Redland Genealogical Society

20/02/2026

Stories are still emerging from our past. It is important to remember these events, they shape the future of our families and our communities. What stories are lurking in the shadows of your family's past?

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17t7Vdy8L1/

The most dangerous thing she owned wasn’t a weapon. It was paper.

In a Japanese prisoner of war camp on Sumatra during the Second World War, Australian Army nurse Sister Agnes “Betty” Jeffrey kept a diary - even though diaries were actively searched for, and being caught with one could mean severe punishment - even death.

So she hid it. Writing things down let her hold onto truth in a place designed to control it.

At one point, she rolled up her two exercise books and hid them under the bench where she slept. They were concealed inside a beer bottle. When the women were moved, she wore the diary around her waist in a pouch fashioned out of a fish bag, under her clothes.

And then she came terrifyingly close to being caught.

When she was moved to Bangka Island in 1944, she got off a boat and realised the diary had fallen away. She thought she’d lost it forever. But a Japanese guard found the bag and called out, “Whose is this?” Jeffrey put her hand up - and he handed it back without looking inside.

Those pages - written in secret - survive in the Memorial’s Collection alongside other fragile traces of life in captivity, including drawings, sheet music, poems.

🔗 Learn more: https://brnw.ch/21x06ji

--
📸 Image: Betty and Vivian Bullwinkel during their London visit (supplied).

19/02/2026

A great tip ....

Look for Multiple Death Records.
Some ancestors have more than one death record (for instance, a death certificate, a burial register entry, a headstone, probate records). Comparing them can reveal conflicting - and revealing - details about family connections, addresses & more.

18/02/2026

DNA ethnicity seems to be quite a trend these days but just remember they are only estimates. What really matters are the DNA matches. Coupled with traditional genealogy research, DNA matches can help us break down those pesky and frustrating brick walls, those family mysteries and throw up some surprises (or scandals that need more delicate research).

So you did a test and don't know what to do now? Come and talk to our GRAs about how to start and develop your family history research. They are on duty now (9:30am-12:30pm) or any of the regular scheduled GRA days in our Genie Room in the Cleveland Library (cnr Middle and Bloomfield Sts, Cleveland). The GRAs are on duty on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (9:30am-12:30pm) and Saturday afternoons (12:30pm-3:30pm).

Our members also meet at the Donald Simpson Centre in Cleveland on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 12:15pm. Our members love to help others, give valuable advice (our GRAs in particular) and share their experiences, tips, hints and information about resources. All visitors are welcome.

15/02/2026

Monday Murmerings

Now that the romance of Valentine's Day has subsided, what about finding those historical romances in your family's past? Just imagine, an ancestor has met the love of their life on board a ship whilst departing their homeland to Australia. It did happen, or finding love whilst working in a stately home or manor house as a maid, butler or groomsman?

The only way to find these famly stories, is to go delving into your family's history and doing some genealogical research. We can help you with that. The thrill of finding amazing stories and events in your family's past is something all of us family historians and genealogists thrive on. Genealogy is more than just names and dates, it is about the lives of those who come before us and without whom we would not exist.

So why not pop into our Genie Room at the Cleveland Library when our GRAs are on duty? (9:30am-12:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30pm-3:30pm on Saturdays). Have a chat with our lovely volunteers who are there to help show you how to start, help find those elusive ancestors and guide you through the thrill of the chase.

13/02/2026

Oh if only! Valentines day tomorrow, now who is going to hear this line on the day? 😇😁🤣😍

Hmmm, maybe I'll just head into the Genie room tomorrow afternoon and find a romantic story involving my ancestors instead.

10/02/2026

Who said genealogist and family historian can only be found in a library, cemetary or behind their computer screens?

Not so, today our merry bunch of enthusiasts will be meeting at 12:15pm at the Donald Simpson Centre for our monthly meeting where members and guests share their experiences in the hunt for their ancestors.

