: Family History Month

This weekend we celebrate our Family History Festival through a series of blog posts with information and activities.
Read: Family History Festival: WW2 Tribute

Read: Family History Festival: Digital Mags

Read: Kids Corner: Family History Festival

There has never been a better time to research your family history. Lockdown provides an opportunity to uncover family stories, dive into online resources and organise family archives. Genealogy is a great way to keep the mind active and stay connected with others.

National Family History Month
August is also a time when the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations promote family history through its National Family History Month program. There are many online events being offered so check what may interest you. Some do require bookings.  Geelong Family History Group are providing discounted research for the month 

Getting Started

New to Family History? Talk to senior family members about their parents and memories of their grandparents. Identify old family photos and gather records around the house. Check the links in this guide.  Summarise what you know and decide which line you want to focus your research on. This may be the unusual name which may be easier to find in the records, or you might like to confirm the stories you have been told. Work backwards from yourself and always do as much research in Australia as you can, before your overseas research.

Purchase historical certificates to confirm family stories and take generations backwards. The Victorian Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages continue their discounted certificates offer.
AIGS (Australian Institure of Genealogical Studies, now Family History Connections) provides further advice.

Plan your research
Wether you are a beginner or more experienced, consider setting yourself a goal in your research journey. This may be to take your family back to your pioneer ancestors in Australia, it might be to confirm details of arrival to Australia for an ancestor or find that elusive death date for that ancestor who fell off the edge of the earth. Where would records for that event be found? What resources are available on line?

eLibrary for Genealogy
Ancestry Library Edition remains accessible for library members with your library card number. We have recently published this handy guide.  Ancestry includes a wide range of growing content including but not limited to:

• Canada, USA, UK.Ireland, Scotland, Wales Census
• England and Wales birth, marriage and death indexes
• Australia Electoral Rolls 
• Australian Convict Records
• Sydney Sands Directories

Gale Primary Resources is accessible year round at home for library members with your library card.  Search over 400 years of historical British newspapers. Access our guide here.  Search the Illustrated London News or the Times Digital Archive for obitaries, shipping news, convict trials, first hand accounts of events and more.

Geneaogy Giants

FamilySearch The historical records collection spans billions of names across hundreds of international collections, many searchable by name.  Some collections are browse only. FamilySearch also includes user-submitted genealogies, catalogue, books and learn wiki, all worth exploring. Trove was recently re-launched.  The digitised historical newspapers are a favourite but there is also much more to explore here for your Australian research.

Hit a Brick wall?

Maybe we can help.   Library staff are available to provide advice. Our #askalibrarian service is always available.  Our weekly live Facebook session is every Monday 4.00pm – 5.00pm or fill out the local and family history enquiry form for some one on one advice

Watch

Don’t feel like research right now? We get it! Relax instead with some family history themes streaming video, including the first Australian season of 'Who Do You Think You Are': 

View full list

Play

Play Family History Bingo. How many tasks have you completed in your family history journey? 

Read

Relax with some family history themed downloadable and e-fiction: 

View Full List

Family History Festival: WW2 Tribute

This weekend we celebrate our Family History Festival through a series of blog posts.

On Saturday 15 August we acknowledge the 75th anniversary of the end of World War 2. Japan accepted the Allied demand for unconditional surrender on 14 August 1945. For Australians, it meant that the Second World War was finally over. The following day, 15 August, is usually referred to as Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day.  Almost one million Australians served during the Second world war. It is a time to pause, reflect and acknowledge the service and sacrifice of more than 39,000 who lost their lives and to remember those who made their contribution in service on the home front.

Local History

Did you know that the Diamond Valley Learning Centre, Greensborough, formerly tea rooms was a training station for Air Raid Precaution (ARP) wardens volunteers during WW2?

The Homefront sculptures at Greensborough War Memorial Park include the story of leading seaman Lionel Tasman Clarke 

The Eltham War Memorial Complex at 903-907 Main Road, Eltham was built as a result of the community seeking an appropriate form of memorial ‘which will be a constant reminder to us of those who fought for us and the little ones for whom they fought and died.’  Learn more via the Eltham District Historical Society

Among those commemorated at Eltham is the Rutter Family  

Warrandyte Diary has published the story of local Stan Bisset who served at Kokoda

The Yarrambat War Memorial Hall which officially opened on August 25th, 1950 and the Yarrambat War Memorial Park acquired soon after WW2 by the City of Heidelberg Council are included on the Victorian War Heritage Inventory. 

Ivanhoe Grammar School has an Honour Roll which records the names of service personnel in the Second World War

Street names in the Olympic Village, West Heidelberg were named for WW2 battles including Alamein and Midway.

Watch and Listen

A commemorative service will be televised from the Australian War Memorial on Saturday 15 August commencing at 10.00am. Listen to this special podcast about VP Day and explore more via their website 

The Shrine of Remembrance is inviting people to their service which will be live streamed via their Facebook page. Sunday 15 August, 11.20am.

The Shrine also have videos, podcasts, stories and publications to browse

Enjoy films and documentaries from our streaming platforms.

WW2 Streaming Films

View Full List

Read

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs have been publishing their 75 days, 75 stories featuring veterans in their own words sharing their experiences 

The Anzac Portal  tells the history of Australians serving in the defence forces though veterans’ experiences. A number of history publications, war history websites, a digital exhibition and veteran interviews provide a greater understanding of Australia’s wartime experiences, both on the frontline and on the home front.  Includes resources for students.

Browse issues of Mufti digitised by State Library Victoria.  Mufti (1934-2000) was issued by various Returned Services Leagues organisations. Monthly issues include accounts of battles, feature articles and honour rolls for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day each year, commentary on political news of importance to members of the day, plus news from Victorian sub-branches, biographies and obituaries of members.

The Victorian Government has been seeking stories and nominations for sites of significance to recognise the 75th anniversary

WW2 has been a long time setting for writers within which to set their stories. Enjoy this selection of downloadable audiobook or ebooks.

View Full List

Research

To find out more about your own WW2 ancestor or relative, ask family members what they know and look for records in the family, including photographs that may provide clues.  If you cannot find a death registration that would fit the time period, this could indicate that your relative died in the war.

The National Archives of Australia  hold service records.  These include personal details, enlistment details, postings, leave taken, injuries and illnesses. Many files have now been digitised and are available on line via the RecordSearch function, if not a request can be made to order a copy. 

The Australian War Memorial website is well worth a visit.  They have a unique collection of art, photographs, film, sound recording and private records.  Search by name or unit. Browse their blog and encyclopedia. Enjoy their new #MuseumAtHome feature curated as restrictions came into place this year.

Search the World War Two Nominal Roll with as little as a surname.

Ancestry Library Edition remains accessible at home for library members. Search the ‘Australian, World War II Military service records, 1939-1945’ collection extracted from the NAA service files.

Search war dead at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission 

Australia at War incudes ‘everything’ you wanted to know about the Home Front in Australia during WWII.

Share

In the lead up to the anniversary Australians are encouraged to capture and share the stories of our Second World War veterans by holding an image of a relative, taking a picture and sharing it to social media using the hashtag #OneInAMillion

#VictoriaRemembers #VPDay75