MT Zoom 2025
2025-11-03 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-11-10 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-11-17 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-11-24 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-12-01 11:00 - 12:30, 2025-12-08 11:00 - 12:30 (Australia/Brisbane) | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
Welcome to Monday Morning Zoom

Are you interested in learning more about Genealogy/ Family History?
What can you find regarding records on the various websites, in the books at GSQ, microfiche that have not been digitized, and what you can find in Archives and Libraries.
Do you like to be part of a very relaxed group that LOVE to talk and share information?
GSQ is not opened on a Monday so why not join us from the comfort of your home along with a cuppa and don’t forget the pets.
We have discovered that many of our pets love being on Zoom and enjoy the attention of everyone saying hello to them. So all pets are welcome to come along as well.
We like to discuss events that are occurring in the genealogical world.
As a group we try to help others by offering alternative ideas or websites/records to search when someone has a problem or a brickwall.
So come and join Ailsa and Helen, every Monday from 11am – 12.30pm, and find out more about the joys of belonging to a Genealogical Society.
We do not meet on public holidays, see the event calendar,
If you are not a member of GSQ yet, you can come along for 2 meetings before needing to join.
Send your request to join us to mtzoom@gsq.org.au and we will add you to our list.
Your Hosts are: Ailsa Corlett and Helen Connor

Ailsa Corlett

Helen Connor

GSQ TAG IT Meetings 2025
2025-11-04 09:00 - 10:30, 2025-12-02 09:00 - 10:30 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
TAG IT, meet every 1st Tuesday of the month at 9.00am
Link will be sent out to all via Convenor at least the day before.

Wednesday morning Zoom meeting hosted by Bobbie Edes
2025-11-05 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
Wednesday morning Zoom meetings hosted by Bobbie Edes.
Starting at 11am on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month Feb to Nov.

Each of our friendly meetings is run for about 90 minutes or so. The sessions alternate between a Topic PowerPoint presentation with notes on the 1st Wednesday of each month and a help/learning aid session on the 3rd Wednesday with those present all sharing their contributions which are compiled into a handout on that subject so they can be kept for future use. Recently in these mid-moth meetings we have covered military, Australian births, immigration, land records, burials with more planned as well as helping members with their brick walls.
Our topic sessions have recently covered Plotting your ancestors journey using Google Earth, Preparations for visiting an archive, Education in Australia, Using short stories, Timeline creation, Using PowerPoint, and Using PowerPoint to tell your family story in movie format.
**Please email requests to join to: wedmorningzoom@gsq.org.au
2025 – 5th & 19th Feb; 5th & 19th March; 2nd & 16th April; 7th & 21st May; 4th & 18th June; 2nd & 16th July; 6th & 20th Aug; 3rd & 17th Sept; 1st & 15th Oct; 5th & 19th Nov; 3rd Dec Christmas Gathering.

Topic’s on the 1st Wednesday of the Month
Learning Aid/ Brickwall on the 3rd Wednesday of the Month.

The experience of one AIF Prisoner of War in Europe, WW11
2025-11-08 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
This case study focuses on Private Hugh Moran in the AIF who was captured in Libya in 1941, imprisoned as a POW in Italy until 1943, when he was moved to a German Stalag in current-day Poland. He, and others, were forced to labour in the mines and industry until early 1945. With the progress of the encroaching Russian Army, the Stalags were vacated by the Germans. The POWs and guards from Stalag VIIIB trudged westward across the bitter winter of 1945 in what became known as the Lamsdorf Death March for its high mortality. Hugh was fortunate and survived 4 years of life as a POW and returned to Australia in 1945.
We are less familiar with the POW experience in Europe and this presentation will provide records and resources that can assist Australian and New Zealand researchers.

