NZSG Lake Taupo Branch Invites you to the 2012 AGM & Conference Sponsors of the Taupo NZSG Conference & AGM

Dr Nick Barratt is a renowned author, broadcaster, historian and genealogist. He obtained a PhD in history from King’s College London in 1996. Nick worked at the Public Record Office (now The National Archives) from 1996 until 2000 before leaving to work as a specialist researcher at the BBC, and establishing Sticks Research Agency (SRA). The agency engages historians, archivists and genealogists on a wide range of commissions, covering media projects, legal searches, heritage assessment, and genealogy research. Although his background is state finance and fiscal history in the thirteenth century, Nick’s publications include topics as diverse as Lost Voices from the Titanic and Tracing the History of Your House.

Nick is seen frequently on television, having worked as a consultant and expert on the BBC's hit show 'Who Do You Think You Are'. Current programmes include 'Missing Millions' and 'Find Your Past'. He is Editor-in-chief of the monthly history magazine Your Family History and Executive Director of FreeBMD. Nick currently works with a range of public bodies, including the Historical Association, the Society of Genealogists and the British Association for Local History.

Rosemary KOPITTKE: The NEW Findmypast

Findmypast Downunder – what is happening?

Australian Research from New Zealand

Rosemary has been tracing her family history since 1985 - her research interests lie primarily in Australia, England and Scotland. A statistician by training, she has worked in that field as an hydrologist, teacher and biometrician. Rosemary’s tertiary qualifications include a BSc (Mathematics) and BA (Computer Science), both from the University of Queensland. She currently works as a consultant for Gould Genealogy & History and is a speaker with the Unlock the Past team.

Rosemary has published numerous indexes to cemeteries and government records though is probably best known for her work with her husband Eric on the Emigrants from Hamburg to Australasia 1850-1879 publication.

Eric KOPITTKE:  German Research in the Information Age

A teacher of Physics and Mathematics, Eric has been researching his families since 1985. His family interests lie predominately in various regions of the Old German Empire, in Schleswig, Westfalen, Pommern and West Preussen. He has published many indexes but his primary work has been the Emigrants from Hamburg to Australasia 1850-1879 publication. In 2011 Eric authored a book, Locating your German Ancestor’s Place of Origin, which was published by Unlock the Past.

Geraldene O’REILLY:  WANTED!  Irish Immigrants in New Zealand

What drew Irish Immigrants to New Zealand? What records are available for research to build a picture of their lives after arrival? Covering Provincial Immigration schemes and N.Z. Government sponsored Immigration schemes; Geraldene would like to share the resources she discovered while researching Irish immigrants, beginning with three young women who answered a call for “Domestic servants required in the Colony”.

Christine HURST:  NZSG Resources - how to make the most of your membership

What services does the Society offer to members? From the vast library collection to the specialised services, this talk will cover all the great things about being a member of the NZSG. You will find out about the exclusive collections available, about accessing the library via the online catalogue and hear about new services on offer at the NZSG.

Dr Graham LANGTON:  Tourists, Mountaineers & Skiers: The development of recreation in the Tongariro National Park

Pakeha exploration of the central North Island volcanoes began before 1840, but access was difficult. Only in the 1880s did surveyors, scientists, explorers and tourists begin to open up routes to and on the mountains. Māori gifting of the summits for a national park and the subsequent North Island Main Trunk Railway encouraged tourism and mountaineering which grew steadily after 1900. From the time of the First World War the mountains became a popular base for tramping, climbing and skiing.

Lynne BLAKE:  Letters Frae Haem (letters from home):  What can they tell us about the lives of our ancestors?

Letters can provide clues about our ancestors’ lives, e.g. “Your mother ... cannot be long speared [sic]. But she is able to run about barefoot and herd the couds [sic].” In this presentation Lynne will look at how we can illustrate our family history by investigating the social context found within letters.

Seonaid (Shona) LEWIS:  I found my family on the internet (and am still finding them!)

Growing up 12,000 miles away from her extended family, you could expect Seonaid Lewis to not know very much about the roots she sprang from. A simple question and request from Seonaid's father set her on the path she is now on, and led her to tracing her family from Kent, to London, to Newfoundland, and possibly back to Ireland - via the Public Record Office in London, Grand Banks genealogy website, Roots Web, FamilySearch, FindMyPast and Ancestry. And Facebook!

Owen ORMSBY:  Footsteps from an Ancient Past: The Fascinating World of Whakapapa and Genealogical Research

The footsteps of this journey is to bring a balance and understanding of the parallels and differences between genealogical and whakapapa research, and to establish the boundaries where both Māori and Pakeha can have an integrated approach and partnership to investigative research into the genealogical pursuits of those elusive ancestors.

Colonel Raymond SEYMOUR:  Unravelling the Secrets of a Military Uniform – as viewed in a Portrait Photograph

This presentation examines the secrets that may be in a photograph of a New Zealand soldier. The presentation covers those key factors that researchers should examine so that more detail can be ascertained on their subject than what may first be apparent. Remember “a picture paints a thousand words”.

John BALL:  Film - A Social History of the Tongariro Power Development

From skiing to fishing to power schemes - you could say John Ball's film-making interests range far and wide. But what the Pukawa man is always passionate about is telling the stories of the Turangi-Tongariro area through film. He is continuing that passion with his current film on the Tongariro Power Development.

It follows his previous two films, Ruapehu - A Tribute to Our Skiing Pioneers and The Angler's Paradise - A History of the Taupo Trout Fishery, which he finished in 2009.

John says while many of the technical aspects, such as the dams and tunnels of the power scheme, are well known, there is no history of the people who worked on the scheme. "The monument that we have today is the result of the effort of thousands who were actually hands-on in the project”. It is, by extension, also a social history of the Turangi community because the town and the scheme were so closely intertwined, and many of the scheme workers joined service clubs, sports clubs and local organisations, while their spouses and families ran businesses and provided services such as nursing and teaching to the town. Those same people made Turangi what it is today.