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Spreading Branches

Spreading Branches is published quarterly and sent to members and other interested groups and organisations. Download our latest edition in pdf. from here or browse past issues.


AMaGA’s Collections and Community Resilience Project – Bunnings Sausage Sizzle – Vale John Elliott – Proposed Cranbourne Community Hub – The Titanic Memorial Bandstand, Ballarat – Dr W Niel Gunson (1930-2023)

Trove needs your help – Kel Anderson: more than just a name – Biogrpahical Database of Australia – Congratulations to Audrey Dodson, Cardinia Senior Citizen of the Year 2023 – Prime Ministers Avenue in Ballarat Botanical Gardens – A visit from the good fairy of family research (Onley family from Donald, Amiable Deperouzel, William James Pittard)

Berwick Cemetery Walk 30 October 2022 – 200,000 Casey Cardinia Combined Index celebrates another significant milestone – Unrecognised for 98 years (George Ritchie 1906-1924) – Virtual War Memorial Australia – The Chrozier Family – Ballarat Briefings: Ballarat Tramway Museum, Vale Anne Burrows & Honour Board WW1 St Paul’s Anglican Church, Bakery Hill – The new death certificate package – A brush with royalty

Life member presentation to Jane Rivett-Carnac – 2022 AGM – Member of the Year Award to Eileen Durdin – Restoring family links presentation by Australian Red Cross – Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of State Education in Victoria – Treasure saved from the fire – Mothercraft nurses and the Beaconsfield Babies Home – No time to say goodbye cemetery walk at Cranbourne – Berwick Cemetery Walk – Ballarat Briefings

The hapless infant (Chrozier family of Skye) – FamilySearch Affiliate Library – Ballarat Briefings – The Eacott family of Longwarry

Family newsletters – Thanks badge to Reg Kurll (Max Thomson Collection) – Web archives – Solving a naming riddle (Georgiana Spencer Morris) – Leslie Stewart Graham (1891-1947)

Georg Caspar von Ruti – Recollections and comparisons (Casey Cardinia Remembers & Max Thomson Collection) – Cormore Tea Rooms and the Funnell family

No time to say goodbye: Cranbourne Cemetery Tour – Thank you to our volunteers – Local and family history hotspots – Getting side tracked (Joseph Thompson Arblaster) – Ballarat Briefings – New in the Research Room – RHSV Pioneer Register seminar

In remembrance of Fred and Annie Sheard. An unfortunate end – A French convict added to my tree (Amiable Sierl Deperouzel) – School days (Then and Now: The Max Thomson Collection) – New in the Research Room – Ballarat Briefings

Local and Family History Hot Spots 2021 – Researching the Moran family from Narre Warren – Gransy and the Gilmore Valley (Alice Ellen Naughton) – Creswick Family (George Wallace Baird & Helena Creswick) – A farm in Switzerland – Inheritance: a memoir of genealogy, paternity and love (book review)

The fall of Rabaul and Australia’s greatest maritime disaster – More Victorian Wills and Probates online! – Bregazzi Reserve – Tales from the Berwick School Registers – The Debutante Ball (Then and Now: The Max Thomson Collection)

Memories of Officer – Vale Paul Stevenson – Thursday history talks on Zoom – Modella Hall – An Officer and a Gentleman (part 2) Charles George de Beauvoir Tupper – School and work in the depression – Ballarat Briefings – Caroline Charlotte Aurisch nee Tschirner – Has the Covid-19 lockdown been a positive or negative for you and your family? – Ora: Online Repository Assistant, a time saver – Research ideas

Lawson Poole Reserve – The Rose of Joy cot (Max Thomson Collection Then and Now) – Grandfather Francis Sharp’s family – I never thought I’d say this (life in lockdown) – Women to women. Influenza epidemic. What to do. – Ballarat Briefings – PROV Map Warper – Saints in Scottish place names – database of Scottish Hagiotoponyms – New in the Research Room

Lorraine Taylor Research Room transformation — Coffee Pen and Giggle writing group – Local & family history hot spots – An officer and a gentleman: Charles George de Beauvoir Tupper (1872-1893) – Ballarat Briefings – New in the Research Room – Member profile: Judith Power (nee Lunsden)

Life and death on the edge of the swamp: a walk in Bunyip Cemetery 27 October 2019 – Daly Waters air disaster memorial at Bunyip – proposed writing group – 1001 steps backwards (Bayview Park and the Aurisch family) – The making of our road network (Max Thomson Collection Then and Now) – New in the Research Room – Ballarat Briefings – Many family history resources are free