Also today, our first Guest Speaker of the year, Kristianne Bucknall from Redland Libraries, will be there with her presentation, "Ways to Organsie Your Family History Notes". Visitors are most welcome to attend. There is a modest $2 entry fee (to help us cover our costs for the venue hire) and the cafe on site has a range of yummy things to eat and drink, if you are wanting some nourishment.

Just remember, we are not for profit society, staffed by volunteers and we love to share our passion for family history with anyone interested. There are so many great stories yet to be revealed, will your family be amongst those?

08/02/2026

Monday Murmerings

Yea! The members are meeting for the first time this year at the Donald Simpson Centre, Cnr Bloomfield and Russell Streets, Cleveland at 12:15pm on Wednesday 11th February. We do so love sharing our stories, finds and handy tips but more than that, we have a great Guest Speaker, Kristianne Bucknall from Redland Libraries, to speak to us about "Ways to organsie your Family History Notes".

A very welcome topic indeed when you consider that so much can be found and we need to make sense of every note, record or story we uncover.

Naturally the GRAs will continue to be on hand in the Genie Room at their regular dates and times (9:30am-12:30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30pm-3:30pm on Saturdays).

Visitors are most welcome to come along to our member's General Meeting on Wednesday and pop into or Genie Room to talk to us about your family history needs. We just love to help.

07/02/2026

A good reason to go into our Genie Room! The GRAs are there now until 3:30pm today. Pop in and see why we love genealogy /family history so much.

04/02/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GZjJ5ex9s/

Do you have ancestors buried in Nundah Historic Cemetery? So many stories have been revealed about people resting there which have been recorded in a book that is about to be launched on Sunday.

Send a message to learn more

01/02/2026

Monday Murmerings

Need help? Borders change over the centuries as does spelling! Our GRAs are really good at helping cut through the confusion. So if you have one of those genealogical road blocks, have a chat with our GRAs on Tuesday or Thursday morning between 9:30am and 12:30pm or Saturday afternoon from 12:30pm until 3:30pm. They can help set you in the right direction.

In the meantime, our Management Committee are meeting to finalise the arrangements for next week's general (member's ) meeting at the Donald Simpson Centre. It will be a great start to the year.

Whether you have delved back over centuries or not yet started your family history (genealogical) research, you are most welcome to visit our Genie Room at the Cleveland Library, when the GRAs are in attendance to help you, as well as attending our monthly general meeting and listen to our guest speakers.

Our meetings are where we share our hints and tips and advice on new and useful resources, listen to wonderful and engaging guest speaker on very informative and relevant topics. As well and like-minded family historians helping each other and sharing our research experiences. So why not join in and see why we find it the most absorbing of hobbies?

01/02/2026

An online course that may be of interest. Please don't forget that our Society can also assist in learning to understand the basics of genealogy/family history research and help you learn to navigate various subscription sites, software packages and of course, those tricky research road blocks (brick walls).

Next week we have a new course starting: Making the Most of Ancestry course – Level 1
3 sessions: 2 February, 16 February, 2 March | live online course which will be recorded
💻 From $180: https://www.sag.org.au/event-6482697

Ancestry is powerful, but are you using it well?

This practical, confidence-building course is designed for family historians who want clarity, structure and better results from Ancestry. Across three live online sessions, you will learn how Ancestry really works and how to develop strong, sustainable research habits covering:

Navigating Ancestry with confidence
Understanding trees, settings, and relationships
Attaching records with purpose
Building clear, effective research workflows

Perfect for new or self-taught Ancestry users, this course includes a comprehensive workbook to support learning during and after the sessions.

Presenters: Andrew Redfern, Vanessa Cassin & Gemma Beswick
📈 Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate
Level 1 focuses on essential foundations — with DNA and advanced techniques coming in later courses.
👉 Ready to stop guessing and start researching with confidence? Join us from 2 February.

30/01/2026

Now that is dedication 😁😂 Just how many of us would benefit from a grave such as this? I wish!

But in the real world, this takes time and a lot of research, which we can help you with. Our Genie Room is open for visitors, whether you have vast experience in researching your family's history or none at all, on Saturday afternoon from 12:30pm until 3:30pm.

Why not pop in and see how we can help you?