Presenter:
Pauleen Cass
Pauleen has been researching her family history since 1986 and remains obsessed with the joys of discovering new family information and sharing it with family. In 2003 she published her Kunkel family history, Grassroots Queenslanders: the Kunkel family, which was the winner of the 2004 Alexander Henderson Award (AIGS) and joint winner of the 2004 QFHS Queensland Family History Book Award. In 2006 she gained an Advanced Diploma in Local Studies by online study through Oxford University. She took the leap into the blogging world in 2009 and writes about family history as well as her interests in East Clare and Dorfprozelten emigrants to Australia. Pauleen’s interest in the emigrants from Dorfprozelten started with her own ancestor, George Mathias Kunkel, a swimmer, who arrived in Moreton Bay pre-1857. Listening to a Congress presentation by the late Jenny Paterson in 1994, she was amazed to discover that others had emigrated from the same Bavarian village. Since completing her Kunkel family history she has delved into these other emigrants to learn more about them and their life experiences. Some 66 emigrants arrived in Australia in the 1850s and 1860s from Dorfprozelten which only had a population of about 1000 at the time. She has researched these people in Australia, and has been assisted by the published local history, Dorfprozelten Teil II and email discussions with the local historian Georg Veh. Pauleen has visited the village three times over the years, first exploring her own ancestry, and later learning more about the village itself.

Tickets will close at 8am Saturday 8 Nov 2025
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 require to put in your Member No or Branch as well as the code given to you to use.

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Angie Bush - DNA Presentation
2025-11-09 10:00 - 15:00 | Hybrid: GSQ and via Zoom, 25 Stackpole Street, Wishart, Queensland, 4122, Australia
Angie Bush – DNA Presentation in Person or via Zoom
We are very privileged to have Angie conduct a live Seminar for us in November while she is here in Australia.
This is being arranged by the GSQ DNA Interest Group, and will be conducted as a Hybrid event so that if you are unable to attend in person (we have limited seating), then you will not miss out by viewing on Zoom.

Presenter:
Angie Bush
As one of the most sought-after genealogists and internationally recognized educators, Angie Bush combines years of experience in biotech with a passion for genealogical research and a unique ability to solve seemingly impossible cases. She is a Fellow of the National Genealogical Society and a recognized leader in the field of genetic genealogy. Angie blends deep technical expertise with a passion for connecting people to their roots. Her primary research interests involve using DNA test results to help people reclaim their heritage. This includes cases of unknown parentage, such as recent adoption and donor conception, slavery, or history lost through events like the Holocaust.
With an academic background in biotechnology, Angie brings scientific rigor to every project. A dynamic educator and frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Angie is known for making complex DNA concepts accessible to genealogists of all levels. Her work has been featured in publications, media, and high-profile research collaborations, and she continues to shape the future of the field through leadership, innovation, and mentorship. Angie is a Utah native and currently lives in Salt Lake City.
Degrees and Credentials
Molecular Biology – Bachelors
Biotechnology – Masters
Region Specialties
United States
Idaho, Ohio
Research Type Specialties
Adoption (documented), Other Unknown Parentage, People Finding (cousins, etc.), Consult, Verification

There will be 4 talks over the day from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon – lunch – 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

“Genealogical Gaslighting: Are You Your Own Brick Wall?”

Sometimes, the biggest obstacle in your genealogical research isn’t a missing record or lack of DNA matches—it’s your own assumptions. This session explores the unconscious habits, biases, and record misinterpretations that might cause you to hit dead ends. We’ll look at some real-world examples and learn how to critically evaluate evidence, challenge those sometimes pesky family stories, and adopt a more flexible, evidence-based mindset to break through those brick walls.

“Blueprints and Biology: Planning Your Genealogy Research with DNA in Mind”

Building a great family tree that will stand the test of time doesn’t happen by accident. This lecture walks attendees through how to create an effective research plan, with a special focus on integrating DNA testing into the strategy. We’ll discuss setting clear goals, evaluating sources, and determining the types of questions DNA can and can’t answer. Whether you’re just beginning or refining your research strategy, this session provides actionable steps to move your tree forward with intention.

