Gold Coast Family History Society Inc.

16/06/2026

Another interesting and informative History Queensland newsletter from volunteer Editor Clive. Check it out for a wide variety of news.

11/06/2026

An interesting story. Sad he hasn’t been identified even using DNA.

It has been 40 years since this man was found at a bus stop in Cork. For all that time, Gardaí have been trying to determine who he is.

A public appeal for information has been renewed to identify the man, who spent decades in hospital in Cork without ever sharing any information that could help staff formally identify him.

In August of 1986, he was found at a bus stop in Ballincollig and brought to St Stephens Hospital in Glanmire. He died 35 years later in 2021, without officials ever determining his name or if he had any family.

He was buried in St Finbarr's Cemetery in Glasheen. Gardaí have been working for years to track down his family so he may finally have his identity back.

Investigators have worked with Interpol to pursue possible leads in the United States, Canada and Wales. However, no DNA match was ever found, and Gardaí have since exhausted any remaining lines of inquiry. Full story here: https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/cork-gardai-need-help-identify-34015327

09/06/2026

What a wonderful resource! A big thanks to all the fantastic volunteers.

Another fantastic update from the Ryerson Index!

Since our last update on 25 April, our dedicated volunteers have added an incredible 37,483 records to the Index.

It's been a little quiet from us, we do apologise, sometimes life gets in the way! Rest assured we're always working in the background ;)

Every record represents another piece of family history preserved and made accessible for researchers, genealogists and families around Australia and beyond.

To our volunteers – thank you for your ongoing commitment, attention to detail and countless hours of work. Your efforts continue to make the Ryerson Index an invaluable resource for the family history community.

📊 Records updated since 25/04: 37,483
📅 Reporting period: 02 May – 06 June 2026

31/05/2026

Everybody's family has a story. You could enter yours into the E M Fletcher writing competition. Entries close 15 July 2026.
Details:
https://www.familyhistoryact.org.au/writingcompetition

31/05/2026

Thank you to Helen Smith for two interesting and enjoyable presentations yesterday. Lots of good ideas to work with. Looking forward to another visit Helen.

23/05/2026

Do you have Welsh ancestors?click on the photo and then the link in the comments.

Do you have Welsh ancestors? This area of family history research can be tricky - but there are lots of great online records collections to help you get started 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

22/05/2026

You can search this wonderful resource in our rooms as we have a subscription. Free for members.

The Illustrated London News, 7 September 1889, depicts riverside wharves during the Dock Labourers' Strike. Following the success of the Matchgirls' Strike the previous year, over 100,000 London Dockers and Tailors protested poor working conditions and minimal pay https://bit.ly/49yhRaQ

19/05/2026

Also available on Ancestry.

The records of the 1926 Census were released on 18 April 2026, exactly one hundred years after the first census of the Irish Free State was conducted. This landmark collection is now freely searchable on the National Archives Ireland website: https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census

Explore the National Library of Ireland's new guide to unlocking your past, and discover what the 1926 Census can reveal for family history research: https://www.nli.ie/news-stories/stories/exploring-family-history-after-1926-census-release

[Image: Family group photograph commissioned by Mr J. Brennan, Broad Street, Waterford, 1926. https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000594021]

19/05/2026

We have at last finished upgrading the Digitisation Searching System on the SynScan Digitisation computer to search the 412 family history books that the SuperScannerTeam processed. The old search system was slow and clunky, the new searching uses a different system, is so much faster and takes you straight to the relevant page.
The instructions are next to the computer.

Room assistants will be able to help you. I used the new searching system on Saturday and found it easy to use. Also I found numerous entries for family members.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who have been digitising books and providing us with such a valuable researching tool.

18/05/2026

A huge THANK YOU to our many wonderful volunteers whose help keeps our Society running smoothly. We appreciate you - not just this week but all year.