Detective work uncovers family secrets
Mon 15 May 2006
Kristy Prince, Journalism
The study of family history, genealogy, is becoming one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the world.
Investigating family history has no boundaries. Clues are provided by endless resources such as maps, microfilms, microfiche, books, magazines and historical local photographs.
Caloundra Family History Research Inc. was established in 1993, when it evolved from a group of people who met in the Caloundra City Library to a society of 99 members with a home of their own, the Caloundra Guide Hut.
Secretary Therese Black said family history is a wide topic defining how people lived and the conditions of the time.
“It’s not just a collection of names and dates,” Therese said.
“We are looking at family history but also people alive today to help us find people.”
The majority of the club members are retired, which is an advantage because this hobby is very time consuming.
However, even children research family history, just in a more limited fashion - like drawing a family tree of their siblings, parents and grandparents rather than researching as far as 12 generations ago.
“The good thing about genealogy is there is no deadline, you can put it away for a couple of years and pick it back up again,” Therese said.
President Eunice Larnach said people start looking at family history for different reasons: to find out about their family, medical reasons, inheritance or adoption matters.
Many members write stories from the information they find about their ancestors and put books together.
However, it’s a never-ending process- one which some families pass on through the generations.
Club member Ian Edwardson said his father hadn’t known much about his family and so decided to write what his family calls “The Book”, which has been passed onto him and which he intends to pass onto his daughter.
“If you don’t have anyone to carry on your work you can donate it to a repository or the state library,” Therese said.
Donating information can then help others with their research.
“I don’t think many people realise how much information you can find about people that lived 200 years ago,” Therese said.
“People feel they have to go overseas to find out about their ancestors but you can do all of your researching here on microfilm,” she said.
Anyone is welcome to become a member and the club invites the public to use their resources for a small fee.
The club has doubled in membership since moving to the Guide Hut.
“We have grown so much we are only restricted by the space we have,” Eunice said.
When researching, Therese believes there is a theory called the six degrees of relationship –that every sixth person is related either directly or indirectly.
“I have found I am related indirectly with two members of the club,” Eunice said.
All members agreed that family history researching is a fun hobby especially when you find a relative who was either a convict or a duke.
The group has beginner writing and computer classes to help new “detectives” get started in this fascinating search for their ancestors.
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Submitted Comments
The article is well written and flowing and the topic you are writing about is interesting as well. Unfortunately the headline was somehow misleading to me. At first I thought there might be something scandalous to read in this article.
All in all you have given a good overview on a very broad topic.
Gregor
There is also a free family history library at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Sunbird Chase, Kawana Waters. The church has access to the biggest genealogical data-bases in the world and have skilled helpers for visitors - especially beginners
Michelle Larkin