From Brad Argent, Content Director at Ancestry.com.au

This Sunday, February 19^th, marks the 70^th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin.  I asked my nan, Nita (shown in the photo above), what she remembered of the day. 

At the time of the bombing – just two days after her 23^rd birthday – she was pregnant with my mother and recalled being worried and very scared. 

“I remember that we didn’t hear a lot about it, just that it happened.  From then on everyone became serious about the blackout blinds and they needed to be drawn by 5 or 6pm.  My brother Neville was stationed up in Katherine at the time – when he came back he said that it was a lot worse than we’d been told.”

My father was in school during the later stages of the war and he remembers that after the Darwin bombings they were taught the ‘duck and cover’ process.  He tells of being given a wooden peg to bite on and something to stuff in his ears!

What do the older members of your family remember about the bombing of Darwin? Share your story with us on our Facebook wall.

Many of you will be familiar with actor and producer Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky in 1926) and you can see him appearing in the 1930 US Census (shown below), living at 365 South 3^rdStreet, Brooklyn, New York, along with his brothers Irving, Leonard and Bernard and his mother Kittie.  Along with their age at last birthday it lists the nationality of their parents and their occupation.  It also lists the monthly rent as $24.50.  Mel’s father isn’t listed as he died in 1928.

Bob Dyer (born Robert Dies) was everywhere in Australian entertainment but perhaps he is best remembered as the host of Pick-a-Box for 14 years.  Bob was born in Tennessee and can be found in the 1930 US Census with his extended family in Davidson, Tennessee.  Bob lists his occupation as Vaudeville Actor – something of a contrast to his Carpenter father and Printer brother.

We’d be surprised if you’d ever come across Winifred before.  She was born Winifred Patty Harle in December 1889 in Scone, New South Wales to John and Martha Harle.  Winifred married Danish immigrant Jacob Christensen in Hamilton, New South Wales in 1914 and they had two daughters (Dorothy and Joyce) and made their way to California in 1920 aboard the Sonoma. Winifred and her family can also be found in the 1930 US Census living in 2320 Teviot Street, Los Angeles (shown below). 

Winifred became a US citizen in 1937 and died in California in 1975.  It is not known if Winifred ever returned to Australia. 

Winifred may not be famous like Bob Dyer or Mel Brooks but she’s someone’s ancestor – maybe she’s yours.  Census records from any country are always worth looking at – you never know how many missing pieces of your tree might be just a simple search away….

You can search the 1930 US Census for free on Ancestry.com.au from Friday 17 February to 11pm AEDT Tuesday 21 February 2012. Check out our latest video with Ancestry’s Brad Argent on the 1930 US Census and how it can help you track down missing ancestors.

If you have family from Warwickshire, England you may well find them in one of 300,000 new Warwickshire records we added this week.

Some records in these collections pre date 1837, making them particularly useful in finding people before civil registration began. Some records actually date back to 1564 (shown in the image above).

One interesting new collection is the Warwickshire, England, Bastardy Orders, 1816-1839 which contain orders issued in bastardy cases by Quarter Session courts. In cases of an illegitimate birth, Poor Unions tried to identify the father and make him legally responsible for the child’s maintenance to keep the child off parish relief rolls. Mothers could also apply to require a father to support his child.

Bastardy orders were an official order of the Quarter Sessions court requiring the putative father of an illegitimate child to provide for the child. They contain the name of the mother and assumed father, but not the name of the child, though they specify the gender and birth date.

The Warwickshire, England, Parish Poor Law, 1546-1904 includes images of a variety of different records created in Warwickshire in connection with the Poor Laws. They can help you identify members of your family who were considered poor, find out what aid they received, and discover details of their everyday lives. It’s sometimes possible to piece together the story of a relative’s life, from their placement at a school as a child, through their time in a workhouse, up to their final fate—be it their eventual passing or an escape from poverty.

Or, you may find your ancestor on the other side of the coin, among the rate payers. Poor Law records can also be useful in tracing movements among family members—both poor and not. These records can be browsed by parish or other jurisdiction and record type.

We also added the following new collections -

• Warwick, England, Burial Slips from Warwick Cemetery, 1859-1968 (14,942 records, 22,649 images)
• Warwickshire, England, Land Tax, 1773-1830 (248,653 records, 11,153 images) 
• Warwickshire, England, Militia, 1776-1825 (1,055 records, 1219 images) 
• Warwickshire, England, Occupational and Quarter Session Records (7139 images)

Let us know on our Facebook wall or via Twitter if you make any new discoveries!

Thanks to all of you who have provided feedback on the Beta Image Viewer on the blog, via the message boards, through the survey, and directly via email (feedback-imageviewer@ancestry.com). We appreciate the input – both positive and negative – and have used it to further improve the viewer.

Today, an updated version of the viewer is on the site. If you aren’t already started using the new viewer, you can get to it by clicking the Options button in the green toolbar above the image. You can switch back to a different viewer the same way.

