Heritage
I have fond rainy-day memories as a child sorting through family photographs my grandparents kept in an old biscuit tin. Researching my family history has enabled me to put names to long-forgotten faces and to flesh out captivating stories behind the many individuals’ images that otherwise risked being lost to memory. Identifying individuals by name is just part of the story. Tracing the location of ancestral homes, discovering individuals’ occupations and their associates, period diets, fashion, education and life journeys across the globe seeking prosperity or adventure have been central to framing my perspective of their characters and recording a family history for future generations to build upon.
Relating anecdotes of one’s ancestors lives has proven an ice-breaker in my travels among societies where story-telling and reverence of elders is steeped in culture
and tradition.
There also comes a certain satisfaction in substantiating, or disputing, family myths; breaking genealogical ‘brick walls’ when clues to further lines of research unravel; and uncovering censored stories that have contributed to individuals’ intriguing ancestral profiles.
CASE STUDY
LEWIS FAMILY
The Lewis Family project traces the genealogy of Welsh farm labourers from Abercar Farm, Vaynor who immigrated to Rockhampton, Australia aboard the ‘Scottish Knight’ in 1877 at a time when the Queensland Government was actively encouraging settlement of the northern part of the colony.
When employment could not be secured for married couples with children the Lewis family drifted south to Petersham, NSW where Rice Lewis Sr. obtained work as a fireman at the local brick pit. Rice’s eldest son, Rice Lewis Jr. worked as a tram driver and was the father of Reginald Lewis (1908 - 1977), a self-taught musician, who after completing an apprenticeship in fitting and turning, went on to become one of Australia’s foremost jazz pianists.
Reg Lewis was a leading member of Frank Coughlan’s Sydney orchestra and conductor of the ABC Orchestra during the 1950s. Together with his wife, Barbara James (1906 - 2002), an accomplished saxophonist and singer, he was a popular figure among the Sydney music scene throughout the 1930s - 1970’s, including time spent overseas entertaining allied troops stationed in post-war Libya, Germany England and Korea.
SKILL SETS
Forensic analysis of genealogical documents
Deciphering and transcribing early scripts
Handling, preservation and storage of archival material
Travel planning
Map reading
Interviewing
Report writing
