DAVID Cotton hopes to get more Bendigo residents as hooked on the thrill of the chase as himself.
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On Wednesdays and Saturdays Mr Cotton is one of a small group of dedicated volunteers, trailing through old records: everything from newspapers, microfiche, to headstones.
Their aim: to uncover family histories. But it's no longer just their own.
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These volunteers will take all comers, fielding questions about everything from building family trees, to identifying the subjects of old photographs, even histories of Bendigo houses.
It's something they've been doing for 40 years now, since the Bendigo Family History Group formed.
But members are getting old.
So Mr Cotton said they hoped to encourage new members, from the next generation, to keep the hobby alive.
The next generation should also know about where they came from.
- David Cotton
He believes the work of groups such as theirs forms an important part of the nation's history.
"The next generation should also know about where they came from," Mr Cotton said.
"There's more and more discussion on migration, immigration: where we're heading and where we came from."
Mr Cotton said many current members had been involved in family history for decades, so could give all sorts of handy hints.
He said most had traced their own family tree, but enjoyed it so much they stayed around to help others.
"We just like the hobby. It's the thrill of the chase," Mr Cotton said.
As the years have passed, members have seen more and more people using the internet to research their family history.
But Mr Cotton warned this method risked inaccuracy, as people linked to others because they had the same name.
He said family trees required a bit of care and attention, as well as going back to the original documents.
Mr Cotton said the ability to talk to people, be pleasant, and maybe a bit of geographical and historical knowledge, were the basic skills volunteers needed. He said the group could teach prospective volunteers most skills needed.
Mr Cotton said anyone interested in volunteering should drop by the Bendigo Library between 10am and 4pm on a Wednesday, and 10am and 1pm on a Saturday.
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