Happy 15th birthday Casey Cardinia Combined Index – President’s report – Ballarat Briefings – Lorraine Taylor’s thank you – Elisha Stephen Grosse: second winner of Stawell Gift in 1879 – Member of the Year 2019 award – Haystacks (Max Thomson Collection Then and Now) – Sister Kirkpatrick: a mystery – Casey Cardinia Remembers: the bad ones in Casey – Seeking William Arch James – Hamilton Family History Expo review – New in the Research Room

Issue 120 – May 2019

Dedication of Lorraine Taylor Research Room – Our 30th birthday celebrations – 2019 Volunteers’ Morning Tea – Heritage Festival at Fisherman’s Cottage – Ballarat Briefings – Then and Now: modern conveniences – Casey Cardinia: Elletts’ Grandma – March general meeting with the Scouts – A scouting history – A short sad life [Catherine Doherty 1889-1921] – James Ralston at Fromelles.

Issue 119 February 2019

Dr and Mrs Elliot Drake – 2019 Holt Australia Day Awards – Casey Cardinia Remembers: Koo Wee Rup Secondary School gates, Koo Wee Rup clocks, BJ Wallis Gardens – Then and Now: Harkaway Tennis Club – The Common Riding (Scottish Borders) – Ballarat Briefings – The enumerated cat.

Issue 118 November 2018

Peace at last: a World War 1 walk at Lang Lang Cemetery – AGM roundup – Casey Cardinia Remembers: Laurie Cleary & Cyril Beechey – Then and Now: Christmas Dinner – Interesting headstone stories – Frances Elmes & the Melbourne Cookery Book – Writing Competition entries: Pirates by Lyne McGregor,  Harkaway lad new clerk of Parliament by Barbara Sharp, Generous genealogists by Margaret Hunter – New in the Research Room.

Issue 117 August 2018

Member of the Year: Jane Rivett-Carnac – AGM roundup – Frances Fitzgerald Elmes (1867-1919) by Marianne Rocke – Casey Cardinia Remembers the good, the bad and the ugly – Then and Now: Narre Warren North – Writing Competition entries: Joachim Popp by Brenda Wheeler, Getting sidetracked while researching a soldier by Jane Rivett-Carnac, Hard life, hard times by Margaret Hunter – Moran-McLellan-Duncan reunion – The Research Room: this thing called LibraryThing.

Issue 116 May 2018

Another successful cemetery walk – Cranbourne 22 April 2018 – Phyllis Bould’s magnificent poppies – The Research Room (on the computers) – Our stately trees (Casey Cardinia Remembers) – Writing competition entries: An unconventional family by Margaret Hunter, She was always nice to me by Lynne Bradley.

Issue 115 Feb 2018

The trouble with Lyndhurst (Casey Cardinia Remembers) – Captain David Jones of Tandderwen Orchard – Writing Competition entries: Basking in the Moonlite by Lynne Bradley, Interesting and unexpected aspects of research by Jane Rivett-Carnac – Land titles by Marianne Rocke – On the shelves (in the Research Room).

Issue 114 November 2017

Writing the war at Cranbourne Library – Local History Archive & NW&DFHG Research Room launch – Colac and VAFHO Family History Expo – On the shelves (in the Research Room) – Berwick RSL (Casey Cardinia Remembers) by Eileen Durdin – Writing Competition entries: Death on the high seas-one family’s immigrant experience by Ken Swadling, England, 26 July, 1948 by Di Christensen, A Promise by Moreyn Dimsey and People that bind us from our past by Kerryn Maxwell – Vale: Alice Amelia Pattison.

Issue 113 August 2017

The beginning of NW&DFHG – AGM Round up – Do you read genealogy blogs on the net? – Rootsweb mailing lists – Writing Competition entries: Several violent deaths in the family by Susan Arlove, Emily’s choice by Jane Rivett-Carnac – One man’s treasures by Lynne Bradley – Narre Warren Mechanics Institute (Casey Cardinia Remembers) – Melbourne University Archives.

