PAST MEETINGS

Meetings, Speakers and Topics from previous years.

Select relevant year: 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006

2017  
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2017 Jan John STEWART Genealogical Proof Standards.   Case Study – first person buried in Mt Duneed Cemetery.
2017 Feb Kevin HUGHES Research into Chinese g-grandfather James Ah Huey who married an Irish convict.  Surname changed to HUGHES c.1908.
2017 Mar Erlo PIETSCH Life in East Germany as a child and a young man.
2017 Apr Neil THOMAS Cornish Collection.
2017 May Susie ZADA Minor and Inter-Colonial Ports of Eastern Victoria.
2017 Jun John STEWART Parish of Duneed in the 19th century.
2017 Jul John STEWART Some of the intricasies of the new version of FamilySearch.
2017 Aug Jan MORRIS History of education in Victoria.
2017 Sep John STEWART DNA tests and their usefulness to Family History.
2017 Oct David WILSON Family History from inherited items.
2017 Nov Ian DUNCAN Peter HARVEY and Charlotte WALLACE.
Hazel SPENCE John HERD and family.
Susie ZADA GFHG web site.

2016  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2016 Jan John STEWART Where was Arthur STREETON really born?
2016 Feb Jason McGREGOR The history of Fort Queenscliff and its many buildings and characters.
2016 Mar Ted STEPHENS Researching the LANGLAND and STEPHENS family backgrounds.
2016 April Jo MITCHELL The Barwon River – People & Places
2016 May Bruce HUNTER From Cornwall to Geelong – a History of the CURNOW family.
2016 Jun Margaret COOPER Primary Teacher, wife, gardener and prolific author of local and family history books relating to Meredith.
2016 Jul Bernard CLANCY The Battle of Long Tan in Vietnam (50th Anniversary) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
2016 Aug John HARRISON As an apothecary John showed different plants, herbs and potions use to help cure people of their maladies.
2016 Sep Susie ZADA The Lady Squatters – Anne DRYSDALE and Caroline NEWCOMB.
2016 Oct Roadshow – various speakers Scottish Roadshow in lieu of monthly meeting
2016 Nov John STEWART The Stewarts of Mt Duneed.
Sue WOOD Great-Aunt Amy Marie PYLE.

2015   Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2015 Jan John STEWART Researching Street Names.
2015 Feb Susie ZADA Researching Victorian Land Titles and associated documents.
2015 Mar Marg FREWIN History of dental surgery and registration in England and Australia, followed by the MAWSON family – a dental dynasty.
2015 Apr Julie STEFFANOFF / MAXWELL The history of  Bethany – the female refuge in Kildare (Geelong).
2015 May Ted STEPHENS The ORMONDs of Borriyalloak – Scottish family who sailed to Melbourne in 1843.
2015 Jun Doug BRADBY History schoolteacher who works at the Ballarat Gold Museum educating visitors, local schoolchildren and adult groups about history.  Doug’s grandparents walked to Ballarat in 1858.
2015 Jul Bellarine Historical Society WW1 display at the Old Court House Museum, Drysdale.
2015 Aug Dr Dorothy WICKHAM The influence of Women on the Australian Goldfields.
2015 Sep Cheryl BAULCH World War I soldiers named on Honour Boards, Monuments and Carins in the Surf Coast Shire.
2015 Oct Susie ZADA Australian Wills and Probates, and indexes.
2015 Nov Darryl PHILLIPS Researching his ancestor who was a publican in Sydney in 1827 – before that he was a convict!
June PARROTT Told us about her gg-grandfather HIGGINS found after many years of fruitless research.
Gwen and John THRELFALL Researching the history of Duneed.

2014  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2014 Jan David WILSON An ‘Easyjet Tour’ of Moliagul in central Victoria and the LING family.
2014 Feb Stanley and Moira YOUNGMAN The siblings from Norfolk told of the history of their g-grandfather Charles GREENWOOD who was transported to Australia in 1830.
2014 Mar Bob WILLEY About his book ‘Drysdale Boys & One Girl’ – those who served during WWI.
2014 Apr Bob MARMION The story of murder and mayhem in 1942 at Queenscliff during the war.
2014 May Spencer LEIGHTON History of Torquay and the Torquay Historical Society.
2014 Jun Pam JENNINGS Old Mount Moriac.
2014 Jul Anne STEWART Overview of the Geelong Regional Library Corporation and many resources for family historians.
2014 Aug SLV Visit to the State Library of Victoria.
2014 Sep John STEWART Demonstrated accessing the State Library of Victoria’s eResearch options.
2014 Oct Rhonda COFFEY The history of the Cottage by the Sea at Queenscliff.
2014 Nov Sue WOOD Solving a brick wall with American connections.
David COOK The story of David’s wife’s uncle who enlisted in the army in 1942 then changed to the Air Force in 1943.
David WILSON Old family photographs and how much they can reveal when studied properly.

