Leonardo DiCaprio’s (Gatsby) great grandfather went from a street sweeper in 1900 (shown in the 1900 U.S. Census record below) -

to real-estate broker in 1930 (shown in the 1930 U.S Census record below). Like the character he plays in the film, the rise of the Nouveau riche, seems to be in the DiCaprio’s blood!

The Great Gatsby love story is epitomised in Tobey Maguire’s great grandparents tale of love conquering all. Through researching his family tree it appears that Tobey’s Great grandparents on his father’s side are from opposite ends of the world but found true love with one another. Bartholomeus Kropfl (Tobey’s great grandfather) is from Austria while Ana (Tobey’s great grandmother) is from Puerto Rico.

Director Baz Luhrmann it appears has his own tale of a rise from rags to riches. Baz’s 5th great grandfather, Pierce Collits, owned a famous inn in the Vale of Clwydd (near Lithgow) in the early 1800s. He came to arrive in Australia as  he was convicted of receiving stolen goods and was sent from Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland to Australia in the early 1800s with his wife and children.

Over the years, he was involved in the community as a constable, pound-keeper and inspector of cattle and eventually built his Inn in Val of Clwydd. For 10 years it was the most famous landmark on the arduous trek from Sydney to the ever-expanding town of Bathurst.  A road was eventually built that bypassed the inn causing Collits to move his business to Little Hartley where he built another inn known as the Grand Fleece Inn (which stands today)!

Uncover your family story today at Ancestry.com.au.

If you use Internet Explorer

Go to www.ancestry.com.au and click on the star icon in the top right corner of your Internet Explorer browser, click Add to Favourites and then click Add.

The next time you want to visit Ancestry, simply open your Internet Explorer Browser, click on the star icon and you will see a link to the Ancestry site. Simply click on the link and begin your family history research.

If you use Google Chrome

Go to the Ancestry website using Google Chrome, click on the star icon and give your bookmark a name, like Ancestry.com.au for example. Choose the folder as “Bookmarks Bar” and click done. Next time you open Google Chrome, there will be a link to Ancestry in your bookmark bar. The name will be whatever you chose to call your bookmark. Simply click on it to visit the site and get started on your research.

If you use Firefox

Go to www.ancestry.com.au, click on the star icon and name your bookmark e.g. Ancestry.com.au. Choose the folder “Bookmarks Menu” and click Done. Next time you open Firefox, click on the Bookmarks Menu and there will be a link to Ancestry saved there. The name will be whatever you chose to call your bookmark. Simply click on the link and go to Ancestry.com.au to begin your research.

If you use Safari

Find out more about adding Favourites using Safari here.

Do you have a burning question for Ancestry.com.au? Perhaps you’ve hit a brick wall with your research and are not sure what to do next? Ancestry’s Brad Argent will be answering your questions in a new family history Podcast.

Simply submit your questions on our Facebook Wall, through our Sticky Notes blog or by emailing editor@ancestry.com.au. We’ll do our best to answer as many as possible.

If you are on Twitter, simply post your question on Twitter and use the hashtag #AskAncestryAU. You can also follow Ancestry on Twitter.

We look forward to helping you with your research!

James Walsh was a 26 year old shoemaker when he arrived in Australia on board the Edward in February of 1831.  Born in Waterford, Ireland in 1805, he was convicted of receiving stolen goods and given seven years transportation.  His Convict Indent (an official list of convicts being transported aboard a particular ship) describes James as just shy of 5’6” (172 cm) with a ruddy ‘pock-pitted’ complexion, brown hair and hazel eyes.

The indent goes on to describe James as having a crooked right arm with a mermaid and fish tattoo on his left arm, a tattoo of an anchor between the left thumb and forefinger.  Interestingly it also tells us that James had taken an earlier voyage to Australia at his majesties pleasure – on board the Prince Regent in 1821 – served his time (7 years) and then made his way home only to be shipped out again.

James’ first ‘involuntary cruise’ to Australia on board the Prince Regent (arriving in Sydney in January 1921) was uneventful. His second trip out on the Edward was far more terrifying.  James boarded the Edward in late August 1830 with 157 other male convicts in Cork and they set sail in November.  According to the UK Royal Naval Medical Journals (records kept by the ships surgeon to assist with improving conditions on-board in future voyages) in December there was an outbreak of Cholera that infected , among others Patrick Carroll – the ships cook.  Five convicts were to die on the voyage, another two in hospital shortly after disembarking in March 1831.  James must have been terrified to what his fellow convicts fall ill and perish right before his eye – and he had nowhere to hide.

