Venue:
Coast Centre for Seniors,
2 Curie Avenue, Little Bay, NSW
(unless otherwise listed)
Time:
1:30pm
(unless otherwise listed)
Visitors Welcome
Upcoming Events:
Discussion Group
Discussion Group
Topic: “Uncovering the 'Black Sheep' in the Family”.
Every family tree has one - a relative who broke the rules, strayed off the beaten path, or earned a whispered reputation at holiday gatherings. Whether they were a notorious swindler, an eccentric runaway, a secret outcast, or simply someone who lived life entirely on their own terms, these "black sheep" often hold some fascinating stories in our ancestry.
Whether you have already unearthed a colourful rogue in your lineage or are currently stuck on a suspicious gap in your records, bring your stories, questions, and curiosity.
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Bill Phippen
Topic: 'By Muscle of Man and Horse'
The story of building the railway under Sydney between 1916 and 1932. The talk is based on a photo album found by Sydney Trains in a clean-up, nearly dumped, and identified as being the missing volume from a set of five, the other four being at State Archives, Kingswood.
Past Events:
Annual General Meeting
Annual General Meeting
The Cape Banks FHS Annual General Meeting will be held at the Coast Centre for Seniors on Saturday 10th October 2026 from 1:30 pm. This will be followed by "Show and Tell," where members bring an item from their family history and tell a story about it.
NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies Annual Conference
NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies Annual Conference
Title: The Paper Trail and Beyond: Family History in the Digital Age
The conference will be available in person and also by Zoom.
Hosted by Port Macquarie Family History Society Inc.
Conference Website: https://www.portmacconference2026.com/
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Dr Lesley Potter
Topic: 'Born in Glebe'
Researching births and maternal deaths in Glebe, New South Wales, during colonial times, including the causes of death and the doctors involved. Lesley will talk about her methods used in researching, giving tips which would be useful for family history.
Discussion Group
Discussion Group
Topic: “In your garden”.
Do you have a plant in your garden, or perhaps one inside your home, that means something special to you? It might remind you of a family member or a friend or bring back memories of your childhood - perhaps a favourite tree you played under, climbed, or sat in while reading a book. We’d love to hear about the plants and trees that connect you to your past and the stories they hold.
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Christine Yeats
Topic: Irish convicts - resources hidden in ‘plain sight’
Discover the historical resources available for researching Irish convicts transported to Australia. Christine Yeats will showcase material from the recently digitised ‘Irish Gift’ collection, now accessible through the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP).
Christine Yeats is an archivist and historical researcher, President of Randwick & District Historical Society, President of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies and past President of the Royal Australian Historical Society. Christine has contributed to numerous publications, presented at national and international conferences, and delivered talks and workshops for local and family history groups throughout New South Wales.
AFFHO – National Family History Month
AFFHO - National Family History Month
Topic: "Family as a Community – Together We Can Do So Much More" The theme for National Family History Month 2026, “Family as a Community – Together We Can Do So Much More”, emphasizes the collaborative nature of family history research. It highlights the importance of community involvement, shared stories, and collective efforts in uncovering and preserving family histories. The theme encourages individuals to engage with relatives, local historians, and community groups to enrich their understanding of their heritage.
Family History Research Workshop
Family History Research Workshop
How to Record Your Family History Research Accurately, Concisely and Consistently
We are pleased to announce our upcoming workshop, How to Record Your Family History Research Accurately, Concisely and Consistently. This session is designed to help you improve your research notes and resolve common record-keeping issues faced by family historians. The workshop will cover three key areas:
1. Accuracy: Learn how to transcribe names, dates, places and text correctly, using verifiable official primary sources.
2. Conciseness: Learn how to summarise complex family information clearly by identifying the most important genealogical details.
3. Consistency: Learn how to standardise dates, names, places and files so your records remain organised and easy to use.
The workshop will also provide practical advice on managing digital files and physical documents, helping you build a comprehensive an...
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Lorraine Purcell
Topic: 'Hill End and Tambaroora from Central Western NSW'
She will speak about the history of the area and more recent events. Lorraine has written several books about the area. While she grew up in Maroubra, she has lived in several places in the state and has been a librarian with a strong interest in history.
