National Family History Month - Down Under!

Firstly, this post was inspired by Frances who blogs at Rebel Hand. Francis created a great post about National Family History Month, so click the link above and hop over to Rebel Hand!

Despite being half English and Italian, well Sicilian actually, I have many links to Australia. Over the past few years I have shared many of them with you. They are not all direct links of my ancestry as I believe that sometimes you need to research sideways in order to get back a generation or two. Furthermore, I am slightly fanatical about having gaps - if an ancestor had 3 sisters I need to know what happened to them too. That is the difference between genealogy and family history I guess.

By Esther Bellasis circa 1802 Located at the
 Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

• George Bridges Bellasis and his wife Esther nee King were the first connection I established to Australia. They arrived in 1802 and you can read about them HERE
• John Hunt Butcher was born in Surrey. He along with his wife and several children migrated to Tasmania in 1821. You can read about John HERE
• John Ellis was born in Surrey and migrated from Elstead with his wife and family in 1854 to Geelong Victoria.You can read about John and Sarah nee Turpin HERE
• Hartwigs & Hohnberg, are two family lines that are not directly linked to me at all, I find their history fascinating. Originating in Prussia and migrated to South Australia before making their way to New South Wales. You can read about them HERE
• Goucher - Now this is my married name and as far as I known none of my husband's Goucher ancestors ventured to Australia before the 20th Century, however there is a Henry Goucher who was transported in 1812 on board the Guildford to New South Wales. There is little details about the heritage of Henry, and because I am a little obsessed curious I have done a little reserach on his life which you can read HERE and HERE
• The Noack family like the Hartwigs and Hohnberg's originated from Prussia, they are not a direct line, but are fascinating none the less and you can read about them HERE
• Orlando is the name of my Sicilian family and the focus of one of my One Name Studies. I track any Orlando world wide. The study has a blog to accompany it HERE
• Robert Turpin who was transported in 1831. You can read the research about Robert HERE
• Worship is the surname of my husband's Grandmother and again a focus for my second One Name Study. Again I track the surname world wide.You can read about an Aussie Worship HERE and the blog to accompany the One Name Study is HERE

I have one more branch that I tentatively research, but the individual went to Australia post Second World War and I am in touch with the family. In fact I lived with many of them during my year in Australia in my 20s. That branch of the family is thriving well!

Do have a look at the National Family History Month website. Events and Societies are listed by State and if you are researching during August in the Australasian region do explore all states. My Butcher family who migrated to Tasmania has descendants in Western Australia and that further migration happened during the 1860-1880 period.

How wonderful to have a whole month dedicated to genealogy, the Aussie's are very lucky! Those in New Zealand are also taking part and you read about that HERE.Whilst I have not mentioned my New Zealand links I do have some, again that migration took part in the 1970s and I am trying to locate a cousin or two!