Welcome to my 2025 Blogging from A to Z Challenge!
Throughout April, I'll be posting daily (except Sundays) with each post inspired by a letter of the alphabet. This year, I'm exploring my family's migration history to Australia—focusing on the journeys themselves and the brave individuals who undertook them. Some of these stories follow my ancestors across oceans, while others trace their movements within Australia or even their return voyages after time abroad.Born in 1960 on Taungurung Country in Benalla, Victoria, I often reflect on the courage and strength of my ancestors who began arriving on this continent as early as 1815. Their stories of survival, opportunity, and tenacity have shaped the life I have today. Below is an outline of the ancestors I will be examining during this Challenge.
Visual representation of migration start and end points, Mapping my Ancestral Journeys to Australia, map created at DNApainter https://dnapainter.com/tree/view/19c5bdefa9623b8d/tree created 30 March 2025
Before diving into individual stories, this map provides a broad view of my ancestors’ migrations. Although the map shows overland routes, these journeys were entirely by sea. Over the next month, I’ll be exploring the experiences behind these migrations—why they left, the challenges they faced, and how their journeys shaped my family's history.Each of my ancestors took a risk, leaving behind everything they knew for the promise of a new life in Australia. Some sought economic opportunity, others fled hardship, and a few had no choice in their migration. Regardless of the circumstances, their decisions have profoundly shaped my identity and the life I lead today. As I reflect on their journeys, I am reminded of the strength and resilience that runs through my family’s history, and I am inspired to continue exploring and sharing these stories.
Every journey I’ll be sharing took place before the era of air travel, meaning my ancestors relied on the sea to reach Australia as quickly and affordably as possible. Once here, they continued their travels overland—on foot, by bullock train, or whatever means were available. Unlike most other continents, Australia has always required a sea crossing to reach it. While the exact routes taken by the earliest inhabitants remain uncertain, migration to Australia has long depended on ocean travel.
Useful Links for Background
This April, as part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (#AtoZChallenge), where I’m sharing my ancestors travel stories—one letter at a time. From long voyages by sea to overland treks, each post will focus on the journeys themselves—the routes they took, the challenges they faced, and the experiences along the way.Blog Post Meta Data
The URL for this post is https://ancestralresearchjournal.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-is-for-arrivals-my-ancestors-journeys.html originally published 1 April 2025
Author 2025, Sandra Williamson
Hi Sandra,
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried the mapping activity at DNA Painter but I think my ancestors journeys would look like yours. England, Ireland and Scotland to Van Diemen's Land and only one to New South Wales in the early 1920's.
The mapping activity is almost automatic if you already have a Gedcom uploaded. I was looking around for a map to decorate this post and was delighted when I found it so easy to create. You should try it.
DeleteThis is such a cool theme! And an interesting image to kick it off. My ancestors, as far as I know, did not travel very far in recent history, so I am curious to hear other kinds of family histories.
ReplyDeleteHappy A to Z!
The Multicolored Diary
I'm looking forward to finding out which sea route your ancestors took to reach Australia from the British Isles. And very curious about that one that stopped in India.
ReplyDelete