Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

Back in May we were happy to announce that remote access to Ancestry.com had been extended until September 2021. Now we’re even happier to announce that this access has been extended further, to December 31, 2021! This means you can access all the records found in the library edition of Ancestry from home until the end of the year, just by logging in with your library card details. Three Boys with Train Set & Teddy, Backyard, Strathmore, 1949 , photograph courtesy of Museums Victoria Ancestry is always adding new records to their database (such as Paris, France, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1792-1902 ), and updating the collections that have already been uploaded (like Canada, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current ). So even if you’ve searched Ancestry before and haven’t found the information you were looking for, there’s a chance new records that might help with your research have been added in the meantime. It’s always worth having another search! If you haven’t accessed...

Research your family history with Ancestry, you might discover something like this-  The exterior of 45 Finsbury st in Newmarket from the 1880s, with occupants- mother and child. Good news for all those who have been getting stuck into researching their family history from home- Ancestry Library Edition remote access has been extended! ProQuest, who we thank for providing remote Ancestry access to our library members, issued this statement last week- “Access to Ancestry Library Edition has been temporarily expanded to library cardholders working remotely, courtesy of ProQuest and its partner Ancestry.  Remote access will be available until  September 30/2021 and will continue to be re-evaluated.” This means you can access all the records found in the library edition of Ancestry from home, just by logging in with your library card details. Visit our library catalogue here , and you’ll find Ancestry under the Research tab, in the Family History in the Library list of res...

Back in November we introduced you to a new podcast by the Keilor Historical Society- the Keilor Historical Podcast. Episode 1 featured President of the society Susan Jennison chatting with host Richard Whybrow about the bridges of the Keilor region. But wait, there’s more! One episode wasn’t enough to cover everything there is to know about Keilor’s historical bridges, so Episode 2 is online and ready to go! Listen in as Susan and Richard continue their conversation, and uncover some more fascinating facts about significant bridges in the area. Click here to find all the ways you can access the podcast. Keilor Iron or Basket Bridge, Old Calder Highway-c.1910-1930. Photograph courtesy of State Library Victoria.

This year the annual RootsTech conference about researching family history, hosted by FamilySearch each year in Salt Lake City in the US, is being held completely online and access is free. Save the dates: 25 - 27 FEBRUARY, 2021. And register online to save your space at the online conference:  https://www.rootstech.org There will be over 150 sessions including celebrity keynote speakers, varied classes hosted by family history specialists from all over the globe, cultural activities, an online marketplace and even opportunities to potentially connect with distant family members.

2020 was a year of getting back into the kitchen for a lot of us, since we were all spending a lot of time at home! Quarantine cooking was definitely a way of life for some, and many of us experimented with sourdough starters, growing our own veggies, and making epic quantities of Bolognese sauce. But there’s only so many times you can face a bowl of Bolognese at the end of a long day… run out of dinner ideas? Feeling nostalgic about your favourite childhood dishes? Need some new (old) inspiration? Trove has all the answers. The wonderful folks at Trove have put a spotlight on vintage recipes, and have created a handy guide for how to find them amongst all the online resources that Trove make available. Search through newspapers and gazettes, magazines and newsletters, and even books and libraries to find a little spark of culinary inspiration. You might not even plan to cook the recipes you discover, but you will be sure to enjoy stepping back in time and seeing what food fads were t...

Christmas is looking a little different in Moonee Valley this year, but one thing that hasn't changed is the Christmas lights adorning houses in our local streets. Warm summer evenings are perfect for strolling the streets with your family, and keeping an eye out for some dazzling displays. Hunting for Christmas lights is also a great chance to wander down some streets that you might not have been down for a while, and check out the fabulous architecture of houses in your area. Moonee Valley has some fantastic grand mansions, which look even more amazing than usual when lit up with festive lights! It’s a perfect opportunity to see your local streets in a different way, and get in the Christmas spirit! From us at the Moonee Valley Family and Local History Blog, we wish you all the best for the festive season, and the new year. Merry Christmas! A Merry Christmas , 1911. Image courtesy of State Library Victoria.

We hope all followers of this blog will join us online this Thursday for a special history event that we've got planned to mark History Month 2020. We've called it "Catching History" and it is a chance for anyone with an interest in the local history of the Moonee Valley to come together with other history enthusiasts online. We've invited local history groups to participate, and they will be telling us about what they do. Join us on Zoom to learn about the many local history groups in our area and meet with other like-minded history enthusiasts. Find out what the various groups are working on, what they collect, how they meet and how you might get involved.  Free, bookings necessary . This online event is through Zoom. A link to the program will be emailed to participants 1 hour before the event commences. Online Event Thursday, 29 October, 7pm–8pm Book Online or call 9243 1900 Hope to see you online on Thursday at 7pm!