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Dr Margaret Leask
Topic: 'Everyone has a Good Story: From Arts Administrator to Oral Historian'
Dr Margaret Leask is an author, an oral historian and a performing arts historian.
She researches and records oral history interviews for the National Film and Sound Archive, the Sydney Theatre Company, the Sydney Opera House, the National Library, Australian Theatre for Young People and Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.
She has also recorded interviews for the House with No Steps and the State Library of NSW. She reviews Sydney Theatre for Plays International and has researched and written entries for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and obituaries for the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age.
She believes strongly in the value of oral histories and will share the method she uses and some examples of her work.
Discussion Group
Discussion Group
Topic: “Where has your career taken you?”.
Join us at the next Discussion Group meeting, where we’ll explore the topic: “Where has your career taken you?” It’s a chance to reflect on those moments—big or small—that became defining chapters in your personal and family history.
Whether your journey included promotions and packing up for a new place, jet-setting to conferences as a speaker, or venturing out to remote locations for work, we’d love to hear your story. Perhaps your career led to an unexpected change or opened doors you never imagined. Every story adds richness to our collective tapestry, and your experiences may spark memories or inspire others in the group.
Bring along your anecdotes, milestones, and even those quirky workplace stories. Whether you’re now retired or still hard at it, your perspective is valued. Come for a chat and a cuppa, share your journey, and celebrate the remarkable paths our career...
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Brianna Mifsud, Archivist with the Museums of History, New South Wales (MHNSW) State Archives
Topic: 'Researching family history in the NSW State Archives Collection'
The NSW State Archives Collection documents the daily work of the NSW Government and its agencies from 1788 to today. This vast collection of records can be an invaluable resource for the family historian, from tracing the arrivals of early convict ancestors to uncovering family secrets within court and divorce records. This talk will highlight the various (and sometimes unexpected!) records held in the NSW State Archives Collection that you can use to unlock your family history and will outline how to get started searching the collection.
Image courtesy of Museums of History, New South Wales (MHNSW) State Archives
Bus Trip
Bus Trip
Set in 20 hectares of rural landscape, Bella Vista Farm, located at Elizabeth Macarthur Drive, Bella Vista is an intact historic farm complex of cultural significance to the nation. Established in the late 1700s, the complex features a two storey homestead, Bunya Pine lined driveway and various farm outbuildings set on a prominent hilltop. It provides a rare surviving link between the community today, the first European settlers and some of Australia's earliest rural development.
Australian Heritage Festival
Australian Heritage Festival
The 2026 festival theme is Change – How has history changed us – and how are we changing history? – invites communities across the country to reflect on how history has shaped us, and how we, in turn, continue to shape history.
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Ashley Kingston
Topic: 'The Coast Hospital Origin Story: the first nine photos from 1881'.
The response of the NSW Government to the smallpox epidemic in Sydney of 1881 resulted in the rapid construction of a complex of buildings on “Quarantine Grounds” at Little Bay. The NSW Government Printing Office sent photographer John Sharkey to document the complex as it neared completion. This presentation covers Sharkey’s footsteps on that day through the nine original photographs he took. In chronological order, it will show each of the original photos, then a stunningly restored colourised version, and finally a present-day photo from the same viewpoint. It is the origin story of what would become Prince Henry Hospital and the suburb of Little Bay.
Discussion Group
Discussion Group
Topic: “A book from my childhood”.
This month’s discussion topic is “A book from my childhood”. We invite you to reminisce and share stories about a book that shaped your early years - perhaps it was a classic Australian tale, a beloved picture book, a gripping tale read under the doona with a torch, or a story that inspired your imagination. Take a moment to think back to that special book and let us know why it was so memorable and what impact it had on who you are today. Your story can be long or short, funny or moving - everyone’s welcome to join in and celebrate the joy of childhood reading.
Looking forward to hearing many different stories!
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Kyra Geddes
Topic: 'The Story Thief'
The Story Thief is about mothers and daughters, love, loss, and the power of words. Ultimately, it is about how each of us must find our own way to live.
