WAS GRANDPA’S STORY RIGHT?

Last month, we introduced you to the marvellous work of the Toowoomba and Darling Downs Family History Society and we continue their great advice with some helpful research pointers from Jan Ward.

You have decided that you would like to know more about your family background.

Perhaps you want to know where your ancestors came from or find out if the story that grandpa told about his grandfather and the bush ranger is really true.

You have watched the ads on TV and everything seems so easy: all you have to do is pay out some money and all will be revealed.

But you are still hesitating – where will you start and will the outcome be worth the expenditure?

Here are some tips to get you started.

The first step is not what you think: do not rush out and sign up for a paid website as you have work to do first.

1. Start with yourself and work backwards

You know your own details. You have the names of parents and grandparents and, perhaps, ideas of dates of births, deaths and marriages. You are on your way. You may think that you are related to someone famous and think that to work down from the descendants of this person to yourself is the way to go, but that is the difficult route: working back from yourself and hoping to establish a relationship is by far an easier way to go.

2. Gather as much as you can

Look around your house. Do you have photos, certificates or newspaper clippings? These can be hidden away in boxes or books inherited from family or childhood. Study them carefully and make note of names, addresses and dates.

3. Talk to family

Do you have anyone of an older generation you can talk to? They may have stories to tell, photos to share or certificates carefully preserved.

4. Make a plan and be organised

What is it that you really want to find out about your family? Do you want to prove a family story, find out where the family first settled or when did they come to Australia? Now you have a goal to work towards. Researching one branch of your family at a time helps you to keep focused.

Good hunting!