 

The updated viewer includes

• Print the Current View
• Better keyboard support for zoom and panning
• Better support for Newspapers and similar collections
• Improved performance

Print the Current View

You can now print the current view of the image. This is the most-often requested print feature that we had in the previous Advanced Image Viewer. Position the image in the viewer (zoom in or out, move the image where you want it), click the Print button, and then select the Print the current view option. A preview window will appear and the Print dialog should open. (We generally recommend printing in Landscape; you can select that in the printer properties).

Better keyboard support for zoom and panning

The previous version did not have full keyboard support for zooming and panning on all of the browsers. We believe this is corrected. The + and – keys on both the keyboard and keypad now work for zooming in or out. Arrow keys, as well as Page Up and Page Down keys, are supported for panning. Home will take you to the left side of the image; End will take you to the right side of the image.

Better support for newspapers and similar collections

We have improved our support for newspapers and similar collections (those that are processed with Optical Character Recognition, or OCR, technology). The viewer will now highlight the search terms and center the current hit within the viewer. Additionally, the Next Hit button should work.

Improved performance

We continue to work on performance issues to make the new viewer (and the underlying services which support it) faster and more responsive. There are still steps to take, but we hope you find that the experience continues to improve over time.

Other miscellaneous improvements

There are other improvements you may notice as you work with the new viewer. Images should now load to the “Fit Width” zoom level by default. The viewer now remembers your zoom settings as you move between images in a collection so you don’t have to reset it as you browse between images during the current session. And we prevent the new viewer from showing up on iOS devices (such as the iPad).

Thank you again for your feedback!

We will continue to make updates to the image viewer. We appreciate your feedback and hope that you will continue to use the survey (click the “What’s Changed” link at the top of the image viewer) and email address (feedback-imageviewer@ancestry.com) to let us know what you think of the image viewer.

Regards,

Jim Mosher

For Australians exploring convict history, the NSW Convict Indents, 1788-1842 provides the ideal starting point, as all convicts on ships transported to Australia were listed in an indent. Details such as name, trial date/location, and sentence are available, with later records also including occupation, to whom a convict was assigned, nativity and detailed physical description.

As early Australian convicts and free settlers established themselves in their new country, almost all aspects of their lives and activities fell under the responsibility of the Governor and were recorded by the colonial secretaries. The NSW Colonial Secretary’s Papers, 1788-1856, are the most comprehensive collection of public records relating to the early years of Australia, following the arrival of the First Fleet.

These records paint a vivid picture of day-to-day life in early Australia as they contain all the letters and records associated with the daily activities of colonial administration in NSW. This includes letters and complaints received, marriage permission requests, character memorials for potential settlers, petitions by convicts for sentence mitigation, pardons, official visit reports, grant or lease applications, information about court cases, import and transportation permits, proclamations, office appointments, affidavits notifying loss of certificates of freedom and tickets of leave.

While most early Australians can be found in these collections, some of the most notable public figures and convict heroes include:

• William Bligh, 4X great grandfather of Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, was the captain of the HMS Bounty, whose crew mutinied against him, and former governor of NSW, who was deposed from that role when the citizens of NSW rebelled against him.
• William Bland, the original Australian larrikin who mocked authority and was convicted of murder and transported to Van Diemen’s Land, then Sydney. A classic case of convict “makes good”, Bland became a member of the Legislative Council but declared bankruptcy the year he resigned.
• Mary Bryant (nee Broad) arrived in Australia as a prisoner with the First Fleet aboard the The Charlotte. During her journey, she gave birth to a baby girl whom she named after the ship. Upon arrival, she married William Bryant, a convicted smuggler who had arrived on the same ship. In a demonstration of the resolve and determination of early Australians, Mary, her husband and a seven-man crew stole one of the governor’s boats and escaped from Botany Bay but were eventually discovered and the boat was shot down on the coast of Timor.
• James Ruse was a Cornish farmer who at the age of 23 was convicted of breaking and entering and was sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia.  He arrived on the First Fleet. When he had 18 months remaining in his sentence, he applied to Governor Philip for a land grant, stating his farming background. Governor Phillip, desperate to make the colony self-sufficient, allocated Ruse an allotment at Rose Hill.  After Ruses’ sentence expired, his land was deeded to him and Ruse became the first person in the colony to receive a land grant.

 Australia Day is an occasion to not only celebrate our great country, but a day to reflect on who we are, where we came from and how our early history shaped our country’s character, attitude and culture.

These new records are a significant addition to our collection, which now surpasses the one billion record mark on the site. They provide one of the most detailed snap shots of the day-to-day life of early Australia and those who founded our country.

These convict records are free to search from 26 January – 29 January 2012. Simply go to www.ancestry.com.au/convict2012 to begin searching.

[i] The Australian Constitution Referendum Study, 1999 

Our NEW London, England, Electoral Registers, 1835-1965, take you back through the history of Britain and London’s democratic system. More than that, they let you trace your English ancestors’ movements between census years and well into the 20th century, giving you far greater precision in your timeline of their lives.

Electoral registers listed everybody in a particular area who had the right to vote. They were started in 1832 and taken just about every year from then on.

