Inside History magazine | Explore your past, enrich your future

Expert Q&A :: Irish immigration with Dr Richard Reid and Dr Perry McIntyre

by Sarah Trevor on Jun 19, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A on Thursday, June 6 we had Dr Richard Reid and Dr Perry McIntyre to answer your questions about Irish immigration in the 1800s. Thanks again to Richard and Perry for giving us all the benefit of their time and expertise. Don’t forget our Expert Q&As happen...

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Finding Henry Lawson in North Sydney’s streets by Ian Hoskins

by Boyhistory on Jun 17, 2013 • No Comments

He was the “city bushman” whose stories are still loved the country over. North Sydney historian, Ian Hoskins, was surprised by how much his own neighbourhood was reflected in Lawson’s writings and his life… Henry Lawson was born in 1867 and spent his first 16 years or so in western...

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Newspaper masterclass with Sue Reid from Queensland Family History Society

by Boyhistory on Jun 16, 2013 • No Comments

With a fantastic resource like Trove on your side, it’s sometimes easy to forget the vast range of other newspaper sources out there. Sue Reid, from the Queensland Family History Society, reminds us of some useful websites and shows us the best strategies for searching them. Historical newspaper articles add...

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Crossing Country: John McDouall Stuart. An exhibition at Adelaide’s Migration Museum

by Guest Blog on Jun 14, 2013 • No Comments

Was he the greatest of Australian explorers? In 1862 John McDouall Stuart succeeded in crossing the continent from sea to sea. He took off his boots, dipped his feet in the Indian Ocean, and hoisted the Union Jack. When Stuart and his companions returned to Adelaide, they were celebrated as...

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Explore your Norfolk Island family history

by Cassie Mercer on Jun 12, 2013 • 27 Comments

The winners of the 5 Norfolk Island Deaths: 1st Settlement 1788 – 1814 CDs are…. Congratulations to Dierdre Wilkinson, Chez Leggatt, Susan Hammond, Noeleen McRae and Terence Fulton! Please send your address details to cass[at]insidehistory.com.au ======================================================================================= Historian Cathy Dunn, who published Norfolk Island Deaths: 1st Settlement 1788 – 1814, is...

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Bubonic plague in old Sydney :: A State Library of NSW photo collection

by Cassie Mercer on Jun 10, 2013 • 3 Comments

From time to time, we’ll be spotlighting amazing photo collections. Today, we look at the photos taken by John Degotardi Jr., photographer for the Department of Public Works, of the plague in The Rocks, Sydney, 1900. When bubonic plague struck Sydney in 1900, George McCredie was appointed by the Government...

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The Barwell Boys: Centenary of South Australia’s British Farm Apprentices

by Guest Blog on Jun 9, 2013 • 6 Comments

Can you imagine leaving your home, family and crowded city life and travelling to the other side of the world to start working on a farm in what seemed like the middle of nowhere? What if you were only 14 years old? 2,000 boys seized this opportunity during the 1910s...

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The Genesis of Digger by Tim Lycett

by Guest Blog on Jun 9, 2013 • No Comments

Written by Tim Lycett, from Battlefield Memorial Travel The derivation of the term ‘Digger’ as a colloquial reference to Australian and New Zealand soldiers originates from the First World War. As the years have passed, it has become more prominently synonymous with the Australian soldier while its application to New...

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Public Sydney :: Fairsea Ten Pound Poms

by Cassie Mercer on Jun 8, 2013 • No Comments

Presented by Sydney Living Museums, Public Sydney: stop, look, live! is a new exhibition at the Museum of Sydney. Through photography, objects, film and storytelling, the exhibition features Sydney’s best loved public spaces and the stories of the people who use them. The exhibition was inspired by the Sydney Living...

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Roses from the Heart :: Female convicts honoured in Ireland

by Cassie Mercer on Jun 8, 2013 • No Comments

In tribute to Australia’s convict women founders, tens of thousands of bonnets — each symbolising a transported female convict — were taken to Ireland in May as part of The Gathering celebrations. This project, called Roses from the Heart, was initiated by Tasmanian artist Christina Henri in order to commemorate convict...

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Expert Q&A :: National Library of Australia’s Trove team answer your questions

by Sarah Trevor on May 31, 2013 • 2 Comments

For our Expert Q&A on Thursday, May 16 we had Tim and Mark from the Trove team to answer your questions on using Trove for family history research. Thanks again to Tim and Mark for all their valuable advice and tips. Please find the transcript of the Q&A and links below....

