Mike Murray (Western Australia) www.timetrackers.com.au
Mike’s interest in genealogy started in 1989, sparked by the sudden death of his mother and the reailsation that she was the font of all family knowledge, which had now gone. Mike resolved to find out more about the family’s roots, and has been successful in tracing his mother’s side in Ireland for many generations and the Murray family’s Scottish roots back to the 1600s. Like many of us, the quest for his family roots aroused his passion for genealogy and history.
After retiring from a career in industry and international consultancy, Mike joined his wife Lesley in running TimeTrackers, which specialises in British and Australian research, education, publishing and film-making. Mike does the publishing and film-making.
Mike has had many speaking and educational engagements on a variety of genealogical topics, and is heavily involved with the WA Genealogical Society (WAGS), and is the Convenor of the Computer Interest Group and, with Lesley, the London and South England Special Interest Group. Mike’s engaging presentation and teaching style stems from his successful consulting background and passion for his subjects.
Unlock the Past Cruises – 1st, 4th and 5th
Topics
- Australian research (finding your Australian ancestors online, tracing your Western Australian ancestors)
- British research – various research topics on specific eras and places (Gaelic Scotland, UK genealogy on the internet, Tracing your Scottish ancestors, Irish online resources).
- Crofts and crofting – a unique way of life in the Highlands and islands
- DNA for the genealogist: what can DNA testing tell us as genealogists?
- Finding Rhoda: a case study – a personal story about finding a lost cousin who came to Fremantle in 1923
- Finding their descendants – it’s harder than finding your ancestors!
- Genealogical software programs (demonstration and how to use them)
- Highland clerances – where did they go?
- How to get the best out of genealogical websites: what’s there, how to use them, specific search tips and demonstrations (specific talks on www.ancestry.com, www.findmypast.com, www.familysearch.org and www.scotlandspeople.co.uk)
- Search like a professional: how to make your online searching more effective
- Sharing your family history (technical issues and creative approaches)
- Stepping stones to the past: awareness building – how to get started with your family history
- Strangers on the shore: maritime history of WA in story and song (with Lesley Silvester)
- Telling your story in print: what’s involved in producing a book
- Telling your story: a video documentary – what’s involved in making a DVD: planning, filming, editing, and producing a life-story documentary
- Ten top tips for tracing your hard-to-find ancestors
- The coming of the railways in the UK
- Tracing your past: practical skills in genealogy and family history – a structured course
- Welsh naming traditions and online resources
- Why use a professional: engaging a professional – why bother and what to expect
