I don't know if anyone is aware of this new search facility, or would find it useful. The National Library of Australia has launched a new search website for searching various Australian Newspapers for various dates. The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria) has great coverage at the moment.
You used to be able to scan and search on individual pages of each paper, but now you can search the whole database.
My hotel-keeping ancestors lived in the Hunter Valley and rate many mentions in the Maitland Mercury for everything from deaths, licence renewals, court cases about stolen items, fines for selling illegally (and the MM is only covered for 3 years so far !!). I did find out that my g-g grandfather Sam Dawson, was not only a hotel owner, but also an Alderman on Maitland Council in 1882 (nominated in controversial circumstances!!)
I love the report of the court case between Henry Fisher, executor of the estate of Elizabeth and Michael Foard, who was trying to evict William Thomas Francis Brazill from The Globe Inn, Morpeth. No where in the proceedings is it mentioned that William is the brother of the late Elizabeth (which I thought might have made a difference to the case !!)
Things are reported far and wide - the inquest into the Stanwell Park storm drownings that claimed the lives of 5 of my family members in 1933, is reported in the SMH and Illawarra Mercury (not in the project) but also The Argus and The Canberra Times.
Notices of unclaimed letters, governement appointments all sorts of little bits of info, if you want to fill out the minutae of life of your Aussie ancestors, this is a great place to start. You can also edit the transcriptions as you go (so if you don't hear from me, you will know I am editing)
Di
You used to be able to scan and search on individual pages of each paper, but now you can search the whole database.
My hotel-keeping ancestors lived in the Hunter Valley and rate many mentions in the Maitland Mercury for everything from deaths, licence renewals, court cases about stolen items, fines for selling illegally (and the MM is only covered for 3 years so far !!). I did find out that my g-g grandfather Sam Dawson, was not only a hotel owner, but also an Alderman on Maitland Council in 1882 (nominated in controversial circumstances!!)
I love the report of the court case between Henry Fisher, executor of the estate of Elizabeth and Michael Foard, who was trying to evict William Thomas Francis Brazill from The Globe Inn, Morpeth. No where in the proceedings is it mentioned that William is the brother of the late Elizabeth (which I thought might have made a difference to the case !!)
Things are reported far and wide - the inquest into the Stanwell Park storm drownings that claimed the lives of 5 of my family members in 1933, is reported in the SMH and Illawarra Mercury (not in the project) but also The Argus and The Canberra Times.
Notices of unclaimed letters, governement appointments all sorts of little bits of info, if you want to fill out the minutae of life of your Aussie ancestors, this is a great place to start. You can also edit the transcriptions as you go (so if you don't hear from me, you will know I am editing)
Di
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