During his earlier ‘visit’ to Australia, James worked as a carpenter and he no doubt turned his hand back to carpentry when, according to the Settler and Convict Lists, he was assigned to the Australian Agricultural Company in Port Stephens not long after his arrival.  In January of 1836 James acquired his Ticket of Leave and 15 months later, in April 1837, his Certificate of Freedom.

The rest of James’ story is waiting to be discovered…

FREE* access too over 2.8 million convict and criminal records until Monday 28 January 2013! Start searching.

It’s a family history conundrum. You don’t like to imagine your ancestors having difficult lives. But every time they hit tricky times they seem to be really well documented, and provide some of your most fascinating discoveries.

This is true of Poor Law records. It’s definitely the case with criminal records. And it crops up again with our new divorce records.

UK, Civil Divorce Records, 1858-1911  are legal records that were made as part of each divorce case. They provide a blow-by-blow account of all the claims and counter-claims that led up to the split. For example, you could find out exactly where and when your great-grand-uncle started an affair – and even who with!

On top of that, the records include an entire history of the marriage before it all went wrong. This could include the date and place of the wedding, details of any children, and even the couple’s different addresses.

That means that not only can you read about your family’s scandals, but you can use all that extra detail to find more of their birth, marriage and death records, and build up your timeline of their lives.

It almost leaves you wishing more of your ancestors had marriage problems!

Search our new divorce records

See all our birth, marriage & death records

The Japanese military attack on the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, thrust the United States into WWII. It wasn’t long after that, Australia and New Zealand found themselves also under threat of Japanese attacks. While the majority of Australia’s soldiers fought alongside the British Royal Army against the Germans in the Middle East and Africa, the Japanese made their way through South Asia and South Pacific with little resistance. It was then that Australia and the United States joined forces to stop their military expansion.

My grandfather was one of a million American servicemen who found himself in Australia during World War II. While Australians had popular Hollywood movies to familiarize them with American culture, Americans knew very little about Australia or its citizens. Our soldiers were in a foreign land trying to make sense of the currency, a new environment, unfamiliar foods and, of course, colorful Australian slang.

On my recent trip to Canberra, Australia’s capital city, I visited the Australian War Memorial. I was beyond impressed and moved by the Australian War Memorial’s collection and its presentation of the artifacts. The memorial was filled with detailed dioramas and paintings that depicted battles, along with pictures of soldiers paired with stories of their bravery. Some displays left me speechless, such as the restored planes paired with a large screen that played re-enactments of air battles which brought the aircraft’s history back to life. Another exhibit – a wall of thousands of names of soldiers who died in battle – was decorated with small red flowers called poppies. The wall left me with an overwhelming sadness that I could only compare to what I felt on my first visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

After spending the afternoon wandering through this shrine to Australia’s fallen heroes, my curiosity was piqued by a little blue book found in the gift shop. The book titled, Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942 was reproduced from the original which was created by the Special Service Division, Services of Supply, United States Army, and issued by the War and Navy Departments Washington, D.C. Although our soldiers presence was mostly welcomed due to our countries’ common goal, that didn’t mean there wasn’t some tension. In order to try and avoid any unneeded drama, this small booklet was produced and issued to each American soldier arriving to Australia, familiarizing them with the Australian people, land, history and culture.

The book mainly focused on our similarities as relatively new countries with British roots. It described Australia as made up of proud, independent people who believed in the importance of personal freedom and democracy. A brief history was given of their involvement in past wars and their record as well-respected, brave soldiers who wouldn’t quit. All of the information covered in the book was used to build respect and a sense of common ground since they were qualities Americans also strived for and respected. More importantly, it stressed the fact we needed Australia’s help just as much as they needed ours.

While the book’s main purpose was to establish a sense of camaraderie between the newly arriving American servicemen and the Australians, at times it tried a little too hard to make that connection. I found some humor as it pushed our mutual love of sports and compared our carnivorous appetite. However, the part that really made me smile can be found at the back of the book, which covers Australian slang. After several of my own visits to Australia, it made me think back on all the words or phrases that ended in funny misunderstandings or left me scratching my head.

