A wretched looking creature; the story of poor old Peggy Sullivan
17 minute read ‘The prisoner was a wretched looking creature, and a depredator of the lowest class.’ The year is 1809, the courtroom is the infamous Old Bailey in London...
Read MoreA 19th century history hero; John Thomas Duck’s family photo album
6 minute read Last week I wrote about making a start on taking and documenting family photographs. This week I look at the humble family photo album and their importance...
Read MoreMeaningful moments; the importance of documenting family photographs
9 minute read This week’s blog is a lesson in how to start recording your family’s history, starting with one photograph at a time. My paternal grandfather Charlie died when...
Read MoreThe price of love is grief; Ellen Broadie’s story
14 minute read This week’s Sunday Storytelling blog is a tribute to my favourite ancestor, my paternal 2 x great grandmother, Ellen Broadie. Am I allowed to say favourite ancestor?...
Read MoreCommotion in Cambridge Street
7 min read This week I examine the life of another Earl Grey Irish famine orphan girl who lived in Sydney in the mid-19th century. Anyone who has ever been...
Read MoreThe gentleman’s messenger; a story of serendipity
8 minute read I know I am reasonably rare in that I mostly live in the past. Whilst the present and the future are incredibly important and should be focused...
Read MorePurple geraniums on the windowsill; memories of my grandmother Irene
6 minute read Tomorrow will be my paternal grandmother Irene’s 99th birthday. We lost her nearly nine years ago but her presence within our family still looms large. All these...
Read MoreAnd they called him Smiler
9 minute read A few weeks ago, I wrote the sad story of the death of my Great Uncle Syd. (Blog: The dark heart of the harbour). He died in...
Read MoreMayhem in the Haymarket
10 minute read In 2011, I began work on a project to identify all the Earl Grey Irish famine orphans who had been gaoled in Sydney post their arrival in...
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