No.31 (genealogy worldwide)

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• Rockhampton, Qld:  There is a family history beginner's course in Rockhampton on Sat. 13 Sep 2014 (9am to noon).


• (Updated Nov 2014)  NSW wills:  New South Wales will books 1800-1952 are back online. This magnificent resource includes wills for thousands of people from interstate and overseas, including Queensland! Search the index, then view the images of the original records (not just the transcriptions). My search tips are in 6 Genealogy Sources You May Have Overlooked.


• BDM index (NSW):  The new index on the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages site is rather challenging to use. Joy Murrin's tips make it easier.


• Postems:  Postems on FreeBMD describes a strategy that has worked brilliantly for me. If anyone in your family tree was born, married or died in England or Wales from 1837 onwards, try it!


• Congress 2015:  The Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry is in Canberra (ACT) next March. I'll be there! Register by 31 Oct 2014 to get the cheaper 'early bird' rate.


• Online trees:  You can now attach records to your family trees at FindMyPast.


• Discounts:  This week more offers were added to the Discounts and Freebies page. You can use ChangeDetection to monitor the page (look for the button 'Click here to receive email...'), but sometimes the email is delayed. To avoid missing last-minute offers that only apply for one weekend, check the page every Saturday.


• Although I don't agree with all the suggestions in the free downloadable e-book Family Tree Tips: 23 Secrets to Organize Your Genealogy, some of the ideas are good.

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No.1 (genealogy worldwide)

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• LostCousins: The LostCousins site is totally free to 2 May 2011. This is probably the only web site that has virtually 100% accuracy in matching people who share the same ancestors. You do not waste time corresponding with people who are not related to you. To use LostCousins you need to have found relatives in one of these censuses: USA 1880; Canada 1881; Scotland 1881; Ireland 1911; England and Wales 1841, 1881 or 1911. Be sure to enter data for brothers and sisters of your direct ancestors. It is their descendants who are most likely to have letters or photos from your line. Start by reading the LostCousins 'How-to' page. Remember to log in periodically, go to your 'My Ancestors' page and click 'Search'.
  
• Central Queensland cemeteries:  Burial indexes and maps for many Rockhampton Regional Council cemeteries are now online (and frequently updated).
  
• Orphanage records:  Some Queensland orphanage records have recently been opened to the public.
  
• 'Inside History' magazine:  Inside History is a new magazine about Australian and New Zealand genealogy, history and heritage. Published bi-monthly, Inside History has genealogy articles and tips, expert advice, stories about history (old houses, country towns, biographies etc), and lots more. I received a complimentary copy and was so impressed by the quality of the magazine that I asked Brisbane City Council libraries to subscribe so that it will reach a wider audience.
  
• Ryerson Index:  The Ryerson Index is an online index to death notices (and some obituaries, funeral and probate notices) in current Australian newspapers. Family history or local history societies who would like to index notices from their local paper should use the contact link on the Web site.
  
• Irish research:  Have a look at this collection of Web sites for Irish Research.
  
• Outback Story:  Outback Story is a personal account of what life was like on a grazing property in the Cunnamulla area (southwest Queensland) from about 1919 onwards.
  
• Environmentally friendly genealogy:  How to make your genealogy research environmentally friendly.
  
• Bookmarking State Archives Web pages:  Many indexes on the Qld State Archives Web site consist of an introduction (as a Web page) with links to different sections of an index (as PDF files). If the index is updated, a name that was in one PDF file may be moved to another. You should therefore bookmark or cite the introductory Web page, not the PDF file.