2013  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2013 Jan Alan BUCHTER The history of Batesford – update on his research.
2013 Feb Deb ROBERTSON History of Geelong Gaol.
2013 Mar John STEWART Tips and Tricks using TROVE.
2013 Apr Alan HART Illicit whiskey in the Western Districts.
2013 May No meeting – winter recess.
2013 Jun No meeting – winter recess.
2013 Jul No meeting – winter recess.
2013 Aug John STEWART Detached Parishes’ and boundary changes – things that can affect your research. – England and Scotland.
2013 Sep John STEWART and David WILSON Demonstration of Ancestry Library Edition.
2013 Oct John STEWART Traps and pitfalls of family history.
2013 Nov John STEWART Family History Trivia Quiz.

2012  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2012 Jan 11 participants Show and Tell.
2012 Feb Stephen DUE The Australian Medical Pioneers Index.
2012 Mar Marg FREWIN and Brendan Getting the most out of Online Research.
2012 Apr John STEWART and Pam JENNINGS Beginning your Family Research and discussion on genealogy programs.
2012 May Jenny COLEMAN Early postal history in Victoria.
2012 Jun Marg FREWIN Public Record Office Victoria – searching and accessing records.
2012 Jul Margaret HAYWOOD, Marg FREWIN, John STEWART Three Brick Walls – all different, all interesting.
2012 Aug Victorian Pioneer Index revisited.
2012 Sep Pam JENNINGS The Loch Ard Disaster.
2012 Oct Marg FREWIN Genealogy Quiz on occupations.
2012 Nov GFHG Christmas Party – no formal meeting.

2011  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2011 Jan Marg FREWIN Early dentistry in Victoria.
2011 Feb Bob NICHOLLS History of the Geelong Mission to Seafarers.
2011 Mar James DIMMICK History of the Geelong Art Gallery and some of the important works of art owned by the Gallery.
2011 Apr Col HUTCHINSON European settlement in Connewarre.
2011 May Phillip MANNING The history of the building from 1886 through to the development of the National Wool Museum.
2011 Jun Heather Le GRIFFON Her research and discoveries for her book ‘Campfires at the Cross’ – Francis and Sarah TUCKFIELD.
2011 Jul Trevor PESCOTT Birdlife around Geelong and district.
2011 Aug Lady TEVIOT Afternoon meeting in lieu of general meeeting.
2011 Sep Dr Bob MARMION Victoria’s Naval Forces from the 1850s.
2011 Oct Alan HART The story of his father, Jack HART, RAF navigator in Sweden.
2011 Nov John STEWART His ancestor Alexander WEBB, famous Geelong artist.
Photo guessing competition – Members as babies.

2010  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2010 Jan Alan BUCHTER History of Batesford.
2010 Feb Marg FREWIN Searching the Internet for Family History.
2010 Mar Rod CHARLES The history of bicycling in the Geelong region.
2010 Apr Peter MANSFIELD The history of Geelong Councils and his recent book ‘In Perfectly Safe Hands’.
2010 May Jennifer COLQUHOUN History of the Geelong High School.
2010 Jun Merrill O’DONNELL Researched the women from the Colac region who signed the 1891 petition.
2010 Jul Jane SALMON History of the Geelong Botanic Gardens.
2010 Aug Pam JENNINGS Photographs and Letter to the Editor, Geelong Advertiser, from Daniel BUNCE.
Viv WORTHINGTON Her ancestor, Mr WITHERS, began the Pioneer Bus Tours.
David and Eva WILSON The role of pets in our extended family.
2010 Sep Elizabeth NORTH History of Legacy in Geelong.
2010 Oct Marie DALLMAN Basic research on Irish ancestors and their history.
2010 Nov Christina MIDDLETON Memorabilia, poetry, song and recitation telling the story of her Scottish mother and Australian father – wartime bride and suitor.

