Hawkesbury Family History Group

08/06/2026

Congratulations Ryerson https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Gs1pPpBww/

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

05/06/2026

Anyone interested in family and local history is welcome to the next Hawkesbury Family History Group meeting, co-ordinated by Hawkesbury Library Service, next week. Join genealogist Melissa Hulbert as she shares stories and lessons learned while researching the local Hulbert and Rutter families.

📆Wednesday 10 June, 10am - 11:15am
📍Central Library, 300 George Street Windsor
💻This event is FREE & available in person or online via Zoom (Bookings only required if attending online https://hawkesbury-family-history-group.eventbrite.com.au)

Image: Hulbert family

14/05/2026

Hawkesbury Library Service now provides free Digitisation service for members ...

📷Looking for an easy way to preserve your family photos? Our new Digitisation Studio is a free technology space where Hawkesbury Library members can scan photos, film slides, documents, and even convert DVDs and video casettes to digital files!

One of our favourite features of this space is the EPSON FastFoto picture scanner which allows you to scan thousands of photos with just the click of a button. Perfect for digitising your family photo albums.

📞To learn more about our Digitisation Studio and book, call us on 02 4560 4460 or email [email protected].

https://www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/library/services/technology-resources/digitisation-studio

14/05/2026

Interesting post from Hawkesbury Library Service ...

: This is an unusual mode of transport, which obviously didn't catch on in the Hawkesbury 😅This striking image has captured a well dressed group with their pet dog in a boat, attached to a horse and cart.

It came with some donations of the local area, with a few photographs from the Tumut area and appears to be taken around the 1900s. We wondered where they may have been been headed and what stories did they carry with them?

14/05/2026

Update from Ryerson index...

WEBSITE UPDATE NOTICE

The Ryerson Index website updates will be temporarily placed on hold for approximately 4 weeks while essential behind-the-scenes work is undertaken.

During this period:
• Search functions and existing records will remain available
• Lookups will continue as normal
• Volunteers will continue indexing in the background
• New updates and uploads will resume once work is completed

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time as we work to improve our systems and processes behind the scenes.

Expect a VERY large update when we're back up!
Thank you to our wonderful volunteers and supporters for your continued dedication to The Ryerson Index.

13/05/2026

13/05/2026

Did you catch last night's episode last night of 'Who Do you think you Are?' featuring broadcaster Bruce McAvaney? Season 17 will focus on Guy Sebastian, Curtis Stone, Rosie Batty, Matt Day, Essie Davis, Aaron Pedersen and Chrissie Swan embarking on their personal journeys into their family history, uncovering stories of love and loss. Check out the trailer https://youtu.be/FSBPgZoU5Hg Watch all the episodes on SBS demand https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/who-do-you-think-you-are

2 likes. "Who Do You Think You Are? (Season 17) | Official Trailer | 12 May on SBS and SBS On Demand"

10/05/2026

Thinking of our Mothers and Grandmothers and all of the wonderful women in our family tree...today on Mother's Day. Please share a photo or story of a special mother/grandmother/great grandmother ancestor from your tree with us.

10/05/2026

Sign the petition now to oppose a controversial development proposal in Parramatta. This has reignited debate over how the city balances growth with preservation. The Heritage Council is currently assessing Elizabeth Farm, Hambeldon Cottage and Experiment Farm as a group National Heritage Listing, with Mr Charlton confirming he is working with Federal Heritage Minister Murray Watt to maintain momentum on the listing process.

The petition has been established by Parramatta Federal MP Andrew Charlton to protect key heritage sites in Parramatta.

》》 Sign petition here 👇
https://www.andrewcharlton.com.au/community/stop-gregory-place-save-parramatta-s-heritage-petition/
》》Full article https://parramattatimes.com.au/news/6000-strong-petition-to-save-parramatta-heritage/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CKmd9wS71/

26/04/2026

Hawkesbury Library Service will be doing tour of historic cemeteries at Sackville & Wilberforce. Thu 7 May and Sat 16 May. Spots are limited book via Eventbrite https://hawkesbury-cemetary-tours.eventbrite.com.au