SPECIAL EVENTS
Brisbane City Council Library Talks.
Throughout the year, GSQ provides talks on a variety of topics for the Brisbane City Council. These are offered at libraries across the Council area. These presentations are free, but you need to book at the library.
The Council pays GSQ a fee for presentations so tell your friends about them as Council monitors the popularity of the presentations and decides how many will be offered. Talks are free but booking is essential. Please phone and book your place and check the Council library Website for further information.
Confirmed topics and locations 2026:
- Beginners guide to DNA
Saturday 13 June 2026, 10:00am to 11:00am
Coopers Plains Library Booking: 07 3403 1530 - Digitising family history records
Saturday 20 June 2026, 10:00am to 12 noon
Fairfield Library Booking: 07 3403 8615 - Exploring Occupations
Saturday 25 July 2026, 10:30am to 12:30pm
Inala Library Booking: 07 3407 2205 - Enhancing your family tree with Google
Tuesday 8 Aug 2026 9:30am to 11:30am
Nundah Library Booking: 07 3407 8701 - Family History in Action
Tuesday 1 Sept 2026 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Kenmore Library Booking: 07 3407 0258 - DNA for Genealogy
Friday 6 Aug 2026 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Gympie Regional Library (GSQ at Gympie Library)
Topics Available for Talks:
- Beginners guide to DNA for genealogy – One Hour
DNA for genealogy – Step 2 - Family History in action. What do we know about the first mayor of the Brisbane Municipal Council 1859-1862, John Petrie and his family?
- How do we start researching?
- Introduction to family history
- Using Newspapers for family history
- Enhancing your family tree with Google
- Exploring Ancestry.com
- How to use the largest free family history site FamilySearch.org
- Choosing a family tree program
- Exploring FindmyPast Worldwide
- Queensland family history online
- How did they get here? Immigration in Australia from 1788
- Irish Immigration – why they left Ireland and where they went
- Finding your Irish Ancestor
- Dating old photos and caring for them
- Families at War
- Finding female convict voices: exploring their lives
- Exploring Convict Ancestors
- How our ancestors earned their daily bread: exploring their occupations
- Getting the best results using ScotlandsPeople
- Digitising your family photographs, birth certificates, marriage certificates etc.
- Working on the Liverpool docks.
- The journey to publishing my family history Book.
- The Forgotten Ones of World War 11 - the Volunteer New Guinea Rifles.
Contact Judy Lofthouse: presentations@gsq.org.au
Joan Reese Memorial Short Story Competition.
About the competition
The Joan Reese Memorial Short Story Competition recognises the contribution of Joan Reese in the significant provision of access to NSW Colonial records and her support of GSQ and its members over many years. The winner will be announced at a seminar or meeting held by the Society, and the winning story and other entries will appear in subsequent issues of the Society's quarterly journal, Generation. The winner's name is also inscribed on a plaque displayed at GSQ.
The 2026 Joan Reese Writing Competition provides a cash prize to the value of $200 and an annual single membership subscription to the Genealogical Society of Queensland Inc. Existing GSQ members can add this to their current membership subscription. This prize is partly funded by the GSQ Writing Group to encourage members to write up the results of their research. The topic for 2026 is “A Short Story from Family History Research you have undertaken”. Researchers discover many interesting stories when researching family history.
These stories may relate to how they followed the trail of an individual ancestor either in Australia or overseas, how an event such as an immigration story impacted on the family, how they started out researching the family history, or how they solved a mystery, a brick wall or a difficult research question.
The judges are interested in reading about the significance of this story to the research, and this should be clearly explained. Entrants are also encouraged to include photos relevant to the story. Sources of information should be appropriately and consistently referenced or cited. Refer to the information contained in the online Australian Government Style Manual (https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/) if guidance is required.
Judging Criteria:
In 2026, stories will be judged on the following criteria:
Content: Is related to family history, provides the reason/s for your choice of topic/ancestor, includes evidence of your research.
Presentation: uses standard English sentence construction and variety of expression, has a readable style, uses a consistent form of references or citation of sources (refer Australian Government Style Manual online for guidance), contains appropriate illustrations, with captions if used.
Overall impression: is an interesting story, is well presented.
Judging panel
President of GSQ, or nominee,
Convenor of the GSQ Writing Group,
Independent judge.
Eligibility
The competition is open to members and non-members of GSQ. There is no fee to enter the competition.
Editor of Generation, Convenor of the GSQ Writing Group and members of the Judging Panel are not eligible to enter.
Length
Maximum length to be 2500 words. It is anticipated that a well-developed story will be at least 1500 words in length.
Conditions of entry
The story must not have been previously published,
Multiple stories can be entered,
Endnotes/references will not be included in the total word count,
Entrants are encouraged to include a photo relevant to their story. Approval must be sought, where appropriate, for permission to use any photographic or other material which is subject to copyright,
Entries must be in Word or Word compatible format, font to be Times New Roman 12 or Arial 12 with double line spacing.
Deadline for submissions
Entries must be received no later than 25 May 2026 (no entries will be accepted after that date).
Entries to be emailed to secretary@gsq.org.au with “Joan Reese Memorial Short Story Competition” in the subject line.
Further information
Entries submitted in previous years have been published in Generation. Entrants requiring further information should address enquiries to secretary@gsq.org.au
How to Contact Us
If you wish to discuss a potential donation of materials, please contact:
Email: president@gsq.org.au
Or visit the GSQ Resource Centre during open hours — our volunteers will be happy to assist.
Thank You
GSQ deeply appreciates the generosity of members, friends, and supporters.
Your donations — whether financial or material — play a vital role in keeping Queensland’s family history alive and accessible for all. Every gift helps another researcher discover their story. Thank you for assisting GSQ in making that possible.
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