Unlocking your past

Who are you?

No, I’m not talking about the song title from The Who. I’m talking about a simple question that is often so hard to answer. With genealogy garnering increasing mainstream awareness from channels such as global ‘reality doco’ Who do you think you are? and ancestry.com.au commercials, more Australians are turning to their family history to gain a better understanding of who they are.

It is a path of self-discovery that unlocks some revealing insights, as the SLQ Family History staff can attest… but where does one begin? For those Queenslanders who have ancestors from the British Isles – England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland – this month’s Brisbane British Isles Seminar from Unlock the Past may be the perfect place to start.

Paul Milner, lecturer, author and professional genealogist, will be covering topics specifically related to the British Isles, his area of specialty, though attendees interested in other areas can still learn about the different avenues for researching your family history. State Library staff will be on site alongside a host of Queensland historical societies, libraries and archives, giving demonstrations and introducing various databases and services.

Findmypast is one such genealogy service. A subscription database free to use at State Library, Findmypast has now launched an Australian edition, with millions of records, documents and other pieces information tailored to Australian family history researchers – and even a mobile scanner! It’s a great place to start creating that family tree you’ve always wanted, and may even provide a clearer picture of who you are.

To start answering that elusive question, who are you?, come along to the Broncos Leagues Club for the British Isles Seminar. Whether for yourself, or others such as your children, it could be the start of an enlightening journey.