Researching and Writing Family History

Name: Researching and Writing Family History
Start: 2026-08-04T19:00:00+09:30
End: 2026-08-04T19:00:00+09:30
Location: Genealogy SA

Lessons from Paving the Way

About

Join Dr Samantha Battams, author of Paving the Way, for an engaging workshop exploring the process of researching, documenting and writing family history.

Drawing on her own experience uncovering the stories behind Paving the Way, Samantha will share practical strategies for tracing family connections, locating and evaluating historical records, conducting oral history interviews, and transforming research findings into compelling narratives.

This session will examine how family historians can weave together archival sources, photographs, personal memories and broader social history to create meaningful accounts that preserve family legacies for future generations.

Whether you are just beginning your family history journey or looking to turn years of research into a book, this workshop will provide valuable insights, practical tips and inspiration to help you tell your family's story.

Dr Samantha Battams is an author specialising in non-fiction historical books. She has written two true crime books on poisoning cases, a story (with Les Parsons) about SA Pioneer aviator Harry Butler, and a family history story on early pioneers to South Australia and New Zealand (Paving the Way). She is an Associate Professor at Adelaide University (Stretton Health Equity) and has a PhD in Public Health (Flinders University), Honours degree in Sociology (UTas), and has worked in public health and global health for 30 years, including in Geneva, Switzerland. She is the local convenor for the SA chapter of Sisters in Crime. Visit her website for more information, as well as book purchase links.