The family folklore once at risk of disappearing as a generation died is being rediscovered as sons, daughters and grandchildren pour through histories at the Bendigo Library.
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August is national Family History Month and senior librarian Vivien Newton said the Goldfields Library Corporation was offering workshops, roadshows and resources to people who want to “put stories on the bones.”
“I think part of the renewed interest in family history stems from television shows like Who Do You Think You Are and Find My Family,” she said.
“And also I think there are many people who want to know where they came from. People aged in their 50s and 60s have suddenly realised that it was their grandparents who had kept all those stories about the family.
“Baby boomers weren’t interested when they were younger and their grandparents were alive, but now they are older they are asking themselves whether the stories they half-remember are true.”
Ms Newton said people found the chase rewarding.
“People get very excited when they prove a story was true or find answers to things that had been nagging away at the back of their mind for some time,” she said.
Next Thursday a local history roadshow will arrive in Kyneton after a stint in Castlemaine and Gisborne.
There are also a number of events planned for the Bendigo Library, with workshops for people who want to embark on a family history journey as well as for more experienced researchers.
Ms Newton said people could also access the Bendigo Library’s Bendigo Regional Archive Service any time.
She said it was an easy way to access clue-laden documents like rates books, local council minutes and some court documents.
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“Because of Bendigo’s goldrush history it seems like everyone has family members who came through here at some stage,” she said.
“And because, in the scheme of things, all of our city’s history took place fairly recently a lot of it is recorded.
Ms Newton said the GLC’s eLibrary offered access to a collection of tools useful for family history researchers, including free access to Ancestry and Find My Past for library members.
All Family History Month events are free and most require bookings. For more information and bookings, visit: www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au/familyhistorymonth
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
