Traces

This magazine is for people passionate about Australia and New Zealand's genealogy, history and heritage. Whether you want to explore convict history, find your Anzac, identify photographs or trace your family tree, our trusted expert advice will help you discover your past.

Welcome to the 23rd edition of Traces!

Traces

Heritage News

What’s that thingamajig? • Answer: a stocking hanger

Central Station, Sydney • Sydney’s heritage-listed Central Station, and the two terminals constructed before it on traditional Gadigal land, reveal the city’s rail transport history, which dates back to 1855.

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Inspiration from heritage

THE DUDLEYS: LIVES IN PERFORMANCE • June Torcasio explores a family whose members spent their lives immersed in the world of music, theatre and film.

The new zoo: from circus cages to swirling stages • Melbourne Zoo’s habitat designs have constantly evolved to keep up with ecological and public expectations, but in the zoo’s early years, the path of progress was often unpredictable.

Message in a bottle • Can a castaway note find its rightful owner – again?

Murder in The Rocks • Peter Baker investigates the tragic murder of a young child in colonial Sydney, and the ensuing court case that gripped the nation.

Researching your Welsh ancestors • Welsh migration to Australia accelerated during the gold rush of the 1850s. Dr Calista Williams, from the University of Strathclyde, helps us discover more about Welsh-born ancestors.

THE POWER OF ONE BOOK • The serendipitous discovery of a powerful book led Simon Smith onto a new path of research and discovery as he pieced together the story of his ancestor, Irish Republican Henry James O’Farrell, the would-be assassin.

The difference between White and Wong • Mandy Gwan investigates the lifestyle and cultural choices of a Chinese-Australian family in colonial Australia.

FINDING FANNIE STARR • A set of 19th-century letters passed down through her husband’s family set Kate Hobbs on a quest to uncover the identity of Fannie Starr and her ‘Dear Uncle’.

Isabella Mary Kelly: the real story • Miss Isabella Mary Kelly was an extraordinary, pioneering woman of integrity, high morals and perseverance in the face of vicious character assassination. Here is her true story.

‘Doing the Block’ in Melbourne • To see and to be seen was the principal purpose of ‘Doing the Block’.

What’s new online? • The latest updates and additions to historical collections available online.

Rebuilding a balcony and its cast-iron lace • In late 2022, the long-awaited rebuilding of the front balcony at Miss Porter’s House, in Newcastle, was completed – an achievement celebrated by the volunteers who care for the house on behalf of the National Trust.