nnub

Trace your Irish ancestors with Findmypast.ie - now at SLQ

Free access to findmypast.ie is now available in reading rooms of the State Library of Queensland.

Findmypast.ie contains a variety of records including:

• Irish prison records
• Wills dating back to the 13th century
• Griffith's Valuation of Ireland

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/articles/databases_fh

NEW: Over 500,000 British Militia service records - Findmypast

Findmypast.co.uk has just released 500,000 militia service records between 1805 and 1915. The militia was a volunteer force of part-time soldiers.

Free access to Findmypast is available onsite at the State Library of Queensland.

http://www.slq.nnub.net

The sad tale of Thomas Beynon - stories from the records

Thomas Beynon was born 18 May 1864 at Graig y Bedw, in the Parish of Llangynwyd, County of Glamorganshire, Wales. He was the second son of parents Thomas and Sarah Beynon, nee Williams. His mother died in 1874 of tuberculosis; his father remarried in 1881, to Mary. This secord marriage produced a daughter, Margaret.

Prior to immigrating to Australia, Thomas was working as a coalminer, living in Glyncorrwg, Glamorganshire. He decided to immigrate to seek a better life, selecting the goldmines of Australia as his future. He left his family, and his sweetheart Jennet Popham, heading for Gravesend to board the Duke of Buckingham. He left with the hope that Jennet would join him in Australia once he was settled.

Thomas arrived in Maryborough in January 1886, from where he made his way to Gympie. It was while employed at the Crown and Pheonix Mine that Thomas Beynon died after sustaining severe head injuries in a mining accident; while ascending the mine shaft a cage guide sprung out and hit him in the face. He died in Gympie hospital on 12 April 1886. He was buried the following day at the King Street and Tozer Park Road Cemetery.

During his voyage to Queensland onboard the ship Duke of Buckingham, Thomas kept a diary recording the weather and his interactions with and observation of other passengers. The diary was donated to the State Library of Queensland several years ago by descendants of Thomas' family. You can read a digitised copy of the diary online at http://hdl.handle.net/10462/eadarc/7405  and then click on the thumbnail.

You can also find Thomas' death listed in our index to Queensland mining accidents at http://fhr.slq.qld.gov.au/minacc/

________________________________________________

For the latest news and events in family history check out the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub at http://slq.nnub.net or follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/nnub_slq

Family history info guides

The State Library of Queensland has produced a number of family history information guides to assist you with the many different facets of genealogical research.

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/about/pub/info_guides/collections/fh

These include:

• How to trace your family tree
• Births, deaths and marriages
• Adoption
• Divorce
• Electoral rolls
• Cemetery records
• Newspapers
• Immigration and shipping
• Convict research
• Directories, almanacs and gazetteers
• Land records
• Biographical resources
• Blue Books (Queensland public servants)
• Census and muster records
• Occupations
• Police gazettes
• Queensland mining accidents
• Tracing Huguenot heritage

      and more....

______________________________________________

For the latest news and events in family history check out the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub - http://slq.nnub.net

SLQ podcast: Death at the Beach

Listen to Dr Jonathan Richards as he delves into the darker side of our coastline, discussing fatalities on Queensland beaches and coastal waterways as recorded by coronial inquests held between 1890 and 1960.

From the common drowning and shark attacks, to crocodile and stinger attacks, learn about the murky underbelly of our much loved beach.

Dr Richards, a lecturer in Australian history at the School of Humanities, Griffith University, specialises in archival research into violence and death in Queensland. He is the author of The Secret War: A True History of Queensland's Native Police, short-listed twice for the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.

Duration: 60 mins

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/webcasts/out_of_the_port

Image: Bathers on the beach at Burleigh, Queensland, 1938 (Source: Picture Queensland)

___________________________________________________

For the latest family history news follow the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub on twitter at http://twitter.com/nnub_slq or at our website http://slq.nnub.net

FindMyPast now available at State Library of Qld

Pay-per-view family history website FindMyPast (UK and Australian editions) is now available at the State Library of Queensland. Access is free and available for use in our public reading rooms.

FindMyPast's databases include:

• English census records 1841 to 1911
• Passenger lists leaving the UK 1890 to 1960
• British Army Service Records 1760 to 1913
• Assorted Australian police gazettes, directories and electoral rolls 

Come and visit us today: 

State Library of Queensland, South Bank

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au

ABC video: Muddy memorabilia - flood collecting

From ABC's 7:30 program

The State Library of Queensland and Queensland Museum are collecting images and artefacts from the recent floods to preserve for future generations.