2009  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2009 Jan John STEWART The importancce of questioning and corroborating all family history stories.
David WILSON Old Geelong area photographs needing identification.
2009 Feb Dianne HUGHES Photographing and recording many old cemeteries and burial places in Victoria.
2009 Mar Joan HUNT Resources in the Ballarat area for family historians.
2009 Apr Ralph STAVELEY Early years of the Police Force in Victoria.
2009 May Vince ROSS The aim and history of Narana Creations and Cultural Centre – an Australian Aboriginal cultural tourism and educational facility at Grovedale.
2009 Jun Marg FREWIN Marg’s visit to the east cost of the USA and the historical and genealogical aspects of her trip.
2009 Jul Neil THOMAS Seven Cornish fishermen who made the journey to the Victorian Goldfields.
2009 Aug Pam JENNINGS Public Record Office / Geelong Insolvency research competition.
John STEWART Name variations and why they may have occurred.
2009 Sep Jenice COOTS The ‘art’ of prize-winning at the Geelong Show.
David WILSON The building partnership of TREVENA & GUBBIE.
2009 Oct A lively Question and Answer session.
2009 Nov Susie ZADA Searching for Laurence RYLAND and finding Priscilla RYLAND.

2008  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2008 Jan Lloyd WORTHINGTON The WORTHINGTON family beginning with J W E WORTHINGTON, born in 1829.
2008 Feb Dr Peter MUNSTER George Ward COLE and the founding of St Leonards.
2008 Mar Karen MATHEWS History of the Geelong Fire Brigade.
2008 Apr Michael LAWRIWSKY The story of Albert JACKA, Australia’s first VC winner, and the Great War with its heroes.
2008 May Captain Colin SPRINGALL His 26 years as a ship”s pilot, latterly on Port Phillip Bay.
2008 Jun Les SANDERSON History of Little River and the Little River Historical Society.
2008 Jul Michael & Louise KING The history of the funeral directing businesses in Geelong.
2008 Aug Linda TRUSACK Researching her aunt’s life at Lakeside, Ballarat Asylum.
2008 Sep Jenice COOTS Byromine Homestead at Yarrawonga and Elizabeth and John HUME.
Gwlad McLACHLAN Geelong Voices’ – the oral history CD project.
2008 Oct Sheila DAWSON Early theatre, opera and pantomine in Geelong and the Geelong Association of Music & Art.
2008 Nov Members’ Christmas Party

2007  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2007 Jan Liz HEAGNEY Told the to the Prisoners of War memorial wall project at Ballarat totalling 3,800 POWs being memorialised.  (Has grown to 8,600.)
2007 Feb Peter MANSFIELD The story of Grame BERRY, controversial and passionate Victorian and Geelong politician in the late 1800s.
2007 Mar Jenny GLARE Jenny from McKillop Family Services explained the history of Catholic Orphanages in Victoria.
2007 Apr John HARE A child evacuee to Australia from air-raids in London and surrounding areas in 1940.  He published a book on the subject titled No Time to Say Goodbye.
2007 May Noel LINDSAY With technical assistance from Bob & Lynette WILLEY, Noel related his early life, night school training at the YMCA, enlistment in WWII in 1942 to his discharge in 1946.
2007 Jun Russ STEPHENS Russ, archivist at the Geelong Football Club related the history of the ‘second oldest football club in the world with codified rules’ – Melbourne is the oldest.
2007 Jul Lindsay COX Outlined the research holdings of the Salvation Army.
2007 Aug Graeme JEBB The history and practicality of Heraldry.
2007 Sep Marg FREWIN Workshop on how members can help with compilation of the Pivot Tree.
2007 Oct Sue WOOD Breaking down her Anglo-Saxon brick walls with the release of the 1881 Census.
Ian DUNCAN Grandma, alias Florence EDWARDS, alias Florence BETRIX identified with the help of McKillop family services and some oral history at Fyansford.
John STEWART Showed 2007 winning Mysterious Memorial in England – epitaph of Sarah JOHNSON who died in 1819.
Brian FALLON 6,000 munitions workers sailed from Australia to England in 1916-1920 for training – details in National Archives UK – MT1139-4-1, MP421-3 and MT1384-2.
2007 Nov Members’ Christmas Dinner at Leopold.

2006  Use Browser BACK arrow to return to the top
Date Speaker(s) Topic
2006 Sep Russ PRESTON History of Scouring in Geelong.
2006 Oct Ian GRIBBLE Ian talked about his ancestor, Duncan GRIBBLE, who was involved in mining.  His history and records yielded wads of interesting information and stories.
Pam JENNINGS pam highlighted a number of projects that GFHG members were working on including photographing headstones and transcribing them.
Brian FALLON
2006 Nov Members’ Christmas Dinner.