Coffs Harbour District Family History Society Inc.

29/10/2026

On this day (29th October) ....

In 1390 the first trial for witchcraft was held in Paris.

In 1618 - English adventurer, writer and courtier, Walter Raleigh, was beheaded for allegedly conspiring against King James I of England.

In 1682 - William Penn lands at what is now Chester, Pennsylvania.

In 1787 the opera "Don Giovanni" by Mozart premiered in Prague.

In 1889 - Queen Victoria grants Cecil Rhodes rights to Zambezia.

1894 - first election of Hawaiian Republic.

1927 - Frank Sedgeman, former world no. 1 tennis player, was born in 1927.

1929 - stock market crash on Wall Street, known as "Black Tuesday" triggers the Great Depression.

1956 - Maria Callas make her Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Bellini's "Norma".

1964 - Australian Bobby Simpson completes a cricket century in each innings against Pakistan.

1969 - US Supreme Court orders to end all school segregation "at once."

1994 - Pink Floyd finish their final concert tour with a show at Earl's Court in London

29/10/2026

Our seminar on Female Convicts, Elizabeth Fry and the Female Factory at Parramatta was held last Saturday 24th October 2026. Vicki Osborn from Maitland and Beyond Family History Group was the presenter.

The presentation was well received and informative, and was enjoyed by those who attended.

We look forward to offering more interesting workshops/seminars in 2027.

01/10/2026

We have been asked by Yass & District Historical Society to pass on the following information to our members .....

This spring, Yass & District Historical Society is participating in Digging up the Past, a weekend of events (Friday 30 October - Sunday 1 November) in conjunction with the Yass Railway Museum and the Liberty Theatre. Talks, walks, and a movie have been brough together to offer a unique weekend of historical information and entertainment in Yass Valley, rich in history and set in a picturesque landscape.

Echoes of the Harp is a full day weekend seminar on Sunday 1 November with a great line-up of seven knowledgeable speakers and a musician, with morning tea and lunch provided. Primarily, the program has been created with family historians in mind but has much to offer local historians and those with a general interest in the Irish, many of whom chose Yass and southern NSW as their new home.

Please visit the website https://yasshistory.org.au/activities for further details of the presentations. Places are limited for all events so bookings are essential and can be made with Trybooking https://trybooking.com/events/landing/1650637

Two other events being hosted that weekend are walking tours with refreshments included. Gruesome Graveside Yarns (Friday 30 October) https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1645746 and Boozers and Baddies of Binalong (Saturday 31 October) https://www.trybooking.com.events/landing/1641722

The Yass Valley History Centre with our exhibition National Treasures, Local Stories featuring items from our nationally significant collection, our extensive archive and bookshop will be open on Saturday 31 October from 1 pm to 4 pm and again on Sunday 1 November from 10 am to 3 pm.

If you intend to stay overnight in Yass, please book your accommodation early to avoid disappointment.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to a great weekend in Yass Valley.

Kind regards
Cheryl Mongan
President
Yass & District Historical Society
https://yasshistory.org.au

The Yass & District Historical Society is an inclusive community group dedicated to preserving the built and natural heritage of the Yass Valley and is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission as a charity

01/10/2026

Our AGM was held on Saturday 26th September 2026, and an election of office bearers was held, with results as follows:

President: Fiona Hulbert
Vice President: Gail Buckingham
Secretary: Cheryl Dal Pozzo
Treasurer: Ruth Dorward

This was followed by a General Meeting, and then a very interesting presentation by Sergio Spagnolo on producing albums from your old photos.

Sergio uses Big W and has an account with them. He has produced about 20 albums so far and they are popular with relatives, who ask for copies.

Sergio gave information about scanning and editing photos. He uses a program called Album TD, and does his editing in that before uploading.

02/09/2026

COMING SOON! ITALIAN RECORDS COURSE, delivered online and recorded.

Each session is held on a Wednesday morning from 9 am - 11.30 am AEST, commencing 16 September 2026

Commune and Chiesa: Unlocking Online Italian Town and Church Records - this is a four week online course delivered in partnership by the Society of Australian Genealogists and Family History Academy, and taught by specialist researcher Barbara Bombaci, CG. It is designed for family historians who are ready to move beyond what migration records can tell them and work directly in the sources their ancestors left behind.

Italian civil and church records can be extraordinarily rich, capturing multiple generations of family information in a single document, yet they vary considerably by region, period, and record type, and navigating what exists, where it is held, and how to use it requires both knowledge and strategy. This course addresses that directly, guiding participants through records spanning three distinct historical periods and two parallel record-keeping system, civil and ecclesiastical, with a focus on building transferable skills rather than on-off finds.

https://pastinpractice.au/product/commune-and-chiesa-unlocking-online-italian-town-church-records/

About the presenter: Barbara Bombaci brings specialist knowledge of Italian records, repositories, and research strategy to every session. Participants leave not just with new techniques but with a genuine understanding of the Italian archival landscape - and the confidence to keep researching long after the course ends.

NOTE: This fee is in Australian dollars. If you would prefer to pay in US dollars, please go to this link on the Family History Academy website.

02/09/2026

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - to be held on Saturday 26th September at the Community Village, commencing 1.30 pm.

If you would like to nominate for a position on the committee, or if you would like to nominate another member, please complete a nomination form (available from the Family History rooms) before closing date on 23rd September, 2026.

Executive positions vacant are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer.

Following the AGM we will have a General Meeting and workshop, with Sergio Spagnolo presenting on how to make your photos into a special book.

This will be followed by an afternoon tea. It would be appreciated if you could assist with a small plate of food to share. The usual $5 workshop fee will be waived for this month only.

If you have any queries, please call 6648 3605, email us at [email protected], or call into the rooms.

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

02/09/2026

Ancestry DNA have a great Father's Day deal on at the moment for $59 (up to $85 off).

The offer ends on 6 September 2026 at 11.59 pm, and excludes shipping and taxes.

08/07/2026

DON'T FORGET OUR TRIP FOR FAMILY HISTORY MONTH, TAKING THE PLACE OF OUR AUGUST WORKSHOP .........

This is promising to be a great outing, so please support the Society and come along!

We will be visiting the Nambucca Valley Historical Museum on Saturday 22nd August 2026.

We will meet at the museum at 50 Liston Street, Nambucca Heads at 1.00 pm.

Admission will be $5 per person which includes tea and biscuits.

Please notify us if you wish to attend: [email protected], 6648 3605 or call in to the rooms let us know.

Car pooling is suggested.