Issue 112 May 2017

Fun & Frolics at Narre Warren North by Max Thomson – The grieving mother by Di Christensen – Greg Clydesdale Square (Casey Cardinia Remembers) by Eileen Durdin – A successful sausage sizzle by John Uren – For some the bell tolled: a World War  walk in Harkaway Cemetery by Jane Rivett-Carnac, Writing Competition entries: All it took was a photo by Kerryn Maxwell, Lakes Creek State School by Ken Swadling, An interesting military connection found while researching my New Zealand family by Jane Rivett-Carnac – A teacher in your family by Marianne Rocke – New in the Research Room.

Issue 111 February 2017

Our move – Great recognition for local Presidents by Fay McCoubrie – Clusters (Casey Cardinia Remembers) by Lynne Bradley – England and Wales research: the new GRO online index by Marianne Rocke – Writing Competition entries: There is a Pirate on our tree by Jane Rivett-Carnac, No skeletons by Marianne Rocke, Henry Barton Stray Sharp by Lorraine Taylor – The Shire at war (Alberton) by Di Christensen – Vale: Judith Johnson – New in the Research Room.

Issue 110 November 2016

Ordinary people, interesting lives: a walk in Historic Harkaway Cemetery Sunday 30 October by Jane Rivett-Carnac – Preserving your genealogical research by Di Christensen – Member Profile, Lois Giacometti – Cite Trove – Snipping Tool – The short life of Emma Box from Harkaway – Home Front (Ballarat Genealogical Society) by Di Christensen – 2017 Writing Competition – Ron Andrews Park (Casey Cardinia Remembers) by Lynne Bradley – 2017 workshop schedule – Vale Anne Rae Smith – New in the Research Room

Issue 109 August 2016

AGM Roundup – The 2017 Shirley Award ‘The Press Pass’ – Map Spy Viewer – Lost Diggers of Fromelles by Di Christensen – Chaplain-Captain Frederick Percy Williams MC 58th Battalion by Di Christensen – Max Thomson’s memories of World War 2 (part 2) – Australian writers remembered at Lynbrook (Casey Cardinia Remembers) by Lynne Bradley – New in the Research Room

Issue 108
Issue 108

Issue 108 May 2016

Have you heard about Trove?? – Sacrifice & Patriotism Cemetery Tour – AGM Notice – Bunnings Sausage Sizzle report – Max Thomson’s memories of World War 2 (part 1) – Narre Warren Memorial Gates – Robert William Moors – Pioneering: a tale of the bush – New in the Research Room

Issue 107 February 2016

Vale Stephen Cowell – Research Room News – Conviction by Gay Hendriksen – Looking back … and ahead (Victorian BDMs online) – Patrick Northeast Wetlands Reserve – JC Lloyd Square – City of Berwick Bicycle Path Network.

Issue 106 November 2015

Pakenham Cemetery’s indomitable women – Lucy Pepper – Pakenham Cemetery’s 150 anniversary – 2016 workshop schedule – Nar Nar Goon conversations at Casey Cardinia Remembers – Ask Granny – Our dancing skeletons.

Issue 105 August 2015

AGM Roundup – The Last Post – Research Room News and new additions – The cousin of my Great Aunt was a Victoria Cross Winner (Albert David Lowerson) – Cranbourne’s Floral Clock.

Issue 104 May 2015

100 men, 100 years: a World War 1 Walk in Berwick Cemetery – Springvale Botanical Cemetery tour – Casey Cardinia Remembers and Mother’s Day – Research Room News and new additions – Private L Papley.

Issue 103 February 2015

Dr Francis Langley – Research Room News and new additions – Casey Cardinia Remembers and the Great War – Casey Cardinia Combined Index

Issue 102 November 2014

Berwick Cemetery Tour – Bunnings Sausage Sizzle Report – Benjamin Muffett 1861-1903 – David Hughes – A Wedding Comparison – Research Room News and new additions

Issue 101 Aug 2014

2014 AGM Roundup – Research Room News and additions – 2014 Shirley Award Winner – 2104 Member of the Year

Issue 100 May 2014

Narre Warren & District Family History Group’s 25th Birthday – The Mystery of Raheen – Vale: Wendy Brock & Jessie Etherington – Research Room News and new additions

Issue 99 February 2014

19 Kinds of death records & their uses – Genealogy books in Casey Cardinia libraries – A twist in every tale – Away Days – Research Room News and new additions

Issue 98 November 2013

Grave Secrets (symbolism in cemeteries) – Residents of Upper Beaconsfield website – Research Room News and new additions – Remember This – Away Days