“DNA Detective Work: Making Sense of Relationship Calculators from Simple to Sophisticated”

This lecture dives into DNA relationship calculators, from the basic tools provided by major testing companies and the Shared cM Project to more advanced tools like WATO and BanyanDNA. We’ll compare their strengths, limitations, and best use cases, giving attendees a practical guide for interpreting the amount of shared DNA, building targeted hypotheses, and leveraging these tools to guide your genealogical research.

“From Chaos to Clarity: Using DNA Clusters to Focus Your Genetic Genealogy Research”

Clustering transforms large match lists into meaningful networks of shared ancestors. This session will demystify how clustering works, highlight the strengths and limitations of common approaches, and show you how to apply clusters strategically in your own family history projects. By understanding what these groups represent and how to interpret them, genealogists can move from guesswork to targeted, evidence-based research.

Please contact DNA@gsq.org.au in relation to any questions you might have.

Tickets for attending in person on the day are limited due to the space at the GSQ Resource Centre.
Lunch is catered for in the attendance cost – Wraps of either Vegetarian or Meat lovers (please check the Platters via Woollies). If you have special dietary needs, we are sorry but we are unable to cater for them, so you would need to bring your own lunch.
Cost to attend in person: Early Bird $65 for GSQ/QFHS/Affiliate/Corporate Members and $75 for Non members
Cost to attend via Zoom: Early Bird $60 for GSQ/QFHS/Affiliate/Corporate Members and $70 for Non members
Early Bird tickets will close 31st October 2025
From 1st Nov 2025 until 8:00 am 9th November 2025: $75 GSQ/QFHS/Affiliate/Corporate Members and $85 for Non members for attending in person if any vacancies.
From 1st Nov 2025 until 8:00 am 9th November 2025: $70 GSQ/QFHS/Affilitate/Corporate Members and $80 for Non members attending via Zoom.
The event will be recorded for all that are registered and will be available to view only for up to 4 weeks from the date.

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Monday Indexing Team
2025-11-10 10:00 - 14:30, 2025-11-24 10:00 - 14:30, 2025-12-08 10:00 - 14:30 | Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ), 25 Stackpole St, Wishart, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia
This time is set aside for the Monday Indexing Team, who work at GSQ on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 10am – 2.20pm.
If you do need to have a meeting at GSQ during this time period please be aware of the team being there and keep meetings quiet and conducted as quickly as possible.

Regards
GSQ Indexing Team

2nd Wednesday Night Zoom 2025
2025-11-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
GSQ extends its invitation to everyone that is interested in learning or finding out more about Genealogical Research to attend the 2nd and 4th Wednesday Nights of the month,
via Zoom starting at 7pm.
You do not have to be a member of GSQ in order to come along, they are FREE.

Are you interested in knowing about Family History, What does it involve, How can I find out about records available, How do I go about doing Research, Would like to listen to some experts ?
If these are questions you have, then please come along to our Wednesday Night Zooms. It is a self help group as well so that you can offer solutions/ideas/web sites/books and knowledge to anyone attending. Attendees are asked to participate in the 2nd Wednesday Night topic, thus sharing information about our ancestors.
The 2nd Wednesday Nights are topic based plus I have a Problem! night. (Please send in these problems or questions at least a week before the meeting)
The 4th Wednesday Nights we have a guest speaker talking on a large variety of topics that are involved in Family History of some sort.
These meetings are FREE to attend, but a donation is always welcomed to help sponsor subscriptions to various sites.

The topic for Discussion for this 2nd Wednesday Night 12th November 2025 will be:

To attend, please email wedpmzoom@gsq.org.au to advise you would like to be added to the attendee list. This will enable us to send you the Zoom link as well as information each month on what is happening.

Your hosts for the meetings are:

Ailsa Corlett

Fleur Creed

Ailsa has always been interested in family history, starting in 1989 after a trip to Central Otago and seeing photos and dresses of her Paternal ancestors in the Cromwell Museum. Being the eldest grandchild, her grandmother also told her stories and she obtained many of those wonderful little trinkets that get handed out.
Worked as a professional genealogist in the 1990’s specialising in NZ research for Australians. She was accredited under AAGRA. Now retired is very involved with GSQ and helps to run the website, the Monday and Wednesday Zooms as well as the FHTech group.

