For Features Writer Vanessa Bland, a casual interest in family history turned into a full-blown obsession. When not researching family history, she’s either plotting her next archive visit or getting lost in old cemeteries…
On a sweltering hot January day about a decade ago, I was lost in Rookwood cemetery. I was searching for the grave of my great-great-grandparents in the old Catholic section. It’s hard to appreciate the size of Rookwood until you’re wandering around in the heat, in a maze of disorganised graves. It is, after all, the biggest cemetery in the southern hemisphere! You might ask why I was hanging around a cemetery? Well, about a decade ago when Ancestry.com was ramping up, and Who Do You Think You Are? was gracing our screens, I joined my mum and my aunty who had begun working on our family tree. Growing up I had no idea of my ancestry. I vaguely remember asking my parents and learning that my ancestors were Scottish, Irish, and English, but they didn’t have more detail. I mostly identified as Australian, except when I saw Braveheart and felt rather Scottish, and when I saw Riverdance and felt rather Irish.
I found my great-great-grandparents grave that day at Rookwood, and it paid off. It was a beautifully carved stone grave and it also showed other relatives buried along with them which added to my research. I’m pretty sure I had a mild heat stroke by the end, but it was a successful trip!
My journey into genealogy began with Ancestry.com, and it quickly became an obsession. I found myself darting between libraries, archives, family history centres, and cemeteries, piecing together names, dates, and stories. The thrill of breaking through each genealogical "brick wall" was (and still is) indescribable. I discovered that my 4x great-grandfather was transported to Australia for stealing potatoes (yum!); my 3x great-grandfather patented inventions; my distant cousin is the renowned poet, Henry Lawson; and my 9x great-grandfather was a Puritan deacon in early America. My lineage includes convicts, farmers, kings, and even a saint. My ancestors fought in both world wars, the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Waterloo, the Battle of Culloden, and some were in Salem during the witch trials. (Thankfully, none were executed.)
Intrigued yet? I hope so!
Ready to start your own journey into family history? Here are my top tips:
Begin with oral history. Ask your parents or grandparents for the names of their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. Gather birth, death, and marriage certificates, along with any other documents they may have.
Next, delve into official records. Depending on your family's origin, look for the vital records office in the relevant state or country. For instance, in NSW, you’ll want to explore the NSW Births Deaths and Marriages office.
Create pedigree charts to organise and track your ancestors.
Document EVERYTHING. When you add your great-great-great-grandmother’s name, note how you know it—was it from a family member, or perhaps a marriage certificate? Every piece of information needs a source. (If you’re a Macquarie University student, you should already be an ace at this.)
Beware of taking information from other online trees - trust me, they often make mistakes, and you don’t want those in your tree!
Visit your local library - they often provide free access to databases like FindMyPast and Ancestry.com, which can be invaluable in looking up information.
Explore the Trove website, which offers free access to historical newspapers from across Australia. You might find your ancestors mentioned in news stories or obituaries, which are treasure troves of information!
Give FamilySearch a try - it’s a massive database of indexed genealogical records, and it’s free to use!
Discovering my ancestors has given me a deeper understanding of who I am. After all, we are all shaped by our parents, who were shaped by their parents, and so forth. These stories weave a tapestry of us and our families. Along the way, I’ve also connected with a vast network of cousins (fellow research enthusiasts) and even compiled my family tree into a book, which I’ve shared with relatives. We should all take pride in our heritage and embrace the people and stories that shaped us. Also, it’s fun to play detective and dig up all the juicy dirt! Have fun!
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