Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

This event will be presented by the Public Record Office Victoria and the State Library of Victoria, the talk will be presented by international guest speaker Roger Kershaw.  The focus is on records from the National Archives, United Kingdom.  participants will also find out how to get the most out of the National Archives collection through their website nationalarchives.gov.uk .  Roger Kershaw is the head of Military, Maritime, Transport and Family records at the National Archives.  Time: 10.00am - 11.30am Start time: 4th April, 2012 Address: Victorian Archives Centre, 99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne. Phone: 9348 5787

The two-hour tours were introduced at the National Trust property after a team of mediums from Spookspotters Paranormal Research investigated the house in 2008 and found it had a very high level of paranormal activity.  The lamp lit tours which are kept to small groups to ensure participants can absorb the ambience begin in Como's beautiful ballroom where guests are given a background of Como's residents past and present. The Twilight Tours focus on past people and events in the house and offers a completely different experience to a day time tour.  Not suitable for children under 18. 1st Thursday of the month from April to September. Time: 6.30pm Start Date: 5th April, 2012 End Date:  5th April, 2012 Address: Corner Williams Road and Lechlade Avenue, South Yarra.

Search more than 1.3 million Merchant Navy Seaman records, now available on FindmyPast .  The records comprise of two main sections. Merchant Navy Seaman 1835-1857 : records of individual seamen that the central government created to monitor a potential reserve of sailors for the Royal Navy. Merchant Navy Seaman 1918-1941 : records of index cards that the registrar General of Shipping and Seaman used between the two world wars to produce a centralised index to merchant seamen on British merchant navy vessels.

Current affairs reporting on radio and television was developing quickly during the late sixties and early seventies and politicians were becoming more adept at using these mediums.  ABC radio already had established itself as an important source of political reporting, going beyond basic interviews with politicians. This audio archive at http://australianpolitics.com/audio/1970-1979/1972-archive gives a compilation of episodes of “PM” broadcast on November 27 to 29, 1972 looking at the historic  “Its Time” election campaign.  Part of this compilation includes a visit by Prime Minister William McMahon  to  Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds and even more interestingly,  vox pops with local residents. Please note that the audio track runs for approx 22 minutes and will take some time to download, depending on your connection.

This is a free event  presented by the Public Record Office Victoria , National Archives of Australia and the Genealogical Society of Victoria and other family history specialists.  The program includes behind the scenes at the PRO, digitising family photos, a conservation clinic, become a wiki warrior and lots more.  Showbags and refreshments available all day.  Saturday 31st March, 2012, 10am-4pm. Bookings essential Contact details Victorian Archives Centre 99 Shiel Street North Melbourne Vic 3051 Tel: (03) 9348 5600 naa.gov.au

The first series commences on Tuesday March 27th on SBS One, 7.30pm.  On the first episode Adelaide born Shaun Micallef discovers his unknown ancestors.  His journey takes in London, Istanbul and Malta, the Irish potato famine and the Crimean War.

At the April meeting of Victorian GUM Inc the presentation will be by international speaker Colleen Fitzpatrick , Ph.D, her talk will be on Forensic Genealogy and its Application, to be held on Monday April 2nd, commencing at 6:45pm at the Phyllis Hore Room, Kew Library. Any queries or questions about this talk send them to info@vicgum.asn.au

The Public Record Office Victoria and the Australian Women's Register Project extend an invitation to a seminar to commemorate International Women's Day and Women's History Month: Where - The Seminar Room, the Public Record Office, 99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne on Wednesday 14th March, 2012 1.00pm - 2.30pm Panellists: Shurlee Swain "Making their case: archival traces of mothers and children in negotiation with child welfare officals" Charlie Farrugia "The wardship records in the PROV Collection" Nikkie Henningham - "What's New with the Australian Women's Register". Any queries Charlie Farrugia: Charlie.Farrugia@prov.vic.gov.au

The National Library of Australia is pleased to announce that the following titles from Victoria are now available in Digitised newspapers and more on Trove : The Ararat advertiser (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) The Bacchus Marsh Express (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) Bairnsdale Advertiser and Tambo and Omeo Chronicle (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) Ballarat courier (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) Brighton Southern Cross (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) The Casterton News and the Merino and Sandford Record (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) The Colac Herald (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter   (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918) The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 - 1954) Independent (Footscray, Vic. : 1883 - 1922) Frankston & Somerville Standard (Vic. : 1921 - 1939) Frankston Standard (Frankston, Vic. : 1949) The Lilydale Express (Vic. : 1914 - 1918) Lilydale Express and Yarra Glen, Wandin Yallock, Upper Yarra, Healesville and Ringwood Chronicle (Vic. : 1914) The McIvor Times and Rodney Adverti...

The Guest Speaker will be Glen McCluskey, Curator of the Hall of Fame, Essendon Football Club .  The event is free commencing 7.30pm Tuesday 27th March, at the Essendon Historical Society, Old Courthouse, 768 Mt. Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds.  All welcome.  For more information phone 9370 4607.