Trout Fishing in the ....

Photo courtesy of Picture Queensland

Group of women and girls watching a man fishing on the Maroochy River, Queensland, ca. 1900-1910

Movies....I've seen a few....this post's title is a bit of a pun on Salmon Fishing in the Yemen which was on my to see list until someone unthinkingly told me the ending yesterday....talk about a spoiler!!

Anyway, back to my point.  The photo above is of fishing - not necessarily for trout - and in fact probably not. Why?  Well there is a logic in my meanderings here ...bear with me.  This morning I had the pleasure of attending for the first time the Scottish Interests Group at QFHS.  There was a most interesting presentation on the Scottish Potato Famine - yes, there was a potato famine in Scotland too....this may be one of many reasons that your Scottish ancestors emigrated to Australia or indeed another country.  Here is a link to Professor Tom Devine discussing Scottish migration if you'd like to know more.

Special Interest Groups or SIGs as we call them at QFHS are another great way of finding out more about your family history and helping you knock down brickwalls.  SIGs provide an opportunity for you to meet with other Society members who are researching the same area as you and who might be able to help.  The first part of the meeting today was devoted to a formal presentation and then members were invited to share their success stories and their brickwalls.

Many useful resources are discussed - for example Catch the Moments - the 3rd Australasian Scottish Genealogy Conference Papers were recommended today.  You can find them in the library at P2 22 27. Or you can buy them here. 

There's so much I could tell you but if you are like me you really only learn by doing, which leads me to my next point.  One of our foundation members, Ann Swain together with her husband Tony, runs a workshop every year called The Trout Game.  You may have heard Ann on Thursday nights at 9:30pm on 4BC 1116AM. The idea behind the Trout Game is to open your mind to other types of resources you may not have considered using and so assist you with your brickwalls.  And you don't use computers - can you believe it?????  Yes, we used to be able to do family history before the invention of the computer and still get results!

The Trout Game is on next Sunday 20 May at the QFHS Library Gaythorne in Brisbane from 10am to 4pm.  Cost $5. Cheap as chips I say.  You need to book (07) 3352 5537.  So go on - pick up the phone now. Don't let this one get away!

PS The next Scottish SIG meeting will be held 14 July 10am at the QFHS Library.  Happy Family History Fishing!