Issue 97 August 2013

2013 AGM Roundup – Research Room News and new additions – An unusual reunion pt 3 – Away Days

Issue 96 May 2013

Grave Stories of the Queen Victoria Market – Warrnambool research – Sausage Sizzle Report – Research Room News and new additions – An unusal reunion pt 2 – Away Days – AGM Notice

Issue 95 February 2013

Our day at the Salvos – An unusual reunion pt1 – Sausage Sizzle Report – Research Room News and new additions – VAFHO Conference

Issue 94 November 2012

South East Victoria Family & Regional History Expo 2012 – Research Room News and new additions –  Closet Awards December 2012

Issue 93 August 2012

2012 AGM Roundup – Research Room News and new additions – Cranbourne Cemetery Tour October 2012 – Closet Awards December 2012

Issue 92 May 2012

War Comes to Australia: 70th Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin 19 Feb 2012 – 2012 AGM – Research Room News and new additions – Headstone Theft a Grave Mistake – Rookwood Cemetery – NW&DFHG Members’ Interests.

Issue 91 February 2012

Gippsland cemeteries Away Day – Research Room News & new additions – Delicious (social bookmarking) – The Writing on the Wall or Practical Patriotism shown at Broadford: an article on Wilfred John Herrick – Local Matters at Grill’d, Fountain Gate

Issue 90 November 2011

Didn’t we meet under the clocks?: an article on Jenny Davies and her research into Flinders Street Station – RSS Feeds – Research Room News and new additions – Local Matters at Grill’d, Fountain Gate – Antiques Appraisal Day

Issue 89 August 2011

2011 AGM Roundup – Research Room News and new additions – Tribute to Don Grant – Adam Ritchie (Berwick) – Grace Paterson (Harkaway) – Blogging – Mary Augusta Hillbrick Funeral Notice – new websites

Issue 88 May 2011

Vive la Revolution: the digital revolution – Michael Holt Obituary – Research Room News and new additions – Murdoch McDonald Obituary – new websites

Issue 87 February 2011

Ballarat Away Day Report – Albert McCormack shot at Berwick 1925 – Research Room News and new additions – One Hundred Years On: What a difference a century makes – Timeline Fair Report – new websites

Issue 86 November 2010

Australian Screen – South East Victoria Family & Regional History Expo – Research Room News and new additions – Mary Anderson (Cranbourne 1928) – Founders and Survivors Project – new websites

Issue 85 August 2010

2010 Member of the Year – AGM Roundup – Research Room News and new additions – Ada Ackerly wins Frances Brown Award -new websites – Away Day to PMI

Issue 84 May 2010

Recognising Women in War – New home of Cornish Association of Victoria – change to NW&DFHG Constitution – Research Room News and new additions – ScamWatch – The London Gazette – websites – Mrs R Mickle Obituary 1919

Issue 83 February 2010

James Timmins’ New Memorial – Research Room News and new additions – The Story behind the Ancestry Raffle – new websites – Local History societies

Issue 82 November 2009

Away Day to Ballarat – Newspapers on the Internet – Research Room News and new additions – Sausage Sizzle Report – Beaconsfield Bush Fires 1890 – new websites – Victorian Government Gazettes

Issue 81 August 2009

Member of the Year 2009 – 2009  AGM – Local History Librarian at Casey Cardinia Library Corporation –  Research Room News and new additions – new websites

Issue 80 May 2009

20th Birthday Celebrations for NW&DFHG – Volunteers’ Morning Tea 2009 – A Mystery-ious Cornish Tale of two Luggers and 11 men –  Research Room News and new additions – new websites

Issue 79 February 2009

Red Cross Wounded and Missing – RSS – Carol Armytage Obituary 1909 – Sausage Sizzle Report – A Convict for Christmas –  Research Room News and new additions – new websites

Issue 78 November 2008

Cambridge University 1209-2009 – Was Henry Maple a Bushranger? – Google Book Searches – Catherine Bourke Obituary 1910 –  Research Room News and new additions – new websites

Issue 77 August 2008

Lifetime Membership for Val Holland – Member of the Year 2008 – 2008 AGM – Berwick Heritage Walk – Our Journey from East to West on the Indian Pacific –  Research Room News and new additions – new websites

Issue 76 May 2008

Anzac Day – Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour Photographs – James Herrick: Cobb & Co Mail Contractor – Fire at Beaconsfield Sanitorium 1890 –  Research Room News and new additions – new websites