Fleur developed an interest in family history from her father, who was active in family history research, also writing books about the early settlers of the Queanbeyan, NSW district prior to the selection of the Limestone Plains as the site for the Federal Capital. Her ancestors came from England, Scotland and Ireland, and Africa via America, and include convicts, assisted immigrants and some free settlers. She has completed the SAG Certificate of Genealogical Studies, as well as completed the Diploma of Family History at UTAS. Fleur has a PhD on the topic, “Australian churches building social capital in their local communities” and currently works part-time as an academic researcher. She also operates a Facebook group about the history the early settlers of the tiny town in the North Burnett where she and her husband are turning a little timber church into their home.

Chinese Research Interest Group 2025
2025-11-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
The Chinese Research Interest Group aims:

To provide members with knowledge about family history research of Chinese families in Australia
To share findings, ideas and techniques on successfully researching Chinese ancestors and others

Meetings:
Meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday of odd months, unless otherwise advertised. Via ZOOM.
2025: 19th Jan; 16th March; 18th May; 20th July; 21st Sept; 16th Nov.
The meeting commences at 10:00 am until 12:00 noon and are run via Zoom.
The Group is for GSQ members who are interested in researching their Chinese ancestors who have come to Australia or in exploring the life stories of Chinese people in Australia.
Throughout the centuries, many Chinese people have migrated to Australia to pursue various undertakings and to lead interesting lives in diverse places around Australia, from cities to regional areas.
Members of the Group are encouraged to bring examples of problems they are having in tracing various Chinese people, as well as examples of successes they have had with their research.

Attendees are asked to contribute a gold coin donation.
Contact Convenor Marg Doherty on chineseresearchgroup@gsq.org.au for the Zoom Link or further information.

Scandinavian Interest Group 2025
2025-11-16 12:30 - 14:30 | Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ), 25 Stackpole St, Wishart, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia
The Scandinavian Interest Group aims:

To provide assistance to members researching their Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish or Icelandic Ancestors.

Meetings:
Meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday of the odd months of the year, unless otherwise advertised.
2025: 19th Jan; 16th March; 18th May; 20th July; 21st Sept; 16th Nov.
Please NOTE 18th May 2025 start is at 2:30 pm.

The Resource Centre opens at 12:30 pm and closes at 2:30 pm. Meetings usually commence at 12:30pm and take the form of discussions or guest speakers about Scandinavian research, migration or customs.
Attendees are asked to contribute a gold coin donation.

Contact Convenor Steinar Johansen on scangroup@gsq.org.au for further information.

Committee Meeting Dates
2025-11-17 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-15 09:00 - 12:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
The GSQ Committee meet on the 3rd Monday of each Month between 9am – 12pm
Committee Members will be unavailable during this time period, please leave them a message so they can return your call.

Wednesday morning Zoom meetings hosted by Bobbie Edes
2025-11-19 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia

WeAre.xyz Interest Group
2025-11-20 18:30 - 20:30 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
A new interest group for GSQ.
WeAre.xyz
If you are interested in learning how to preserve your family history and stories on a site that is nothing like Ancestry, MyHeritage, FMP or many of the others, and you want it available for your own family to use and see in the future, then this might be a solution for you.
Fleur Creed has established this Interest Group and is keen for GSQ members to come along and see what you can do.
The first meeting is on Thursday Night 20th November 2025, at 6:30 pm (Brisbane Time) via ZOOM
please email Fleur on weare.xyz@gsq.org.au to be added to the list so that you can receive the link to come along.

