So, geneology eh?!

[grimsbymariner]

A bit random i know, but every Australian should be able to trace their family back to another country (unless they're aborigines of course!)

Also, how many generations have your familys' been Australian?

I have cousins in Australia and one in NZ.

[pipray]

I think i'm something like 6th generation Aussie on both sides. On my mum's side we have traced back to a great+ grandfather who was deported for stealing a loaf of bread!

[Pete]

Both my mother and father's families originated from England.
On my father's side I have been able to trace back my great grandfather (paternal) to Dudley, Staffordshire. He came out from Dudley in the late 19th century, via New Zealand (he married my gt grandmother in NZ, she was Scottish). He was a coal miner and seemed to have travelled where there was coalmining to be done. My grandfather was born in a south coast NSW town called Helensburgh, but the family settled in Newcastle (NSW) area soon after. My Dad was raised in Medowie, a town not far from Newcastle. I was born and raised in Sydney, where my mother has lived all her life. Dad was pleased to get away from Newcastle.
All of my grandparents were 1st generation Australian born, which makes me a 3rd gen Aussie. When I visited UK and Ireland in 1994, I found it strange that I had a comfortable feeling about some parts, more so than I have in some parts of Australia I have visited.
Re: tracing families. It can get difficult from here tracing families back. There were censuses done in the UK, and some records exist back to the Domesday Book, but if the facts you have are a bit vague, or County boundaries change, there's not alot of records that can help. I was lucky to have traced my great grandfather back to Dudley, but the trail goes cold prior to that. Have no idea where his folks came from.

[grimsbymariner]

pipray said:

I think i'm something like 6th generation Aussie on both sides. On my mum's side we have traced back to a great+ grandfather who was deported for stealing a loaf of bread!

Serves him right! Bread-stealer!

[Auburn Mariner]

Ireland & Scotland is where my heritage lies.

I am a 4th generation Australian on my Dad's side and a 7th generation Australian on Mum's side; Mum's side were some of the first settlers in the Wagga district.

Dad's mob were originally from Melbourne but moved to the Dee Why/Collaroy area in the mid 1940's, when my Grandfather was fighting the Japanese in the jungles of Borneo.

Cheerio,

AM

[Rowdy]

Coming to a bookstore near you:

"Rowdy Roddy and the 1/64th Blooded Aboriginal" ;D

[grimsbymariner]

petethebusdriver said:

Re: tracing families. It can get difficult from here tracing families back. There were censuses done in the UK, and some records exist back to the Domesday Book, but if the facts you have are a bit vague, or County boundaries change, there's not alot of records that can help. I was lucky to have traced my great grandfather back to Dudley, but the trail goes cold prior to that. Have no idea where his folks came from.

Very knowledgeable Pete. You even got the proper name for the Doomsday Book!

Dudley is one crap-hole though nowadays! Right in the heart of the black country (midlands- Birmingham area) and is the butt of a lot of the nations jokes- Duddloooy!

[grimsbymariner]

rowdyroddy said:

Coming to a bookstore near you:

"Rowdy Roddy and the 1/64th Blooded Aboriginal" ;D

lol- gotta be better than that shit JK Rowling puts out!

[Pete]

Ha ha, I don't think Dudley has been a great place since it began!
From what I know, Dudley was in the area that archeaologists reckon was a Bronze Age industrial area too! The Black Country has always been a great source of coal and other minerals I believe, so many folks who originate from there have miners in their ancestry.
Certainly when my Great Grandfather left, it was right in the middle of the Industrial Revolution and a very unpleasant place to be in. Un controlled smog, middle ages infrastructure (phew), and little in the way of miners rights and working conditions.
When I travelled to the UK, I thought of seeing Dudley, but as it is right near Birmingham, my timing coincided with the British Motor Show and all hotels were booked out, and I was also told that the City and surrounding weren't great tourist spots and there were racial tensions.

[pipray]

Don't forget the bread stealers!LOL!

[voice of reason]

parents = austria, scotland
born in africa
grew up in england
hold british, nz and australian citizenship
citizen of the world
when australia v england i'm a socceroo
when nz v australia i'm an all-black

[DJ]

Your all related to convicts!