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Remembering the Kuttabul. Attack on Sydney – 31 May 1942

by Guest Blog on May 31, 2013 • 2 Comments

The night of 31 May 1942 was the closest the east coast of Australia came to war, when Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour. HMAS Kuttabul bore the brunt of the attack. Respected military historian, Steven Carruthers*, reports. The attack on Sydney Harbour in mid-1942 by three midget submarines was...

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Walking through the past. Historypin at the State Library of Queensland

by Boyhistory on May 31, 2013 • No Comments

There’s been lots happening on Historypin since we featured the site in issue 10. Historypin’s Jon Voss reveals some of the exciting projects, including those from the State Library of Queensland which are now online. As readers of Inside History know, there’s been a continuous stream of activity on Historypin from...

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Public Sydney :: Soldier Settlement fruit sellers in Martin Place

by Boyhistory on May 28, 2013 • No Comments

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Expert Q&A :: Historypin for family history

by Sarah Trevor on May 26, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A on Thursday, May 9 we had Rebekkah and Ella from the Historypin team to answer your questions on how this online photo archive can assist your research and how to use it to contribute to your community’s history. Thanks again to Rebekkah and Ella for giving us all the benefit...

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What’s new at www.FamilySearch.org

by Cassie Mercer on May 18, 2013 • No Comments

The new version of www.FamilySearch.org, which launched in Australia today, makes family history research more interactive with a pedigree chart into which new data can be added and easily manipulated. It is also conveniently collaborative, with added social media, photo and story elements that create a more personal family history...

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Help Wanted :: Fundraising for Teens of Maison Des Australiens

by Boyhistory on May 15, 2013 • No Comments

In our Issue 13, we talked with Ross Coulthart of Channel 7 and the Australian War Memorial about the amazing collection of glass plate negatives that make up the Thuillier collection and show us the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt. For much of WWI, Vignacourt was a staging point, casualty clearing station and rest area...

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Founders & Survivors Storylines new website is live. Explore Tasmania.

by Cassie Mercer on May 3, 2013 • No Comments

Explore all 21 Lifelines and immerse yourself in Mugsheets where you can find records for 69,669 Tasmanian convicts – and for many of them, using identity records – create a realistic face using our Facemaker Identikit tool. Founders and Survivors Storylines tells an extraordinary story about the making of modern...

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What does Anzac Day mean to our kids? Guest post from Lynda Ward

by Guest Blog on Apr 25, 2013 • No Comments

What do our kids think about Anzac Day? When we visited Coogee Public School with retired teacher Lynda Ward for the school’s Anzac Day commemoration we found out. We sat with the very respectful children in the ceremony and very quickly learnt that these “young men and women”, as Headmaster...

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Sydney’s first water supply. Our Tank Stream

by Cassie Mercer on Apr 22, 2013 • 2 Comments

Every year about 3,000 people enter the Sydney Living Museum ballot to get on this tour. I’d waited for years to tour the Tank Stream – it’s one of the pieces of Australian history that I heard about early in my life and I’d wanted to see this little waterway for myself for...

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Heritage travel :: Western Australian early history by Richard Offen

by Guest Blog on Apr 20, 2013 • No Comments

The wondrous and occasionally off-beat history of Western Australia is little known outside its vast borders. Richard Offen, executive director of Heritage Perth, takes us for a whirlwind tour through its historic gems. This article first appeared in our Issue 15: Mar-Apr 2013 edition. WHEN I arrived in Western Australia...

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Expert Q&A :: Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office [TAHO] experts answer your questions

by Sarah Trevor on Apr 17, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A on Thursday, April 11 we had experts from the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office to answer questions about Tasmanian history and genealogy, specifically Tasmania’s convicts, archives, old newspapers, maps and history. Thanks again to Robyn, Caitlin, Ian and Ross for giving us all the benefit of their...

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The Beersheba Chargers by Neil Smith

by Guest Blog on Apr 14, 2013 • No Comments

Piecing together war diaries and official records leads military historian Neil Smith AM to discover the heart-wrenching stories of the men and horses of the 4th Australian Light Horse regiment at the Battle of Beersheba. Neil C Smith AM is head of Mostly Unsung, which publishes on a range of...

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Curio :: A State Library of NSW app changing the way we view our history

by Cassie Mercer on Apr 11, 2013 • No Comments

Lucky us, we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the new State Library of New South Wales exhibition, the AMAZE Gallery, and test run their new app, Curio. AMAZE is the library’s first new gallery since 1929 and it seems right that it has a brand new...

