Firstly, this post was inspired by Frances who blogs at Rebel Hand. Francis created a great post about National Family History Month, so click the link above and hop over to Rebel Hand!

Despite being half English and Italian, well Sicilian actually, I have many links to Australia. Over the past few years I have shared many of them with you. They are not all direct links of my ancestry as I believe that sometimes you need to research sideways in order to get back a generation or two. Furthermore, I am slightly fanatical about having gaps – if an ancestor had 3 sisters I need to know what happened to them too. That is the difference between genealogy and family history I guess.

By Esther Bellasis circa 1802 Located at the  Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

• George Bridges Bellasis and his wife Esther nee King were the first connection I established to Australia. They arrived in 1802 and you can read about them HERE
• John Hunt Butcher was born in Surrey. He along with his wife and several children migrated to Tasmania in 1821. You can read about John HERE
• John Ellis was born in Surrey and migrated from Elstead with his wife and family in 1854 to Geelong Victoria.You can read about John and Sarah nee Turpin HERE
• Hartwigs & Hohnberg, are two family lines that are not directly linked to me at all, I find their history fascinating. Originating in Prussia and migrated to South Australia before making their way to New South Wales. You can read about them HERE
• Goucher – Now this is my married name and as far as I known none of my husband’s Goucher ancestors ventured to Australia before the 20th Century, however there is a Henry Goucher who was transported in 1812 on board the Guildford to New South Wales. There is little details about the heritage of Henry, and because I am a little obsessed curious I have done a little reserach on his life which you can read HERE and HERE
• The Noack family like the Hartwigs and Hohnberg’s originated from Prussia, they are not a direct line, but are fascinating none the less and you can read about them HERE
• Orlando is the name of my Sicilian family and the focus of one of my One Name Studies. I track any Orlando world wide. The study has a blog to accompany it HERE
• Robert Turpin who was transported in 1831. You can read the research about Robert HERE
• Worship is the surname of my husband’s Grandmother and again a focus for my second One Name Study. Again I track the surname world wide.You can read about an Aussie Worship HERE and the blog to accompany the One Name Study is HERE