Kia Ora New Zealand!
In just under three weeks time I will be boarding a plane from Edinburgh to make my way to New Zealand, where I will be speaking at the Family History Expos in both Christchurch and Auckland.
I am very much looking forward to returning to New Zealand for the first time since 2017. Auckland is a fave city of mine in the world (this will be my third trip there!), and I have never had the pleasure before of visiting Christchurch, which I am very much looking forward to - the Unlock the Past cruise that I spoken on in 2011 was intending to visit, but the devasating earthquake there forced us to re-route to another port, due to the damage at the quay.
The following are the two events I will be speaking at next month:
Christchurch Family History Expo
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August 2025,
Tūranga, Cathedral Square, Christchurch
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/family-history-expo/
Other speakers will include Ian James, Sophie Kay, Andrew Redfern, Jason Reeve, Duff Wilson, Annabel Ahuiriri-Driscoll, Valerie Anderson, Fiona Brooker, Lyndon Fraser, Sonia Gray, Seonaid Harvey, Sarah Hewitt, Fiona Lees, Arapata Reuben, Sian Smith, Natasha Wells, Whakapapa Ngāi Tahu, Amy Ryan and Amy Duff, Ngapiu Tainui-Maclure and Julia Keogh-Cope, and Annette Williams. See the above link for the programme.
Auckland Family History Expo
Friday 8 August to Sunday 10 August 2025
Fickling Convention Centre, 546 Mt Albert Road, Three Kings.
https://genealogy.org.nz/Auckland-Family-History-Expo/11491/
On the first day, Friday 8 August, there will be an AI for Family History workshop with Fiona Brooker, in the afternoon, followed by an Opening Event in the evening with keynote talks from Sarah Hewitt, chair of the New Zealand Society of Genealogist, and then myself. (I will update details in due course once the full programme is announced).
I really hope that you can join us in Christchurch and/or Auckland, I am very much looking forward to both events, which promise to be epic, packed with fascinating talks, and above all, great fun!
Chris
Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available - Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.