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Our free findmypast Anzac edition is out now on iPad!

by Cassie Mercer on Apr 9, 2013 • 4 Comments

This April we’re commemorating Anzac Day with a special free issue in collaboration with findmypast.com.au. The special edition brings together experts in military history and government records who reveal how to find out more about the extensive collection from findmypast.com.au. It allows users to explore, share and discover more about...

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Expert Q&A :: What’s new at Ancestry.com.au

by Sarah Trevor on Mar 30, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A on Thursday, March 28 we had Brad Argent from Ancestry.com.au to answer questions about what’s new at Ancestry.com.au, like Ireland’s Morpeth’s Roll (1841), and what you’d like to see in the future. Thanks again to Brad for giving us all the benefit of his time and expertise. Please find the transcript...

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Meet the Australian War Memorial Q&A team

by Boyhistory on Mar 28, 2013 • No Comments

Ever wondered what that patch means on your Anzac’s arm? Have you tried to work out what year a photo was taken from the hat your Anzac is wearing or the gun he is carrying? Or are you wondering what medal or badge is pinned to their chest? Ask your...

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Expert Q&A :: House history and archaeology with Adam Ford

by Sarah Trevor on Mar 23, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A on Thursday, March 21 we had Adam Ford from ABC’s Who’s Been Sleeping In My House? to discuss researching house history and archaeology. Thanks again to Adam for giving us all the benefit of his time and expertise. Please find the transcript of the Q&A and links...

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Artworks by a Changi POW – Des Bettany

by Cassie Mercer on Mar 16, 2013 • No Comments

For Issue 15, our iPad magazine includes some very special bonus material not in our Issue 15 paper edition. We showcase the art of Lancashire man, Des Bettany, who joined the Royal Artillery in 1939 and was captured by the Japanese in 1942, with the fall of Singapore. Des was...

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Cup of Tea With…. Adam Ford :: Host of ABC TVs Who’s Been Sleeping in My House?

by Boyhistory on Mar 15, 2013 • 4 Comments

Archaeologist Adam Ford and his great team are back for another terrific series of Who’s Been Sleeping in my House? Drawing on 20 years of experience investigating significant international and local digs including Ned Kelly’s last stand, Ford chases down some amazing stories. Was there a fugitive British MP hiding...

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Expert Q&A :: Researching land records with Carole Riley

by Sarah Trevor on Mar 15, 2013 • Comments Closed

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, March 14 we had Carole Riley to discuss how to get the most from land records. Thanks again to Carole for giving us all the benefit of her time and expertise. Please find the transcript of the Q&A and links below. Don’t forget our Expert Q&As happen...

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Expert Q&A: Christine Yeats answers your family history questions

by Sarah Trevor on Mar 13, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, March 7 we had Christine Yeats to discuss convict transportation, immigration, gaol records, hospital and asylum records, and orphan schools. Thanks again to Christine for giving us all the benefit of her time and expertise. Christine Yeats was the Manager of Public Access at State Records...

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Expert Q&A :: Getting the best from the State Records NSW collection

by Sarah Trevor on Mar 8, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, February 21 we had Janette Pelosi, Rhonda Campbell & Emily Hanna from the State Records NSW to discuss how to get the best from the SRNSW collection. Thanks again to Janette, Rhonda and Emily for giving us all the benefit of their time and expertise. At State Records...

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Expert Q&A :: Using the State Records Office of Western Australia

by Sarah Trevor on Mar 1, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, February 28 we had Gerard Foley and Lise Summers from State Records Office of Western Australia [SROWA] to discuss how to get the best from the SROWA collection for family history. Thanks again to Gerard and Lise for giving us all the benefit of their time and expertise....

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National Archives UK Crime, prison & punishment records [1817-1931] released online in partnership with findmypast

by Cassie Mercer on Feb 21, 2013 • No Comments

One of our favourite parts of any visit to the UK is a trip out to Kew to The National Archives UK and this last month we have seen examples why it’s always such a rewarding visit. With the release online of the National Archives early Colonial Office photos in...

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Expert Q&A :: How to get the best from the Public Record Office Victoria

by Sarah Trevor on Feb 18, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, February 7 we had Nicole Llewellyn and Jack Martin from the Public Record Office Victoria [PROV] to discuss how to get the best from the PROV collection. Thanks again to Nicole and Jack for giving us all the benefit of their time and experience. Nicole Llewellyn is Coordinator of...

