This week is week 11 of Shauna Hicks challenge for 2014. Shauna said that this blog challenge is to stimulate my own genealogy blogging efforts in 2014 by focusing on a different kind of genealogical record each week. I wanted a challenge that reflected my own archival background as well as my own genealogy interests and there are probably lots of other records that I could have included. The challenge has an Australian focus but most of these records will be found just about anywhere in the genealogy world.
In the past I have made many trips to Canberra, Brisbane and Armidale to search microfilms of newspapers. I have searched through original newspapers at the Tenterfield library. I have even transported these bound papers in the boot of my car to Armidale so they could be microfilmed after I informed the university of their existence.
However, these excursions are now more infrequent due to the advent of Trove in Australia. Genealogical research has certainly been simplified. No longer does one have to painstakingly trawl through newspapers searching for an article about a specific event. However, the main benefit I feel is finding other stories about events that we may never have know about.
I knew my great grandfather, Knox Moore had lost a finger in an accident. My father had told me the story about how while explaining to someone how he did it, he accidentally cut off another finger. Trove allowed me to verify this story. There is no way I could have ever discovered this without Trove. You can read the story here.
Many years ago, I was searching for information about my Seabrook family. Three members of the family died in Victoria in 1914. I knew that one, William Thomas had drowned attempting to rescue someone in the surf. I didn't want to spend the money purchasing a death certificate but I knew there would have been a story in the paper. I decided to start searching The Argus from 1st January onwards. I was ready for the long haul. However, imagine my excitement when I discovered the story on 4th January. You can read the post I wrote earlier this year to mark the centenary of this event. I was also fortunate that the next two deaths were in February and May.
I wait however, for the day that more country newspapers become a part of Trove. In the meantime, I feel fortunate to occasionally find interesting snippets from small country towns in the Brisbane papers.
However, these excursions are now more infrequent due to the advent of Trove in Australia. Genealogical research has certainly been simplified. No longer does one have to painstakingly trawl through newspapers searching for an article about a specific event. However, the main benefit I feel is finding other stories about events that we may never have know about.
I knew my great grandfather, Knox Moore had lost a finger in an accident. My father had told me the story about how while explaining to someone how he did it, he accidentally cut off another finger. Trove allowed me to verify this story. There is no way I could have ever discovered this without Trove. You can read the story here.
Many years ago, I was searching for information about my Seabrook family. Three members of the family died in Victoria in 1914. I knew that one, William Thomas had drowned attempting to rescue someone in the surf. I didn't want to spend the money purchasing a death certificate but I knew there would have been a story in the paper. I decided to start searching The Argus from 1st January onwards. I was ready for the long haul. However, imagine my excitement when I discovered the story on 4th January. You can read the post I wrote earlier this year to mark the centenary of this event. I was also fortunate that the next two deaths were in February and May.
I wait however, for the day that more country newspapers become a part of Trove. In the meantime, I feel fortunate to occasionally find interesting snippets from small country towns in the Brisbane papers.
Thanks Sharon. There are a lot of us waiting for more country newspapers to appear on Trove. That is where we will find some interesting stories on our families!
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