Watch the video online - http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2011/s3215485.htm

Image: Flood waters inundate lower levels of The Edge at the State Library of Queensland, Brisbane (Source: Picture Queensland)

________________________________________________

Check out the latest family history news and events on the State Library of Queensland's Family History Nnub - http://slq.nnub.net

Queensland history - John Oxley Library Blog

The John Oxley Library Blog has been developed by the State Library of Queensland as an online community discussion forum. It is dedicated to the discussion of aspects of Queensland history as well as providing information about the range of activities being undertaken within the John Oxley Library.

Recent articles:

• Salvation Army's People's Palace in Brisbane
• Great Queensland Earthquake of 1918
• Mount Mulligan Mine Disaster
• Shorncliffe Pier Transformed for British Commercial
• Queensland 100 Years Ago - The Sinking of the S. S. Yongala

http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/

Irish migrants coming to Queensland - radio interview

Listen to Stephanie Ryan, senior librarian for family history at the State Library of Queensland as she discusses with ABC 612 radio presenter Kelly Higgins-Devine the arrival of early Irish migrants to Queensland and highlights a few of the records available to family historians.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/03/greening-brisbane.html?site=brisbane&program=612_drive

Photo: Queensland Irish Association float taking part in the St. Patrick's Day parade, Brisbane, 1937

Podcast: Brisbane floods with Helen Gregory

Join Queensland historian Helen Gregory for an intriguing conversation about floods in Brisbane and learn more about why history matters.  Hear about the frequency of floods, the warnings, heroes, scandals, generosity, despair, hope and renewal.  How have the significant floods of 1893 and 1974 been remembered and what has been forgotten? What legacy will 2011 leave?

You can find the audio file to this talk at:

 http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/webcasts/out_of_the_port

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Portal

Launched in December 2010, the State Library of Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Portal brings together information on resources, events and collections of interest to Aboriginal people, Torres Strait Islanders, Indigenous Knowledge Centres and other public libraries, and general users interested in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander related matters.

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/info/ind

Index to persons called before Queensland Government Committees

Boring title - great resource!

The index to persons called before government committees (1860 to 1920) is available on the State Library of Queensland website:

1860 – 1901 : http://fhr.slq.qld.gov.au/committees/

1902 – 1920 http://fhr.slq.qld.gov.au/committees2/

A wide variety of people from different backgrounds and occupations were called to give evidence before these committees. They included farmers, graziers, publicans, seamen, miners, labourers, civil servants and railway employees.

For family and local historians an individual’s transcript can often provide excellent background information on the person that may not be available in any other document. There is also the advantage of reading the person’s view in their own words.

Minutes of the evidence to most of the early Queensland royal commissions, select committees and other government inquiries can be found in the Queensland Legislative Assembly Votes and Proceedings (QLA V&P) (later known as the Queensland Parliamentary Papers) which is available on microform at the State Library of Queensland.

NEW DATABASE - 19th Century British Library Newspapers

The State Library of Queensland has now subscribed to:

19th Century British Library Newspapers 

A rich collection of primary source material, this database provides full runs of 48 titles from the 19th-century, totaling more than two million easily searchable pages. This is a fantastic resource for family historians tracing their English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish ancestors.

This database can be used offsite (ie. at home) by e-services members or Queensland public library (QPL) account holders. Offsite access is only available to Queenslanders.You can connect to the database at:

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/find/articles/offsite

Queenslanders can register for an e-service cards at:

http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/services/ecard

Historical Brisbane newspapers at SLQ

Historical Brisbane newpapers at the State Library of Queensland

Many researchers forget that historically Brisbane had many newspapers aside from the longstanding Courier Mail.

It is worth examining these rival newspapers as they can contain stories or notices not published in the Courier.

One example is The Truth which regularly published local scandals such as divorce, bigamy, adultery and murder.

Some examples of Brisbane newspapers:

• The Telegraph - 1872 to 1988
• Daily Mail - 1903 to 1933
• The Truth (later titled Sunday Sun) - 1900 to 1992
• The Week - 1876 to 1934
• Moreton Bay Free Press - 1852 to 1859 (imperfect run)
• Queensland Guardian - 1860 to 1868
• The Queenslander - 1866 to 1939
• Evening Observer - 1887 to 1926 (imperfect run)

These titles and more are available on microfilm at the State Library of Queensland. For further information phone us on (07) 3840 7810 or visit our website at http://www.slq.qld.gov.au