August is Family History Month in Australia and New Zealand 

This August, Australians and New Zealanders will have many opportunities to connect with their families by taking part in “Family History Month.” 

Family History Month (FMH) is an initiative, created by the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations (AFFHO), to promote events relating to family history, genealogy, and other related campaigns.  

This year, the theme of Family History Month is “Family as a Community - Together We Can Achieve So Much More.” The theme celebrates the many organisations dedicated to family history work and seeks to support their efforts through Family History Month. 

FamilySearch, a nonprofit organisation operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is an active participant and supporter of the initiative. 

Paul Bennallack, FamilySearch Pacific Area Manager, said, “Family History Month is held each August in Australia and New Zealand to support family history efforts in both countries.” 

He continued, “FamilySearch is supporting the month by offering many activities and assisting societies and organisations throughout Australia and New Zealand.” 

FamilySearch encourages participation from individuals, families, and communities during Family History Month through various events and workshops. These events are as follows: 

‘Power Tools for Chinese Ancestry: How to Research Your Chinese Roots’ with Eric Leach 

Eric Leach, Chinese Product Manager of Family Search, will speak on assorted topics regarding Chinese genealogy and family history work, such as researching Chinese roots and finding ancestral villages. The event will be hosted on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/familySearchPacificArea.

Date & Time: Tuesday 6th August 2024 6:00 PM AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time)  

Auckland Family History Expo 

FamilySearch will share insights into artificial intelligence in genealogy, discuss their latest initiatives, and provide further opportunities for family history work. The event will be hosted at the Fickling Convention Centre 

Date: Friday, 9th August - Sunday, 11th August 

‘Get Involved’ with Ian James 

Ian James will discuss navigating indexing technology used by FamilySearch and how volunteers play a vital role in ensuring successful Family History Work. The event will be hosted on Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/familySearchPacificArea. 

Date & Time: Thursday 29th August 2024 6:00 PM AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) 

Family History Speaker Sessions  

Throughout Family History Month, FamilySearch will highlight several RootsTech 2004 online speakers and presentations from Australia and New Zealand, covering various family history topics. Topics will range from Australian Genealogical Research to Researching in New Zealand. The speakers will be broadcast at https://www.facebook.com/FamilySearchPacificArea/.  

Date & Time: Various times throughout August 

According to Paul Bennallack, “FamilySearch also invites individuals and families to customize their personal participation with some additional suggestions for Family History Month, including finding and taking names to the temple, encouraging youth to participate in family history work, planning activities within communities centered on family history, and talking to family members of your family and recording their stories.” 

Learn more about Latter-day Saints, family history, and temples here. 

DOWNLOAD

“We invite everyone to participate in Family History Month,” Bennallack says.  “We are grateful for the opportunity to help support the many family history efforts by so many. FamilySearch is dedicated to helping all to discover, connect and unite their families.” 

To access the FamilySearch mobile app, click here.