[kevrenor]

grimsbymariner said:

A bit random i know, but every Australian should be able to trace their family back to another country (unless they're aborigines of course!)
Also, how many generations have your familys' been Australian?
I have cousins in Australia and one in NZ.

Father born in Hey, Lees, in Oldham, England - his father and mother both from eastern Lancashire - I know no further back than that but Dunkerley is a very common name in the area - in fact a street name in Lees. I keep an eye on the Latics! Football family with rugger overlay. He went to NZ when 2 with his parents and Australia at 15 (1922). So I am 3rd gen. Aussie there.

Mother born in a sulky at Glossop in South Australia's Riverland, of almost completely Cornish ancestry - the one I identify with most. Mostly SA (Moonta/Adelaide) and Victoria (Maldon/Castlemaine). The earliest to Australia on her side in 1855. Aussie Rules family with football overlay. I am 5th gen. Aussie there.

I'l have to vote 'Great Britain' (what a quaint old term!) as even though I have Breton ancestors on my mothers side the rest are from the British Isles (Bretons from there anyway 1300 years ago), and I am 1/64th McLean of Duart - Och eye!) like my wife - is that incest?. By DNA apparently originally from Spain hunting game northward as the sheet ice retreated.

[Perm]

My Father is 4th Generation Australian.
his olds olds came over from Scotland and England.
His family has strong history with the army in both world wars.

My Mother is Maltese.
My Nana and Nanu (grandparents) and basically all my Mums side (My Mums side is made up of Maltese, Tunisian, Turkish and Lebanese), were Post-war migrants. they were the second wave close after the first which were anglo-saxon migrants from the more baltic states.
The Maltese were taken in well and were seen as good workers. Some of my relatives worked on the Snowy River Mountain Scheme which employed mostly Maltese.

There are now more Maltese in Melbourne than there are in Malta itself (its about the size of Gosford Shire).

[Nah.]

my mums side is al german/austrian/german or from soem area around there, where scrambled eggs is 'rhuri' or something liek that.
My dads side is all english. both mum and dads parents came to australia, dad was a kid at the time and my mum wasnt born yet.
so all up that makes me 1/4 german, 1/2 english and 1/4 aussie i think.

[Nah.]

When my grandparents came over to australia, neither spoke english or anything, they had to learn it all by themselves. my Opi (grandad) was a pottery guy and he word in a pottery factory somewhere here. At lunch he was bagged out and teased by other people there because he was the only german bloke there. peole would yell at him and laugh and say stuff like "go sit with the chinese guy not with us you natzi' or someother stuff like that, so he went and sat with the chinese bloke becuase they treated both of them like shit. Back then you were allowed to say anything to people, i dont think racism and discrimination because of where you come from was an issue, it wasdnt frowned upon clearly.
Nowdays you cant say anythignbaout anyone or youll be arrested or burnt at the stake or soemthing liek that. Personnally i reckon my Opi should get some kind of compensation for the way he was treated.
Sorry :S im starting to ramble and bitch. 8-}

[omni]

Dad's side - I'm 2nd Generation Australian
Mum's side - came over as settlers way back when and established the town of Burra, South Australia.

Both sides from England yet my last name originates from Germany.

[grimsbymariner]

Bloody-hell, i didnt ask for your life stories! lol

I wasnt expecting any replies to be honest so thanks guys.

Jeez kevrenor- you aint half gone into your family tree! I love Cornwall- everybody does! I dont know anyone that doesnt. It's just one of the most magical places on Earth, and where the Ancient Kingdom of Camelot (King Arthur) is meant to be.

[brett]

1000000's of years ago, my ancestors came mysteriously crawling up out of the pacific ocean in the form of fetuses. Through some 'true blue hard yakka' they developed their forms into adult humanoids and started a small secret race, which survived the invasion of the aboriginals AND the europeans. Now I just fit into Australian society like one of the rest.

I'm so Australian it's unbelievable.

[shelleybeach]

1/4 american (england/ ireland/ german) - 3/4 aussie (via england, scotland and ireland - about 4 generations ago) full mongrel!