At first, they only included middle-class men, as these were the only people who could vote. However, as more and more people were allowed to take part in elections they gradually became comprehensive lists of local adults and by 1928 everyone over the age of 21 was registered.

Electoral registers reveal each person’s name and address. In early records, you might also find details of how they met the voting criteria, such as the size of their property, whether they owned or rented it, and even their occupation.

Because these records were compiled annually they enable you pinpoint any changes to a precise year. For example, you might know that one ancestor moved house between 1871 and 1881. That’s quite a long period of time in comparaison to these days when we might move three or four times in a decade – perhaps more! By following that person through the registers, you can see exactly when their address changed.

The first and last years when a relative appears in the registers are also crucial. Before 1969 each person was added when they reached 21 meaning that you can effectively work out their birth year.  And they were usually listed right up to their death, so a sudden disappearance might suggest they emigrated or passed away that year.

Our new addition, the London Electoral Registers, 1835–1965, is a particularly extensive collection, including more than 139 million records from all over London. Just click here to start searching the records.

Print these fun family-oriented questions and sit down with your loved ones to hear their responses. Brace yourself; their response might surprise you – so don’t forget your pen and paper! You can then add the answers into your Ancestry.com.au Family Tree profile pages.

Family Questions
Do you have a family legend or story that has been passed down for generations?
What traditions do you look forward to at family get-togethers?
What is unique about your family background or ethnicity?
How did your ancestors change your life?
Do you have any advice for future generations?
What is the most important thing you learned from your parents?
When was the best time in your life and why was it great?
What are you most proud of about your family?
How do you want to be remembered?
What is your favorite thing about being part of your family?

My Family
What quirky personality traits run in your family?
What physical characteristics run in your family?
What is/was your favorite activity to do with your mother or father?
How would your family spend a typical day together?
How would your mother or father punish or reward you as a child?
What things did you do with your brothers and sisters when you were growing up?
How have your brothers and sisters influenced your life?

Fun Family Questions
Who is the biggest troublemaker in your family?
Who in your family would you want to be stranded on a desert island with?
Which family member do you think could be famous?
Who do you most want to be like in your family?
Who has the best sense of humour in your family?

World Questions
What do you think was the biggest problem facing the world when you were growing up?
What do you think is the biggest problem facing the world today?
What do you think are the discoveries and inventions that changed your life?
What do you think the world will be like for your family’s future generations in 100 years?
What is your wish for the future generations of your family?

For all of our Ancestry.com.au users that have been patiently waiting for an Android app, your wait is over! We’re happy to announce the launch of our new Android app.

Download the app now.

The new Ancestry.com.au app for Android phones and tablets allows you to interact with your Ancestry.com.au family tree while on the go. Not only can you view and edit your existing family trees, but you can also build new family trees from scratch, add new family members, edit their information, add and edit life events, and view historical records that have been attached on Ancestry.com.au –anytime, anywhere. You never know where or when you’ll make a new discovery. It’s like having your entire family tree in your pocket!

Here’s what you can do with the new Android app:

• View your family tree on your Android phone or tablet (you can easily zoom in or out to see anywhere from 2 to 5 or more generations)
• Start a new family tree or add to an existing one easily
• View life events and family members for the ancestors in your tree
• Add, edit and delete people, life events and facts
• Easily locate any ancestor in your family tree with our handy search tool
• View historical documents and indexed information that you’ve attached to your family tree on Ancestry.com.au
• Many more features (like photos) coming soon… stay tuned!

To get started, download the Ancestry.com.au Android app here.

The iOS version of the Ancestry.com.au app is also available. Find out more.

2,000 Australian and New Zealand residents were surveyed, the results highlighting that the family trait of keeping skeletons in the closet is universal. In both Australia and New Zealand, almost 12 per cent of people said family members refused to discuss family secrets or rumours. Fortunately, it would appear that you don’t have to shake the family tree too hard to uncover your own family secret as almost one third (33 per cent) of respondents in both countries have discovered one by chance.

But not all are so easily revealed – more than half of Australians (55 per cent) currently exploring their family history are seeking to shed light on a family secret. 35 per cent also said that confronting a family secret resulted in them getting in touch with relatives they didn’t know previously, and that it also brought their family closer together.

Australia is a nation driven by a curiosity about our past, with 62 per cent of those surveyed exploring their family history in order to find out where their ancestors came from. Three quarters (75 per cent) think knowing their family history is important, although 72 per cent are yet to explore their roots. 43 per cent said that they want to know about their family history in order to share it with their children.

Given the time of year, it is the perfect opportunity for Australians to sit down with their relatives and start to explore their family history.

 Brad Argent, content director, Ancestry.com.au, comments: “One of the most common regrets I hear from people is that they didn’t ask questions about their family, and particularly the older members, when they had the chance.

“Every family has an interesting story to tell, and this research certainly proves that we Australians are curious about our past – even if we have yet to explore it. Where we came from and how we got here are just such fundamental questions for us all and Christmas is the perfect time to start discussing them with your family.”

 To begin searching your family history, visit www.ancestry.com.au.