Progress your family history research by learning additional knowledge at the intermediate level.

Presenters are experienced GSQ researchers.
All sessions are recorded and will be available to view as often as you like for four weeks to the registered participants.
The course is run over 5 weeks, starting on Thursday 4th June 2026 from 10:00am via Zoom

Dates : 4th June 2026; 11th June 2026; 18th June 2026; 25th June 2026; 2nd July 2026.

Program:

4th June 2026
British Courts and Convicts, from 1788 to 1900
Presenter: Jan Richardson

11th June 2026
Immigration to Australia, from 1788 to today
Presenter: Helen Connor

18th June 2026
Australia’s Military Past and Short intro to the British Military
Presenters: Sharyn Merkley and Marg Doherty

25th June 2026
Beginning your overseas research: England/Wales, Scotland and Ireland
Presenters: Pauline Williams, Ailsa Corlett and Helen Connor

2nd July 2026
Introduction to DNA basics
Presenter: Ailsa Corlett

Bios of the Presenters:

Jan Richardson:
Jan Richardson is a PhD candidate at Griffith University investigating the presence of non-European convicts and indentured labourers (‘coolies’) in Queensland prior to 1860, including ethnic minority individuals of African, Asian and Pacific Island ethnicity. She is also a Research Assistant at Griffith University’s Harry Gentle Resource Centre contributing to a biographical dictionary of Queensland’s early colonial residents. Jan’s publications include ‘Out of sight, out of mind: Ex-convict female paupers incarcerated in Queensland’s benevolent asylums’ in the Journal of Australian Colonial History (Vol. 24, 2022), available to download (open access) via this link: https://blog.une.edu.au/convicthistory/2022/11/18/publications/

Helen Connor:
Passionate about history and addicted to family history, Helen has researched her family in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, England, Scotland, and Barbados for over thirty years.Helen strongly believes that family history societies, like GSQ, are valuable resources for researching their family history. Helen is very involved in GSQ as being one of the Webcoordinators, running MTZoom, FHTech Interest Group and until lately the eNews editor. Helen has completed the Society of Australian Genealogists’ Certificate in Genealogical Research and has completed the University of Tasmania Diploma in Family History. In addition, she holds a Master’s in Health Policy (by research), a Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion, and a Bachelor of Social Work (Hons).

Sharyn Merkley:
Sharyn Merkley is a family historian with a life-long passion for history. She has researched her family history for over thirty years with an interest in the impact of political, social and historical events on the lives of ordinary people. After encountering a newspaper article while researching her early Brisbane family, she became fascinated by the victims of the 1864 Brisbane fire. In 2017, she published “Brisbane Burns: How the great fires of 1864 shaped a city and its people.” She has also contributed articles to the Genealogical Society of Queensland’s blog, and magazine, Generation. As a researcher for the Genealogical Society of Queensland, she has assisted with indexing projects such as the Wheeler Index, which compiled information on the lives of over 2,500 World War 1 soldiers, and the Waterloo Index, which lists soldiers involved in the Battle of Waterloo who later settled in Australia. Consequently, she has a continuing interest in Australian military history and its impact on families. As a volunteer with the Queensland Women’s Historical Association archives team Sharyn collects and researches women’s stories, concentrating on women without descendants. Determined to give forgotten women a voice, she uses modern family history techniques to write them back into history. After careers in computer programming and primary education, Sharyn has also completed a Diploma of Family History. Among her current interests are the stories of the women involved in the early years of aviation in Queensland.

Marg Doherty:
After retiring from a public service career in auditing and health, Marg returned to her passion for family history research, which she had been doing since her twenties. Also, since retiring, she completed a Graduate Diploma in Local, Family and Applied History and a Master of Philosophy researching Queensland’s First World War nurses.Marg was President of the Genealogical Society of Queensland for eight years, President of History Queensland for twelve years and the Secretary of the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations from around 2014 until 2023.
Marg is currently on the GSQ Management Committee, serves as Education Coordinator for the Society and writes book reviews for the GSQ’s Generation. Over the years, Marg has become knowledgeable about family history.

Pauline Williams:
Pauline Williams has been researching her family history for almost 40 years. Her research has primarily been in England, with links on her maternal line to Wales, America, and Norway. She has undertaken numerous research projects across a wide range of topics. As a life member of the Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ), Pauline has filled a variety of roles including convenor of the GSQ Writing Group since 2011. She was editor of the quarterly journal Generation for several years and joint editor of Queenslanders: Pioneer families 1859-1901, published by GSQ in 2009. The author of many articles, Pauline is a frequent blogger for GSQ as well as a regular presenter of courses at GSQ, Brisbane City Council Libraries, and elsewhere. Pauline holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Public Administration, and Graduate Certificate in Arts (Writing, Editing and Publishing) from The University of Queensland.

Ailsa Corlett:
Ailsa has always been interested in family history, starting in 1989 after a trip to Central Otago, New Zealand and seeing photos and dresses of her Paternal Gt Gt Grandparents in the Cromwell Museum. Being the eldest grandchild, her grandmother also told her stories, and she inherited many of those wonderful little trinkets that get handed down.
Worked as a professional genealogist in the 1990’s specialising in NZ research for Australians. She was accredited under AAGRA. Now retired has become very involved with GSQ, is one of the Webcoordinators, the Monday Morning and Wednesday Night Zooms, the FHTech Interest Group and on the GSQ Management Committee. Very interested in Scottish research with having 70% Scottish DNA due to 3 of her Grandparents coming from Scotland. DNA features very strongly along with her Historical Research.

We have an Early Bird registration again which is up until 21st May 2026, so please register before this time or it will cost you more.
But you will still be able to book in right up until 8:00am on the morning of 4th June 2026.

EARLYBIRD up to 21st May 2026

$85 for GSQ/QFHS members
$100 for Non-members

After 21st May 2026

$100 for GSQ/QFHS members
$115 for Non-members

Tickets will close at 8am Thursday 4th June 2026

The link is included in your registration payment – Please make sure you retain this.
Registrants will be able to view the recording for the following month.

QFHS and any GSQ Affiliate members you will be required to put in the code given to you to use. This will then action the discount for you. (please contact your secretary if you do not know it. It is NOT your membership number)