E W Cole is definitely a contender for most colourful historical personality from Moonee Valley.  Never heard of E W Cole? Perhaps the cover of one of his books might jog your memory? Cole compiled and published a series of Funny Picture Books. The first one launched on Christmas Eve 1879 and they remained incredibly popular for decades.  Remember this?  If you remember the Funny Picture Books you’ll probably remember that Cole loved absurd humour. The first of the series has been made available for free online thanks to the Gutenberg Project – so one of your suggested things to do this Thursday is to re/discover Cole’s Funny Picture Book #1.   B e warned though: what was considered funny and family appropriate then is not necessarily still considered funny – or appropriate for anyone – today, but the book is certainly interesting, has a few gems, and even the bits we cringe at now say a lot about the culture of the time and place in which the book was published. E W...

If you’ve ever visited Victory Park in Ascot Vale, you've probably noticed a bronze statue of a smartly dressed lady on the corner of Epsom and Langs roads, keeping watch over the intersection. She’s mostly known as Rosemary, or Rosie to her friends. Of the Australian soldiers who returned from the First World War, tens of thousands had suffered physical or psychological injuries which required much care and support. Once they were back home, this role mostly rested with the supportive the women in their lives- mothers, wives and sisters. The Rosemary monument is a life-sized representation of such a lady, dressed in the fashion of 1918. She was erected in honour of these caring women in August of 2015, commissioned by the wonderful organisation Women Caring for Veterans of War after 18 months of fundraising. Rosemary- photograph by Moonee Valley City Council Devastatingly, just 6 months later, the statue was stolen by thieves- leaving behind only Rosemary’s bronze shoes. Where did...

James “Jim” Paizis was born in 1924, the son of Greek immigrants, in West Melbourne, and grew up in Carlton, learning English when he began at school. As soon as he turned eighteen, he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy, serving on corvettes. Before long he was found to have “OLQ”: officer-like qualities. He became a Sub Lieutenant. As part of the commemorative website created in honour of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Pacific, 95 year old Jim Paizis has been interviewed about his memories of WWII and the much shorter, smaller Melbourne that he grew up in. It’s a fascinating interview: https://www.wwiiathome.com.au/jp.html

As it is Family History Month, and we're still locked down with Stage Four restrictions, here’s a list of family history things that can be done without leaving the house. Ten Family History Things To Do From Home: 1. Write your own memoirs – there’s no time like the present to preserve your memories. You could record them too, especially if writing is not your thing. 2. Connect with family members via phone or online to collect their stories as well. If you want to use video chat (like Zoom or something similar) to do this, but you're not sure how, this how-to video from State Library Victoria might help. 3. Document your photos. Note down everything you know about who is who, and when and where. Everything. And a bonus: document that you were the one who did this and you’re pretty much guaranteed to be a favourite ancestor of any family history loving descendants for generations to come!  4. Keep researching. Although libraries and archives are closed the...

Aberfeldie is a lovely suburb in Moonee Valley with plenty of green spaces, and has its southern border along the Maribyrnong river. But how did it get its interesting name? The land which would become Aberfeldie Estate was purchased from the crown by Mr. James Robertson in 1845. The homestead was the first house built in the area, and was located on the corner of what are now Aberfeldie Street and Park Crescent. Mr. Robertson took the name from the market town of Aberfeldy in Scotland- quick Google reveals that Aberfeldy is also located along a lovely stretch of river, so perhaps that was the inspiration for the name! Aberfeldie was known for it’s grazing land, and often hosted cattle inspections and auctions in the 1850s-1880s. The Aberfeldie Coursing Association (of which Mr. Robertson was president) also held many successful meets on the property, and the Aberfeldie Plate a well-known greyhound event. Aberfeldie Estate Land Sale, 1888 Back when Mr. Robertson bought his land it was ...

Curious about when your house was built? Interested in finding out about the original occupants? Wondering about the history of that interesting old building on your street? Don't know where to begin? Moonee Valley Libraries has just the guide for you! Our Researching the History of a Building guide brings together all the resources available through Moonee Valley libraries, as well as online, to get your started with your research project. Whether you're interested in when it was built, the original occupants of a building, the architecture style or tracking down an old photo of a bulding, the guide has tips and tricks to point you in the right direction. Once you're familiar with the resources available to you from home, let yourself fall down a research rabbit hole and see what you uncover. And keep an eye on Moonee Valley Library's  Eventbrite page and social media channels for our upcoming online event Trace the History of Your House, for National Family Histor...