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Expert Q&A :: State Library of NSW on goldfields and the Holtermann collection

by Sarah Trevor on Feb 15, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, February 14 we had Alan Davies and Megan Atkins from the State Library of NSW to discuss the 19th century photography of the NSW goldfields, including the Holtermann collection. Thanks again to Alan and Megan for giving us all the benefit of their time and experience. Please find the...

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Kung Hei Fat Choy :: Tracing your Chinese ancestors in Australia

by Cassie Mercer on Feb 10, 2013 • 4 Comments

Kung Hei Fat Choy! Happy Lunar New Year – Year of the Snake. Are you researching your chinese family history? Here’s some useful links for doing just that. Chinese Museum 澳華歷史博物館 Melbourne – click to go to the Museum online Chinese Family History & Stories – click to go to...

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Why you should use FamilySearch Family History Centres

by Sarah Trevor on Feb 9, 2013 • 4 Comments

Families share an enduring bond that reaches across the generations. FamilySearch can help you trace your ancestors with an expert network across Australia and New Zealand. Many dedicated genealogists would be familiar with FamilySearch and no doubt have spent many hours searching its website for elusive ancestors. There are millions...

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Australian goldrush comes alive :: State Library of NSW Holtermann Collection

by Cassie Mercer on Jan 27, 2013 • No Comments

The State Library of NSW is celebrating photography throughout 2013. February features the opening of our photography exhibition, The Greatest Wonder of the World, plus a great line-up of events. The Greatest Wonder of the World, opening 23 February The heady days of Australia’s goldrush will spring into life in...

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Early convict records in colour show earliest documented fraud against the government

by Cassie Mercer on Jan 26, 2013 • 2 Comments

What price did a convict put on their freedom? In 1800 Governor Phillip Gidley King discovered the amount was £12. Sydney’s early government clerks in charge of the record books had been engaged in a lucrative trade with the Irish convicts — changing life sentences to appear as seven years....

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Expert Q&A :: Sydney’s history and genealogical record with Lisa Murray

by Sarah Trevor on Jan 25, 2013 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, January 24 we had Lisa Murray from City of Sydney and The Dictionary of Sydney to discuss Sydney’s long history and the resources available for tracking your Sydney ancestors. Thanks again to Lisa for giving us all the benefit of her time and experience. Please find...

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Coast Australia to air on History Channel

by Boyhistory on Jan 23, 2013 • No Comments

It was announced today that Foxtel has commissioned Coast Australia, an Australian version of the BAFTA award-winning British series Coast, to be produced by Great Southern Television. To premiere on The History Channel in the second half of 2013, the 8 x 1 hour series will be hosted by internationally...

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A Parting Shot – Shelling of Australia by Japanese Submarines, 1942

by Cassie Mercer on Jan 18, 2013 • No Comments

In the early morning hours of 8 June 1942, residents of Sydney and Newcastle were abruptly awoken by gunfire from Japanese submarine raiders lurking off the coast. The bombardments followed air raids on northern Australia and a midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour a week earlier. A Parting Shot traces...

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2012 Annual digital magazine out now!

by Cassie Mercer on Dec 21, 2012 • No Comments

Our favourite stories from 2012: the first ever digital annual edition of Inside History is available! It’s been a big year at Inside History: 2012 was our first full year of publishing both print and digital issues, and saw many exciting new features, exclusives and collaborations. “To celebrate, we decided...

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Expert Q&A :: Using the Australian National Maritime Museum

by Cassie Mercer on Dec 20, 2012 • Comments Closed

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, December 13 we had Penny Hyde and Nicole Cama from the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) to discuss how to get the best from the Australian National Maritime Museum collection and all things maritime history. Thanks again to Penny and Nicole for giving us all the benefit of...

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Author Q&A :: Hobart by Peter Timms

by Cassie Mercer on Dec 19, 2012 • 2 Comments

From time to time, we’ll be talking to great Australian authors about their local history and what inspired them to start researching and writing their stories. This week we talk to Peter Timms, author of Hobart. In this updated edition, Peter Timms leads us on a journey through his adopted city...

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Expert Q&A :: Using NAA defence records

by Cassie Mercer on Dec 19, 2012 • No Comments

For our Expert Q&A Thursday, November 29 we had Tonia Vincent and Leslie Weatherall from the National Archives of Australia to discuss how to use the NAA defence records to find everything on your Anzac. Thanks again to Tonia and Leslie for giving us all the benefit of their experience. Please find...

