Have you always wanted to know about your family history?
This month might be the best time to get in touch with the Busselton Family History Society.
Long time society member Ivan Sandler is a great example of how the group can give you access to an abundance of information about your genealogy.
Mr Sandler has been researching his family for eight years and beforehand did not know anything about his father's family.
Through the society, Mr Sandler discovered his Great-Grand-Parents, Joseph and Miriam Sandler and Grand-parents Harris and Esther Sandler were born in Ukraine, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and later Russia.
"They all migrated to London in the five years prior to 1903," he said.
"In the early 20th Century my fathers family were all Jewish, my mother's family were a mixture of Catholic and Anglican.
"As a member of the Busselton Family History Society I have traced and visited family in New York, USA, Kingston, Canada, England and Scotland."
Mr Sandler has been able to trace back seven generations of his mother's maternal family, including their dates and place of birth.
"My mother's maternal family were from Barnoldswick on the boarder Yorkshire's west riding and Lancashire's eastern boarder," he said.
"They were originally from Antrim, Northern Ireland - I have traced them back four generations."
Mr Sandler's most interesting discovery would have to be when he found out he had four half brothers from his father's side and one half sister from his mother's side.
He has been able to meet two of his brothers, one in Glasgow and one in the Gold Coast. Mr Sandler's half sister has visited him in Busselton from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.
August is family history month and the society will have static displays and two free information workshops.
The session will be for beginners and will be at the Dunsborough City Library on August 10 at 1pm.
The second session will be at the Busselton City Library on August 11 at 10am.
Bookings are essential and there is a limit of 20 spots per session.
The Australian census will be conducted on August 10. The census provides pivotal information for a group like the Busselton Family History Society.
However, in Australian the census records are destroyed once all the required information is collated.
You do have a choice for it not to be destroyed, and to do that you just mark the relevant section in the census survey.
The National Archives of Australia will preserve your information including your name and address in a highly secure census time capsule for 99 years.
Jemillah Dawson
I started as a journalist in 2011 and now manage mastheads in the South West of WA. My passion is politics and sport. I believe we are the voice for the community but also we inform the community of what they need to know. Email jemillah.dawson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
I started as a journalist in 2011 and now manage mastheads in the South West of WA. My passion is politics and sport. I believe we are the voice for the community but also we inform the community of what they need to know. Email jemillah.dawson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
