Lake Cargelligo – Community

A lot of people come to Lake Cargelligo in search of branches of their family tree.  The locals often say “you never say a bad word about anyone – chances are they will be a relative” – even if a distant one.

When I thought about it some more I realized that I had ultimately moved to Lake Cargelligo because of family – one of my distant cousins married a local and somehow my parents decided to move to the lake and I wanting my daughter to see her grandparents kept making the eight hour trip from Sydney to the lake each school holidays over the last ten years until I eventually stayed.

Embarking on a search of family history is an important journey for most people wanting to uncover the stories of the past generations of their family tree. My family began looking into our family tree when my grandmother decided to write a book about the previous three generations of women in our family. You may not want to write an epic tale and simply want to know where your ancestors originated or learn of their past.  These are some tips that made the search through the branches of my family tree easier and more fun.

Start with what you have

One of the first things that would help you get some information about your family tree is by starting with what you currently have. Before you start getting techie online and digging up the distant past of your family history, you have to find out what you can about the here and now. You will be amazed by what you will find when you start rummaging around your home, for that precious piece of family history … the best part is you are living your family history everyday.  What clues or keepsakes are you leaving behind for those generations to come?

Discovering the clues

Gather together any documents that may provide clues to your family history such as . family photos, keepsakes passed down to you, important family documents like birth, marriage and death certificates as well as other similar things. Ask your relatives if they have any items that may be helpful with your search – these types of keepsakes are often treasured so don’t be surprise if they are reluctant to let them out of their sight … make copies or take photographs of them as your own proof.

Listen and record family stories

Interview your relatives and others you think may have important information about your family’s history. Your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, family friends … listen to their stories, your family history is so much more than names and dates. When you ask open ended questions you may uncover some beautiful treasures, family anecdotes, jokes, recipes and gain valuable insights into your family history.

Putting it all together

Now that you have collected all of this information about your family history, start to put it together in a family tree chart. There are a few different ways you can do that – just google “how to build a family tree chart” and find the one that will work best for you.  Even so early in your search, a family tree chart can help you keep track of your progress and uncover gaps where you will need to do further research.

Family history in Lake Cargelligo

If you are looking for information about people that lived in Lake Cargelligo contact the Lake Cargelligo Historical Society – even if they don’t know the answer to your question they will put the word out to the local community to draw on the collective knowledge.  They can also help you find any of the books that have been published about Lake Cargelligo.