Issue 75 February 2008

Celebrating our 75th Edition – Cinderelder (Cinderella 20 years on): what a performance? – The Cardinian Embroidery – Ballarat Botanic Gardens 150 Years Celebration – Puffing Billy 2007 Christmas Lunch  – Research Room News and new additions – new websites

Issue 74 November 2007

Commemorating the Spirit of the Herrick Family Pioneers – Four day break at Tawonga –  Research Room News and new additions – Be Prepared when you visit the Research Room – Hallam Valley Soldier Settlers – State Library of  Victoria Podcasts – new websites – Christopher Moody Obituary 1920

Issue 73 August 2007

Member of the Year 2007 – AGM Roundup –   Research Room News and new additions – Melbourne Hunt Club talk – Sausage sizzle report – new websites

Issue 72 May 2007

Victorian Volunteer Forces – Research Room News and new additions – Just a headstone photo?: Alice Porrit – James Thewlis Obituary 1921 – new websites

Issue 71 February 2007

John Todd & Sons, Cranbourne – Bunnings Sausage Sizzle – English Magazine CD Resource Index – The Downes Family Reunion – Research Room News and new additions – Vale Nick Vine Hall – new websites – Members Interests and how Googling a name found me

Issue 70 November 2006

Lily Alberta Seymour – Is this the real story of “Clancy of the Overflow?” – Demystifying mailing lists and message boards – Research Room News and new additions – new websites – Canadian on-line records – High tech solutions to unmarked graves – Along the Rhein

Issue 69 August 2006

Member of the Year 2006 – Family History Writing Competition – Research Room News and new additions – Casey Cardinia newspapers at the State Library of Victoria – new websites – Darebin Historical Encyclopedia – Slaying spelling dragons

Issue 68 May 2006

Origins of Mothers Day – Archive Grid – Research Room News and new additions – new websites – The Buzz Around Berwick – John Startup Obituary 1905

Issue 67 February 2006

1852 New Year’s Resolutions solve genealogical mysteries – Research Room News and new Additions – new websites – Mrs TJ Rossiter Obituary 1891 – How records and keepsakes told a story when Grandfather went to war – The hunt for William Bishop continues

Issue 66 November 2005

Horse racing in Casey Cardinia – A brief account of a researching tourist to Sydney July 2005 – Francis Green Obituary 1912 – Victorian Shipping Books in our Research Room

Issue 65 August 2005

They really are a weird lot! – Clare Australian Genealogy Project – Narre Warren street names – St. Arnaud Goldmine for Genies – The abandoned headstone (James Kilmartin) – Ugly Man Competition 1924 – Hazel Smith (nee Vines) Recollections – sausage sizzle report – new websites

Issue 64 May 2005

Mornington Ploughing Match 1860 – St Kilda Cemetery: 150 Years – Susan Bain, Ann Bethune and Louisa Hewish – Boring Farmers? – new websites

Issue 63 February 2005

Casey Cardinia Combined Index – Berwick Anglican Church Centenary Flower Show – St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Bakery Hill, Ballarat 150th Anniversary – new websites – Narre Warren street names – Ballarat and Eureka

Issue 62 November 2004

People you meet – AGCI (Australasian Genealogical Computer Index) – Finding great great grandpa – new websites – Research Room News and new additions

Issue 61 August 2004

Casey Cardinia Combined Index – Narre Warren street names – Research Room News and new additions – new websites – VAFHO Mildura Conference 2004 – A timely reminder – 10 simple steps to taking a great headstone photograph

Issue 60 May 2004

Celebrating 15 Years NW&DFHG – Then and now – Vale Val Dellar – new websites – Banjo Paterson, Henry Lawson and the The Bulletin – Research Room News and new additions – Narre Warren street names

Issue 59 February 2004

Research Room News and new additions – new websites – Bishop’s Transcripts – Narre Warren street names – Dr Colin Angus – The Tumath/Toomath family history – Melbourne railway suburbs

Issue 58 November 2003

Edwin Flack and the Berwick connection – Ernst Gottlob Wanke – Vale Peter McAlpine – The Collins Settlement, Sorrento 1803 – Narre Warren street names – A good looking young man (or Diana’s adventures at Kew)

Issue 57 August 2003

Issue 56 May 2003

Issue 55 February 2003

Issue 54 November 2002