Dead Discussions

 At our July monthly meeting our theme of death engendered  some lively discussions that were serious and sometimes tinged with humour.

The Discussion Group was directed by our member Jan who, prior to the meeting, had provided a useful set of discussion points. That members were generous and felt comfortable in sharing personal reflections and stories resulted in a most successful session. We heard stories of people going out under the cover of darkness to scatter a loved ones ashes, tales of trying to locate death records and the disappointment of visiting a cemetery to find a bare unmarked lot as an ancestor's final resting place. Several members discussed the usefulness of FindaGrave as a resource. One member even brought along as a prop an empty ashes urn from a crematorium. At the end of the allocated hour those present agreed to extend the session and continue the conversation.

There are over 30,000 entries related to Lake Macquarie on FindaGrave

 

Our Guest Speaker was our own member Jill who further explored death with a focus on end of life celebrations and final resting places in a presentation "Six Feet Under Downunder". Contributions from members throughout this session added further depth to the talk.

It was rewarding to note that those in attendance felt that our Group provided a comfortable environment to relate personal stories on a sometimes taboo subject.

Following (in order of presentation) are links to the websites mentioned in Six Feet Under Downunder. 

Death: the last taboo   https://australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/death-the-last-taboo/

Aboriginal Burials Fact Sheet  https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/Aboriginal-burials-fact-sheet_0.pdf

Guidelines for Aboriginal cultural and spiritual requirements for burial and cremation in NSW 
https://www.cemeteries.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/guidelines-for-aboriginal-cultural-and-spiritual-requirements-for-burial-and-cremation-in-nsw.pdf  

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Deaths   https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/deaths-australia/latest-release

Green Burials  https://jamesmurray.com.au/eco-friendly-funeral-options-a-guide-to-sustainable-farewells/

Cremation Jewellery  https://keepsakejewellery.com.au/collections/cremation-jewellery

Memorial Forest Pipers Ridge  https://www.pipersridge.com.au/

Southern Cryonics  https://www.sandbox.southerncryonics.com/

Aquamation  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cremation

Terramation  https://returnhome.com/return-home-process/

Salvos Funerals  https://salvosfunerals.com.au/

Biographical Database of Australia  https://www.bda-online.org.au/

What you can expect to see on an historical* AUS BDM certificate  https://www.jaunay.com/bdm.html

Civil Registration NSW  https://www.nsw.gov.au/family-and-relationships/family-history-search

Probate and Estate Files at Museums of History NSW  https://mhnsw.au/archive/subjects/?filter=guides

NSW Online Probate Notices  (2013-)  https://onlineregistry.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/content/search-probate-notices

ARK Kit  https://mhnsw.au/guides/archives-resources-kit/

Sydney, Australia, Anglican Parish Registers, 1814-2011 (need Ancestry Sub)

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61177

Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/  

Newcastle Herald Tributes and Funerals  https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/tributes-funerals/

Sydney Morning Herald Death Notices  https://tributes.smh.com.au/au/obituaries/smh-au/browse

Ryerson Index Search  https://ryersonindex.org/search.php

Australian Family Histories: a Bibliography & Index  https://familyhistory.asn.au/

Obituaries Australia  https://oa.anu.edu.au/

Deaths and Funeral Notices Australia  https://deathsandfunerals.com.au/

Familysearch Australia, Cemetery Inscriptions, 1800-1960  
https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/collection/1534449

Metropolitan Memorial Parks Find a Loved One  https://www.metropolitanmemorialparks.com.au/find-a-loved-one

Bathurst Cemetery Index  https://library.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/Research-History/Bathurst-Cemetery-Index

Waverley Cemeteries Finding Loved Ones  
https://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/cemeteries/finding_loved_ones

LMFHG Librarything Catalogue  https://www.librarything.com/profile/LMFHG

Australian Cemeteries Index  https://www.austcemindex.com/

CWGC Find War Dead  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/

Hawkesbury Cemetery and Grave Register  https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/cemetery/index.html

Billion Graves  https://billiongraves.com/

FindaGrave  https://www.findagrave.com/

James Murray Funerals Newcastle Search  https://jamesmurray.com.au/live-streaming/

Barbara King Funerals Search  https://www.barbarakingfunerals.com.au/obituaries

Discover Your Family History at the Library

Our Group was pleased to receive an invitation to present a session, Discover Your Family History at the Library,  at 10am on Thursday 30 July at Speers Point Library, milyaba, as part of Library and Information Week. 

Of course we accepted this invitation with enthusiasm. We are keen to share the joy of family history with members of our local community. Some of us will stay on after the event to chat with attendees.  

Numbers are limited so, please, register for this event via the link on the Library website https://library.lakemac.com.au/Events/Discover-your-Family-History-at-the-Library#

We will introduce you to the research process and resources outlined in the event description on the Library website. 

"Join members of the Lake Macquarie Family History Group for an overview of available resources, including Ancestry.com, Findmypast, and a range of other archives and databases, and learn how to begin your family history journey. They'll show you what's available, share tips for getting started, and help you plan your research.

Enjoy a morning tea and discover what the Family History Group and Lake Mac Libraries have to offer. Whether you're a beginner or looking to build on your existing research, this session is the perfect place to start."

Meeting this Saturday

The theme for our meeting on Saturday relates to death, an important event in everyone's lives. As family historians we seek answers to these questions about our ancestors.

Where, when and how did, they die?

Where are they resting.

Visitors are welcome at all of our meetings.

We can't get by without ...

 our volunteers. 

ANZAC Day

Local Servicemen in World War 2

Did you know that this booklet listing many WW2 veterans from the Lake Mac area can be downloaded from the library website?

https://history-service.lakemac.com.au/Emu/Application/13528.pdf

Lest we forget - 18th April

Members, please be ready to share your stories of "Others who served. "