After ancestry.com, familysearch.org, findmypast.com.au, State and Commonwealth Archives, SAG and regional and local family history societies comes Blue Mountains Index to Miscellaneous Journals and Magazines. You cannot afford to ignore this door to tens of thousands of relevant family history articles.
The Society has ceased to index the main articles in Family History Society and Genealogical Associations’ exchange magazines and journals from every state and territory in Australia and also from New Zealand, our own The Explorers’ Tree, Australian Family Tree Connection, Family Tree Magazine (UK) and other journals and magazines which are donated to us from time to time.
The 2011-2012 Index, the last available, is now complete and has 3,300 entries as at 30th July, 2013. This Index, like the four preceeding ones is a must-have resource for every library and Society.
Index to Miscellaneous Journals and Magazines 20011 & 2012
The 2011-2012 journal index period was published at the end of July 2013. The time lag is necessary to allow some overseas publications to arrive and those of any family history societies that happen to be running late – as we all do from time to time.
There are some changes from past indices. Some societies have moved to online publications only, and these are no longer indexed. Online is cost saving for the producing societies, but as some have found, excessively expensive for the receiving society to print for members where newsletter information such as rosters, lists of acquisitions, useful websites etc make up a considerable part of the journal. The underlying reason for compiling indices was to make better use of the most under utilised resource – our publications whether they are called newsletters, magazines or journals.
Many journals have ISSN registration. The 2009-2012 entries have # beside all journals with ISSN numbers, so users will know those that have been stored in the National Library of Australia and the relevant State Library. Correspondence via our website link is evidence that they are being used there, presumably by family researchers not in any family history society. In this way information is being disseminated further and over a longer period than when the magazine is newly published.
Local and family history societies can, and do, provide elusive, valuable information about people and locations. The articles on the methods and chances by which brickwalls crumbled, spelling variations, proven errors in a variety of resources etc. provide new leads for readers. These are all too valuable to have been read when current, then stored or thrown away due to lack of space. It resembles a dictionary, atlas or encyclopaedia that remains unused until one needs to dip in for a specific purpose.
It is assumed that each society will retain a copy of each of their issues and can be contacted in the future.
So some journals have dropped out of the index in this two year period, and others have come in, especially The Ancestor and The South Australian Genealogist from Victoria and South Australia respectively. We have contacted Western Australia a couple of times and now have Esperance making the Index truly Australia-wide.
If these five volumes are not available to search in your local family history centre, a BMFHS researcher will undertake a search of these volumes and at a cost of $2 per page will email a digital copy to you.
Please Note: The original magazine, newsletter or journal is not available from BMFHS for copying. Researchers will need to connect to the original publisher. In some instances, copies may be available from the NSW State Library or National Library if the originals were submitted.
Please contact: bmfhsweb@gmail.com
ALREADY PUBLISHED
Index to Miscellaneous Magazine to 2003
Index to Miscellaneous Magazines 2004 to 2006
Index to Miscellaneous Journals and Magazines 2007 & 2008
Index to Miscellaneous Journals and Magazines 2009 & 2010
Index to Miscellaneous Journals and Magazines 2011 & 2012
Post 2003 indexes are in more detail than the original with many items listed twice eg CEMETERY – Mittagong, and under MITTAGONG cemetery. It will still be necessary to do some lateral thinking to find all the material which could be relevant or helpful for your research. All indexes follow the format of the published one – as shown here:
Here is an example from the 2011-2012 Index:
ARNOT Isabella, letter transcript, Peel R. NSW to sister in S.A, undated Newcastle Journal+ 2012 Mar, p11
ARNOTT William 1827-1901 story of Arnott’s biscuit factory Lemon Tree+ 2011 Sep, p7-10
ARNOTT William founder of business, Morpeth through WW1, depression, WW2 etc Endeavour+ 2012 Sep, p30-32
ARPS Detlef Friedrich & Christina nee Jacobs 19thC, family tragedies Queensland Fam. Historian+ 2012 May, p49-50
ARTIFACTS eg original certificates, letters, seals, hints on caring for keepsakes Inside History+ 2011 Nov-Dec, p30-33
ARTS & CRAFTS Movement, Yorkshire, restoration to reveal original wall paper etc Heritage Today 2011 Mar, p20-23
ASHFORD APEX CLUB, Inverell District list of presidents & secretaries 1964-1987 Inverell History 2011 Mar, p10
ASK GRANNIE workshops recording memories of senior citizens Footsteps 2012 May, p12-13