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Found: Rare maps from the Macquarie era

by Cassie Mercer on Dec 17, 2012 • No Comments

In issue 13, Robin McLachlan from Charles Sturt University shares his exciting finding exclusively with us. Robin’s recent discovery of two Macquarie-era maps shed new light on the inland city of Bathurst in New South Wales. Robin made the discovery while researching at the State Records NSW in Kingswood, Sydney....

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Your favourite history book :: NYR 2012

by Cassie Mercer on Dec 17, 2012 • No Comments

To celebrate the National Year of Reading 2012, we asked you to tell us your favourite non-fiction history books. Now, after a nail-biting few months of voting, it’s time to announce your winner. Drum roll, please… In first place came Michael Flynn’s The Second Fleet: Britain’s Grim Convict Armada of...

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Socks for the boys on the front :: an inspirational WW1 yarn

by Boyhistory on Dec 6, 2012 • No Comments

A box of historic B&W photographs from WWI has yielded a quirky piece of Australian war history with the discovery of a rare knitting pattern for the famous ‘Grey Sock’, a knitting kit and some camel hair. A librarian uncovered the unusual items among the papers and photographs of Irene...

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Top 10 things you didn’t know about Sydney

by Cassie Mercer on Aug 7, 2012 • No Comments

Sydney businesswomen in the 1790s Our earliest known film 6000-year-old discovery in Alexandria Tamarama rollercoaster The mortuary train Sydney’s (unofficial) queen Our hidden lake The man who was hanged on Fort Denison “Professor” Parker, the “champion of Australia” Coffee Culture 1. Sydney businesswomen in the 1790s One of the earliest...

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Founders & Survivors Storylines new website is live. Explore Tasmania.

by Cassie Mercer on May 3, 2013 • No Comments

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Expert Q&A – Thursday, May 2 :: National Archives of Australia Forced Adoptions History Project

by Cassie Mercer on May 1, 2013 • 3 Comments

The Inside History Expert Q&A is a great opportunity for people affected by forced adoption to touch base with us and share their experiences. However, the Archives’ responses will be limited to garnering those experiences and discussing them in general terms, rather than providing individual advice to those joining the Q&A. The National Archives of...

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A photo of Charles Harper, Helensburgh

by Cassie Mercer on May 1, 2013 • No Comments

From Betty Warn, Helensburgh and District Historical Society The Helensburgh and District Historical Society is searching for a photo of Charles Harper. Charles was born in Scotland and migrated to Australia in 1857 with his wife Mary and daughter Dora. Charles was manager of the Coalcliff Colliery from 1880 to 1883. During this time, Alexander...

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Upcoming Shingles reunion

by Cassie Mercer on May 1, 2013 • No Comments

From Belinda Payne I’m looking for descendants from the marriage of James Shingles and Mary Ann Price, who were married in August 1853 in Melbourne and settled in Maffra, Victoria with their family of 10 children. To celebrate their 160th wedding anniversary, a Shingles family reunion is being organised for the weekend of 24-25 August in...

Bob's your uncle

Seeking information on Priddle

by Cassie Mercer on May 1, 2013 • No Comments

From Marlene Doran I am researching a family by the name of Priddle. Charles James Priddle was born on 19 July 1852 and lived in Strathfield New South Wales from 1891 until his death in 1918. His wife Emily Madeline (born 1859) lived in ‘Elswick’ on Redmyre Road, Strathfield, until she died in 1948. Other...

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Seeking the North Irish Horse of World War 1

by Cassie Mercer on May 1, 2013 • No Comments

From Patricia Tardif I was very interested in your article about the Lost Diggers of Vignacourt (issue 13), particularly as I’m working on a project gathering photographs of soldiers of the North Irish Horse in World War I for my webpage (www.northirishhorse.com.au). Some of the non-Australian soldiers in the Vignacourt collection are from this regiment....

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Win a double 3 day pass to the Byron Bay Writers Festival in August!

by Cassie Mercer on May 1, 2013 • 2 Comments

Congratulations to Kym Bouquet, you are the winner of the 3 day Byron Bay Writers Festival double pass!! ======================================================================================= What is it about August that makes us smile? Is it that the sun is shining and winter is on it’s way out or is it the European holidays spent on the northern hemisphere beaches or...

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Discover World War 1 at Sea :: Lecture at the ANMM, Sunday May 19

by Cassie Mercer on Apr 30, 2013 • No Comments

To mark the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian National Maritime Museum in conjunction with Sea Power Centre – Australia will present the RAN Centenary Annual Lecture on Sunday 19 May 2013. This year, the lecture entitled World War 1 at Sea, will provide special insight and new perspectives on the Navy’s role...