Shepparton group plants family trees

Although its main focus is family history in the Shepparton area, it can help people who are from further afield.

President Bruce Manson said the journey starts with the interested person, followed by the parents (and siblings), their parents and so on.

He said the group had made some fascinating discoveries.

“There was one case where the husband had walked out on the family and they (descendants) wanted to know where he'd gone,” Mr Manson said.

“He'd married again but using his second or third Christian name, so it's not always straightforward.”

Mr Manson said although the group tries to find as much information as possible to help create family trees, poor record-keeping does make it harder.

“Before 1900 — which is not strictly true — but a heck of a lot of people who came out to Australia couldn't read or write,” he said.

“Because in many cases other people wrote their names on death or marriage certificates — half of them you couldn't read anyway; plus there were people who had accents and translated it wrong.

“One of the hardest things is to find people who have a common name.”

Fellow member Betty Foster said sometimes the less information the better.

“People come in sometimes and they put all the information they have,” she said.

“That's a really bad thing; the less you put in the more often you find stuff. In ancestry you have to check all the facts.

“It's a lot easier to track people with computers these days. We do collect newspaper clippings — that can be a good start.”

The members joked that sometimes people learn about their ancestors’ questionable behaviour.

The Shepparton Family History Group plans to host an open day some time in the new year but does welcome curious genealogists.

The group meets every Wednesday from 12.30 pm until 3.30 pm at the Shepparton Heritage Centre, 154 Welsford St.

Pay them a visit or contact them via email at shepfhg@fastmail.fm