August is Family History Month

August is Family History Month across Australia and New Zealand - a month dedicated to events relating to family history, to encourage our community to explore their family connections and celebrate the stories, records and people who have shaped our lives. Whether you're just beginning your family history journey or have been researching for years, there's never been a better time to discover where you come from.

This year's theme, Ancestors: Mundane to Magnificent, reminds us that every family has stories worth discovering. While a few ancestors may have achieved remarkable things, the ordinary lives they lived - their work, families, challenges and everyday experiences - are just as important. Together, these stories form the rich tapestry of our shared history.

The month begins with the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations (AFFHO) Family History Month Opening Ceremony, presented online and open to everyone. It's a wonderful way to launch a month of learning, inspiration and connection with family historians from across Australia and New Zealand.

Here at Family History ACT, we've put together an exciting program of events throughout August, with something for every level of experience.

Tuesday 4 August at 7pm FHACT August Meeting: A Tale of Two Cities: Uncovering intergenerational mobility in Australia's past [in person and on Zoom]

How much did family background shape life in colonial Australia? In her presentation, Dr Lisa Hackett from the University of New England explores how growing up as the child of a convict or a passage-assisted migrant influenced opportunities and life outcomes. Drawing on the University of New England's A Tale of Two Cities project, Dr Hackett will reveal how more than three million digitised colonial records are being used to trace thousands of individual life stories across South Australia and Tasmania.

Saturday 8 August 1pm – 5pm Mini Conference Assisted Migration to Australia [in person and on zoom]

Don’t miss our feature event during Family History month. Three outstanding speakers - Dr Richard Reid OAM, Amanda King-Hardie from the National Archives of Australia, and maritime educator Mike Traynor will explore the records, journeys and experiences of migrants who made Australia their home. Whether your ancestors arrived as assisted migrants or you're simply fascinated by Australia's migration story, this promises to be an informative and engaging afternoon.  Don't miss this one!

Monday 17 August 7.30pm – 9.30pm Digging Deeper with AI Projects – building a genealogy research workspace [Zoom only]

Watch AI read a handwritten page from more than a century ago — then follow one real ancestor from a faded register entry through to a finished, sourced report.

Most of us meet AI the same way: one chat, one question, a promising answer — and then the next day we’re explaining the whole family puzzle from scratch all over again. The real shift comes when you stop treating AI as a search box and start giving it a proper place to work.

In this session, Shelly Wilson builds that place in front of you, using one real, completed research project. Harriet (McRae) Wilson was a Victorian schoolteacher, and you’ll watch her traced from two scanned, handwritten records through to citable reports you could file straight into your own research.

Monday 24 August 1pm – 2pm Unlocking Canberra's remarkable past: the A.C.T Heritage Library [Zoom only]

Join Suzy Nunes, senior archivist from the ACT Heritage Library, for an introduction to one of the region's most valuable yet often overlooked resources for family historians. Discover how the library collects, preserves and shares the records that tell the story of Canberra and its people, from the city's earliest days to the present.

The ACT Heritage Library holds a remarkable collection documenting the social, cultural, economic and political history of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory. Its shelves and archives contain books, newspapers, journals, photographs, maps, plans, oral histories, manuscripts, ephemera and much more.

Visit our Library - Tues 11am – 2pm, Wed 10am – 3.30pm, Thurs 11am – 2pm, Sat 2pm – 5pm, Sun 2pm – 5pm

Family History Month is also the perfect opportunity to explore what makes our Society such a welcoming and vibrant community. If you've never visited us before, why not drop into the Family History ACT Library? Our volunteers are always happy to help you get started, overcome research brick walls or introduce you to the wealth of resources available in our collection. You'll also discover that family history is about much more than names and dates - it's about uncovering the stories that connect generations and preserving them for the future.

This August, celebrate Family History Month by learning something new, meeting fellow researchers and taking the next step in your own family history journey. We look forward to welcoming you.