Researching the Emigrant: Ship of Death
2025-11-22 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
In 1850, the Emigrant became the second ship to bring government-assisted free settlers directly from the UK to Moreton Bay. Tragically, typhus broke out on board, killing many of the travellers. The remainder were quarantined in dreadful conditions on Stradbroke Island for almost four months, during which time many more of the immigrants and two doctors attending them died. Jane Smith’s book Ship of Death tells the story of the voyage, the quarantine and the aftermath, focusing on a handful of the key players and bringing their stories to life. In this session she will outline her approach to researching the episode and the characters, explaining her strategy, her sources, and her method of selecting and organising her findings into a coherent structure.

Presenter:
Jane Smith:
Jane Smith is a librarian, archivist, freelance book editor and author. She enjoys bringing history to life through fiction and non-fiction for all ages, and has written more than twenty books with a history focus. Jane’s book Ship of Death: The Tragedy of the ‘Emigrant’ was shortlisted for the 2021 Frank Broeze Memorial Maritime History Book Prize. Three of her children’s books have also been shortlisted for literary prizes. Jane received a 2024 Visiting Fellowship with the Harry Gentle Resource Centre (Griffith University) to write the biography of the convict Hannah Rigby. Jane currently works part-time as a hospital archivist and part-time in her editing practice.

Tickets will close at 8am Saturday 22nd November 2025
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 Alliliate/Corporate members you will require to put in your Member No or Branch as well as the code given to you to use. This will enable you to receive the discount.

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4th Wednesday Night Zoom 2025
2025-11-26 19:00 - 21:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
GSQ extends its invitation to everyone that is interested in learning or finding out more about Genealogical Research to attend the 2nd and 4th Wednesday Nights of the month,
via Zoom starting at 7pm.
You do not have to be a member of GSQ in order to come along, they are FREE.

Are you interested in knowing about Family History, What does it involve, How can I find out about records available, How do I go about doing Research, Would like to listen to some experts ?
The 4th Wednesday Nights we have a guest speaker talking on a large variety of topics that are involved in Family History of some sort.
These meetings are FREE to attend, but a donation is always welcomed to help sponsor subscriptions to various sites.

The Guest Speaker for this 4th Wednesday Night 26th February 2025 is:

To attend, please email wedpmzoom@gsq.org.au to advise you would like to be added to the attendee list. This will enable us to send you the Zoom link as well as information each month on what is happening.

Your hosts for the meetings are:

Ailsa Corlett

Fleur Creed

Ailsa has always been interested in family history, starting in 1989 after a trip to Central Otago and seeing photos and dresses of her Paternal ancestors in the Cromwell Museum. Being the eldest grandchild, her grandmother also told her stories and she obtained many of those wonderful little trinkets that get handed out.
Worked as a professional genealogist in the 1990’s specialising in NZ research for Australians. She was accredited under AAGRA. Now retired is very involved with GSQ and helps to run the website, the Monday and Wednesday Zooms as well as the FHTech group.

Fleur developed an interest in family history from her father, who was active in family history research, also writing books about the early settlers of the Queanbeyan, NSW district prior to the selection of the Limestone Plains as the site for the Federal Capital. Her ancestors came from England, Scotland and Ireland, and Africa via America, and include convicts, assisted immigrants and some free settlers. She has completed the SAG Certificate of Genealogical Studies, as well as completed the Diploma of Family History at UTAS. Fleur has a PhD on the topic, “Australian churches building social capital in their local communities” and currently works part-time as an academic researcher. She also operates a Facebook group about the history the early settlers of the tiny town in the North Burnett where she and her husband are turning a little timber church into their home.

German Interest Group 2025
2025-11-30 10:00 - 14:30 | Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ), 25 Stackpole St, Wishart, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia
The German Interest Group aims:

to offer support and research assistance to all who are searching for their German Ancestry.
to encourage and exchange information in an informal setting.
to provide guest speakers when possible to help guide us through the maze of information available to us.
to learn the history of Germany and immigration and why our ancestors chose to leave.
to get to know about German people and their customs.