Fact and fiction meld into one in this stirring family saga set against shifting landscapes and pivotal moments in Australian history.
Discussion Group
Discussion Group
Topic: “Ancestral homes and property, Pre 1900”.
From your family history research, what have you found out about the homes and/or properties that your ancestors lived in, or on, before 1900?
Were the homes built from timber with a corrugated iron roof, or of a stone and mortar construction with thatched roofing? Maybe a 2-storey terraced house with outside conveniences?
Did your ancestor(s) own the home and property, or were they working for the owner who provided a place for them to live?
Have you visited the house and/or property and taken photographs? Do you have any details on the history of the house and/or property?
We encourage you to bring along your story and any photographs and share them with other members.
Even if you do not have anything to contribute, we invite you to join us and listen to the tales of others, as their stories may inspire your own memories to surface.
Looking forward to hearing many different stories!
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Chris Beazley
Topic: 'Lawrence Wackett', who built a seaplane at Avoca St, Randwick, and then used a truck to take it to Frenchman's Beach, La Perouse in 1925. Lawrence was a pilot in WW1 and later built aircraft for WW2 and established a factory in Victoria for this purpose.
Family History Research Workshop
Family History Research Workshop
Why you should use maps in your family history research and storytelling
Using maps in your family history research makes storytelling more engaging by showing how places relate to your personal stories. They can illustrate where your ancestors moved, emphasise important events, and give context to their journeys. By adding maps, you help readers see the geographical ties of your family's history, enriching their understanding and connection to your narrative.
The workshop will cover such things as what types of maps are available, where to find them and how to use them in your research and storytelling.
This workshop is limited to twelve participants and reservations will open from 1 October 2025. If bookings are oversubscribed, a second presentation will be organised later.
Annual General Meeting
Annual General Meeting
The Cape Banks FHS Annual General Meeting will be held at the Coast Centre for Seniors on Saturday 11th October 2025 from 1:30pm. This will be followed by "Show and Tell" where members bring along an item from their family history and tell a story about the item.
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
There will be no Guest Speaker Meeting and our Research Rooms will be closed for members and visitors for family history research due to the NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies Annual State Conference
NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies Annual Conference
NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies Annual Conference
Title: They Came From Where?
The conference will be available in person and also by Zoom.
Hosted by the NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies.
Conference Website: https://familyhistoryconference2025.org.au/
Discussion Group
Discussion Group
Topic: “Letters, postcards and photographs to and from the home front”.
In the era before email, the internet, and telephones, letters, postcards, and photographs served as cherished means of staying connected with family and friends across the country or around the globe. This connection was particularly vital during wartime when individuals stationed overseas faced long separations from loved ones. A letter or photograph from home could uplift their spirits and maintain a sense of closeness.
Additionally, family members who moved to other countries often wrote back to inform those at home about significant life events such as births, marriages, and deaths, as well as the happenings in their new surroundings.
Occasionally, these letters found their way into local newspapers, particularly in rural areas.
If you possess family letters, postcards, or photographs that you'd like to share, we encourage you to bring them along and share their stories.
Even...
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Kerima-Gae Topp, operator of Topp Tours
Topic: 'Weird & Wonderful Australia'
A colourful and interactive presentation, that is very popular with groups like Probus Clubs, to groups that are more history orientated, like historical societies. In this presentation you will discover many amazing and curious facts about your country, Australia. It will also reveal how much we really know about many things we take for granted in our daily lives.
Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations
Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations
Topic: "Family History: a lasting legacy" "Family History - A Lasting Legacy" is the theme for Australasian 2025 National Family History Month in August. The opening ceremony will be Friday 1st August 2025 at 5pm EST ZOOM with a guest speaker TBA. Details to follow.
Guest Speaker Meeting
Guest Speaker Meeting
Speaker: Paul McKenzie
Topic: 'Hidden in Plain Sight, Abbotsford House, Sydney'
This is the story of a prominent, but little known Sydney landmark on the banks of the Parramatta River. It encompasses the progression of colonisation and dispossession, early agriculture, land speculation, idyllic suburban estates, industrialisation, postindustrial housing development, conservation and restoration as well as the lives of the many people involved across more than two centuries.