Wednesday, 2 April 2025

Blogging in April A-Z 2025

Family History and Genealogy bloggers at Connections2025 Conference in Brisbane in March
Photo courtesy of Jill  Ball

Blogging in April 

Here is a list of Australian and NZ bloggers I have so far come across who are participating in the 2025 A-Z April Blogging challenge. The challenge is to post each day in April except Sundays using the alphabet as a guide.

Some are telling the stories of their families migration, some are focused on places or their experiences and objects. There is sure to be plenty here for your reading pleasure throughout April. 

Carole McCulloch - AI and genealogy 
Carmel Galvin - On this Day  yes, that's me.
Jennifer Jones - The Earl Grey Orphan Scheme 
Jill Ball - Peculiar Pics from her travels
Linda Curry - The Swinging Sixties 
Michelle Nichols - Pieces of my Family 
Sandra Williamson - Journeys of my Family 

If I have not found your blog, please let me know and I shall add you to this list.






This post first appeared on https://carmelgalvin.info

Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Connections Reflections



Just a few of the presentations I attended at Connections2025

Just back from three days of learning in Brisbane my thanks to GSQ, AFFHO and History Queensland for hosting an excellent conference. The mix of historical content along with AI advances and traditional genealogy was a good combination.

The opportunity to meet and mingle with like minded souls who are all keen to learn and share their expertise was a bonus. I caught up with many geni-mates known online and others I knew in real life.

Now to to refocus my research:
  • Investigate the networks or friends and neighbours of my ancestors more closely
  • Investigate the other passengers who travelled with my ancestors, were they from similar villages, towns, where did they settle etc.
  • Pay more attention to the political and social circumstances of the time
  • Work more on the organisation of my genealogical records and photos
  • Continue to use a variety of AI tools for routine data extraction and organisation tasks
Family history is never finished, there is always more one can learn and do no matter one's age. Being open to learning keeps the brain active. 

This post first appeared on https://carmelgalvin.info

Sunday, 2 February 2025

Enjoyed in January

Historical fiction is my favourite genre interspersed with family sagas. Here are some of the titles I read in January.


Five of the best

1. The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother's endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation. Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Follow them through their lives as they face revolutions, relationships and personal challenges.

Women's issues, revolutions, social class

2. An Undeniable Voice by Tania Blanchard

1907, London. As the winds of change sweep across the world, Hannah Rainforth and her friends take to the streets to fight for the vote for women. Now is not the time for quiet argument - the country will only listen when it's forced to, and the women join the suffragette movement, putting their bodies, reputations and personal safety on the line to achieve lasting change for women. Dark clouds of war and sinister forces are gathering on the horizon and Hannah is desperate to protect those she loves the most. Faced with the loss of her home, her livelihood and even her family, Hannah risks everything to ensure their survival - and to achieve the vote for women, which is now a matter of national urgency. As the country is plunged into war and deadly bombs are devastating the city and the north, Hannah and women across the nation join the home war effort to galvanise the nation.
Based of the life of the author's husband's great grandmother.

Historical fiction, Women's suffrage, WWI

3. The Glass Maker by Tracy Chevalier

Venice, 1486. Across the lagoon lies Murano. Time flows differently here – like the glass the island’s maestros spend their lives learning to handle. Women are not meant to work with glass, but Orsola Rosso flouts convention to save her family from ruin. She works in secret, knowing her creations must be perfect to be accepted by men. But perfection may take a lifetime. Skipping like a stone through the centuries, we follow Orsola as she hones her craft through war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss. The beads she creates will adorn the necks of empresses and courtesans from Paris to Vienna – but will she ever earn the respect of those closest to her?

Historical fiction, time slips

4.  All the Golden Light by Siobhan O'Brien

1918, Belowla, south coast New South Wales. As the Great War grinds to an end, Adelaide Roberts accompanies her father to a rugged island off the south coast of New South Wales to deliver much-needed supplies. While loss and deprivation have decimated the country, Ada is determined to live a life of purpose and hope, and dreams of living independently. On the windswept rocky outcrop, she meets lighthouse keeper Emmett Huxley, a dark-eyed outsider haunted by his service in France, taking refuge from the damage of the war. 

Historical fiction, lighthouses, drug addiction, WWI

5. Down the Track by Stella Quinn

If you like some romance, a dinosaur dig in outback Queensland with a reluctant 12 year old in the mix, here's a light read to enjoy. Throw in a helicopter pilot and reluctant shearer who is now writing and the attraction grows.

Paeleontology, Queensland, drug smuggling, family tragedy, authorship, romance


This post first appeared on https://carmelgalvin.info

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