Meetings:
Meetings are held on the Last Sunday of odd months of the year, unless otherwise advertised.
2025: 26th Jan; 30th March; 25th May; 27th July; 28th Sept; 30th Nov.
The Resource Centre opens at 10:00 am until 2:30 pm, allowing time before or after the meeting for research or discussion.
The meetings are hybrid so that anyone who is unable to attend on the day can still join in with the meeting using Zoom.
The German Interest Group is a small, but very knowledgeable group and would love to have you attend their meetings.
Please contact via email in relation to any questions or suggestions that you might have in relation to how the group may assist you with your research.
Any GSQ members who think they may also benefit from listening to the QFHS Central European Group Zoom meetings of which are held on the 1st Sunday in the even months, please contact the convenor so that she can arrange for the link to be sent to you.
Attendees are asked to contribute a gold coin donation.
Contact Convenor Lesley Roebig on germangroup@gsq.org.au to obtain a Zoom link or further information.

Executive Committee Meeting Dates
2025-12-05 09:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-12 09:00 - 12:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
The GSQ Executive Committee met on the Friday before the Committee Meetings which is the 3rd Monday of the month.
All meetings are held between 9am – 12pm and Committee Members will be unavailable during that time. Please just leave them a message and they will return your call once finished.

Deciphering Old Handwriting - FREE GSQ Members
2025-12-06 09:00 - 11:00 | Virtually via Zoom, QLD, Australia
This presentation will cover the history of European lettering styles, with particular emphasis on the last few hundred years, which have the greatest relevance for genealogical research. As well as deciphering the actual words written on the page, it is also important to know how to make damaged documents easier to read, so we will discuss some tips and tricks. ‘Code-breaking’ your ancestral documents gives you a great sense of satisfaction as you unravel the wealth of information hidden within.

Presenter:
Tricia Smout
Tricia has been interested in handwriting and calligraphy for more than forty years. She teaches classes, completes calligraphy commissions and creates artwork featuring lettering in many forms. She has a particular interest in the development of the letters of the alphabet and the history of handwriting styles in Europe. Being able to interpret old family documents has been a great help in her quest to learn more about her ancestors

Tickets will close at 8am Saturday 6 December 2025
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.

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English Irish Welsh Interest Group 2025
2025-12-07 10:00 - 14:30 | Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ), 25 Stackpole St, Wishart, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia
The English Irish Welsh interest Group aims:

To assist members with their research into their English, Welsh or Irish ancestry through discussion, guest speakers and acquisition of resources.

Meetings:
Are held on the 1st Sunday of even months of the year, unless otherwise advertised.
2025: 2nd Feb; 6th April; 1st June; 3rd Aug; 5th Oct; 7th Dec.

The Resource Centre opens at 9:30 am and closes at 2:30 pm, the meeting begins at 10:00 am with a discussion followed by one of the members giving a presentation relevant to one of the counties the Group covers. There will be opportunities to ask questions of the group, seek help with a research problems you may have and to share your knowledge. You will have time to do personal research and talk to members.
The meetings are hybrid, so that anyone who is unable to attend on the day can still participate in the meeting via Zoom.
Attendees are asked to contribute a gold coin donation.
Contact Convenor Kim Davis on irisheng@gsq.org.au to obtain a Zoom link or further information.

GSQ Closure for Xmas
2025-12-13 08:00 - 2026-01-12 17:00 | Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ), 25 Stackpole St, Wishart, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia
GSQ will be closed for the Christmas from Saturday 13th December 2025 and will reopen again on Tuesday 13th January 2026

GSQ XMAS RAFFLE
2025-12-13 14:00 - 16:00 | Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ), 25 Stackpole St, Wishart, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia
GSQ Christmas Raffle
A number of Hampers and prizes to be won
Drawn at the GSQ Christmas Afternoon Tea for GSQ Members being held at the Resource Centre, 25 Stackpole Street, Wishart.
2:00PM – 4:00PM Saturday 13th December

Cost of Raffle tickets is $2 each or 5 x $2 for $10

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