Group of men reading newspaper broadsheets Drawing by S. T. Gill (1818-1880) courtesy of State Library Victoria Have you noticed that Trove is looking a little different these days? Trove is a one stop shop for all your Australian research needs, and is a collaboration between the National Library of Australia and hundreds of Partner organisations around Australia. From late June 2020, Trove has been updated with a fresh new interface and a bunch of new features to help you get the most out of your research. You can read the story behind the new design and features here , before getting stuck into finding your way around the new layout. Explore the extensive collection of digitized Australian content- newspapers, government gazettes, photographs, maps, journals and even sheet music! Can’t find something on the new look Trove that you could on the old version? There some handy hints for making the most of the new layout here , along a great how-to video for a broad introduction...

Maribyrnong River , photograph (c. 1910-1930) Robert Macedon O’Brien, courtesy of State Library Victoria. As restrictions start to ease during these pandemic times, we're all pretty ready to stretch our legs and get out and about (safely, and practicing proper social distancing of course!). The fine folk at Victoria Walks have compiled a fantastic collection of guided walks throughout Victoria, with many in our own Moonee Valley. Click here to see the walks available in your local area. You can enjoy a stroll along the Maribrynong River, a walk through the streets of Ascot Vale, explore the trails throughout around Woodlands and Napier Park and many more. Learn a little more about your area by exploring it on foot- the walks may take you down paths you've never wandered before, or help you to see familiar sights with fresh eyes. There's plenty of other walks throughout Victoria on the Victoria Walks website, so if you feel like venturing further afield, Victoria Walks is ...

Try our self-guided history walk through Queens Park in Moonee Ponds. Download it , then print it or use it on-screen to guide yourself through some of the history of this beautiful reserve that has been part of Moonee Ponds since 1839. It is a lovely, flat circuit along pathways that wind from the War Memorial near the main entrance, through the oak trees, along the edge of the lake, along one of Moonee Pond's finest streets, back into the park and through the fernery, past a beautiful stone cottage, and back to the start. The Fernery, Queens Park, Moonee Ponds, c.2018 Hope you enjoy your history walk!

Image credit: Julia Marshall, Napier Park, Strathmore, December 2018 In all of Melbourne, Strathmore’s Napier Park is unique. It isn’t a huge park, but it is unusual – a pocket of tranquil bushland, with native grasses and river red gums and sometimes (after enough rain) ever a small watercourse – all on land that was never cleared or farmed after European settlement. And all tucked unexpectedly amongst surburbia. The park owes its existence to a man ahead of his time. Theodore Napier was the son of a Scottish builder, Thomas Napier, who’d bought 100 acres in the area way back in 1845 – the very year Theodore was born. Seventy-five years later Theodore, who had inherited the land from his father, and who had always loved the native vegetation, wanted to gift 10 acres to the community as a park. He offered it to the City of Broadmeadows, but they rejected his conditions about retaining the natural character of the land. As the land happened to be right on the border with th...

Here's a great a great activity for the history enthusiast stuck at home: listen to History Victoria's extraordinary back catalogue of history lectures. You can listen to Claire Wright discussing "the Forgotten Rebels of Eureka", Susan Priestley on "The Legacy and Principles of Bush Nursing" or perhaps Paul de Serville's "Observations on the upper classes in Melbourne, 1924-74". There are dozens of lectures and conversations (long and short) on a huge range of topics Historians involved include Gary Presland, Robyn Annear and Richard Broome (just to name a few). Find them at:https://www.historyvictoria.org.au/resources/lecture-podcasts/

For today's Things to do Thursday, take a step back in time from the comfort of your own home with the Australian Women's Weekly. Centenary of Municipal Government in Essendon 1961 Historic issues of the much loved Weekly are online, thanks to Trove! The National Library of Australia has digitised issues of the Australian Women's Weekly from 1933 to 1982, in their entirety and in glorious colour. Explore some light reading from the week of your birth, or around the time of a significant historic event. There are articles, recipes, knitting patterns, crosswords, quizzes and beauty tips from throughout the decades- plenty of activities to try and new skills to learn to keep you entertained at home. https://trove.nla.gov.au/aww

Check out what State Library Victoria are doing to build an archive about this moment in time in Victoria. They've launched a new collecting initiative, Memory Bank, to record the everyday experiences of Victorians during these unusual times - and you can get involved. Take a look at: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/memorybank