Having a grandfather who spent a great deal of time in Australia during World War II, this book was a fun little find. Sometimes it seems as though our loved ones’ service in the South Pacific during World War II isn’t covered as extensively as our involvement in Europe. Not only is this booklet a piece of history, it allowed me a look into the lives of our servicemen; I can only imagine the mixed feeling of excitement for those who had never left the country before, while also knowing there was a chance they might not come home alive.

Here was a book that was most likely issued to my grandfather that found its way into my hands, 67 years after he served, in the country he fought alongside. There is not one day that goes by that I haven’t wished I asked my grandfather more about his service and his time in Australia. I know he really would have gotten a kick out of my trips to the country he always wished to return to for a visit. It is small unexpected surprises like this that help me put his story together and make me like to think he’s still with me.

By Kris Williams
Twitter: KrisWilliams81

Every year Google reviews thousands of apps and selects their top picks—we’re pleased to share that our Ancestry app for Android is one of Google’s top picks of 2012!

A recent update to the Ancestry app for Android introduced hints so members can make new family discoveries from the convenience of their phone or tablet. The app automatically syncs with members’ trees on Ancestry.com.au so they can view or update their tree anywhere.

It’s an honor to be one of Google’s top picks, but we’re not finished yet. We still have a lot of plans to improve the mobile experience and a list of feature requests from our members to work through.

A big thanks to the product and development teams who played a part in the apps making.

Download our FREE app today.

We recently added the New South Wales Police Gazettes 1854-1930 collection and 120,000 new records to the New South Wales, Gaol Description and Entrance Books, 1818-1930 collection.

A lot of people have asked over the years how to clean up duplicates in their Ancestry Member Tree.  If you are one of the people who discovered that your mysterious distant cousin Mary was really the same person as Uncle George’s wife Mary, then you’ll be happy to learn that we have a solution that makes it simple to merge two duplicate people without losing any of the relationships, facts, photos, or stories you’ve entered.

How does it work?

Select one of the duplicate people in your tree

Go to the person’s overview or profile page and from the “More options” menu, select “Merge with duplicate.”

Select the other duplicate person

On the left side of the page, you’ll see the person you’ve already selected. On the right side of the page, you can select the person’s duplicate in a few ways.

• Select a possible duplicate. We’ll suggest people who might be duplicates (for example if they have the same first and last names and their birth years and birthplaces are similar).
• Type the person’s name.  If you know the duplicate’s name, simply type it in the field and select the person from a list of individuals who match the name you’ve typed.
• Select from a list of people. You can browse a list of everyone in your tree and select the correct individual.

Select the facts you want to display

After you’ve chosen the duplicate individuals, they’ll be displayed side-by-side so you can compare the two and choose which facts you want to display for the merged individual.

• If facts are identical. A same label shows which facts are the same; they’ll be merged into one fact.
• If facts are different. Both facts will be included in the merge, but you can choose which fact is preferred (the default fact that displays). The other fact will be added as an alternate.
• If you’re not sure what to do. You can click the Compare button to see more details about the two individuals.

Already, I’ve been able to clean up some of the messiness that existed in my own tree by using this new feature and hope it helps those of you who have been looking for a solution for merging duplicate people in your own tree.

New research from Ancestry reveals that while ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘John’ are the most common boys and girls names in both family trees, there are several more unusual choices the young royals could opt for.

The royal family tree contains the most unusual names – with Boniface, Cyrian, Marmaduke, Slyvanus and Lancelot all featuring in the male line, while Eusebia, Honor, Thomasin, Ursula and Hyacinth appear for the females.

And while many of Kate’s female ancestors have more recognisable names, her ancestors weren’t without some interesting monikers as well. Among the boys are Garin, Lewen, Theophilus, Uriah and Elie, together with girls called Permelia, Albina, Edezer, Grissel and Jemima.

In today’s culture for celebrity baby names, Kate and William very well might decide to opt for a more unusual name themselves. With ‘Lancelot’, ‘Boniface’, and ‘Grissel’ among their forebears, they don’t need to look further than their own family tree.”

Interesting names aren’t just for those with royal blood.

What name do you think Prince William and Kate should choose? Let us know on our Facebook wall.