My name is Emily and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I started researching my own family tree 13 years ago. At first what I loved about it was the puzzle, finding the names and dates and fitting them all together, going back in time as far as I could.

Over time, my passion for history grew. I started listening to podcasts, watching tv shows and reading books about history and thinking about how my ancestors’ lives interacted with the world around them.

I’ve traced my family in Victoria and South Australia plus various off shoots in Western Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. I found out they came from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany and Poland before they came to this land we now call Australia.

I’ve helped friends research their family in New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and Austria, just to name a few places. I’ve researched the former inhabitants of houses my family has lived in. I’ve honed my skills by practicing researching the family trees of well-known Australians, Americans and Brits.

I’ve started using DNA to confirm my research, connect with more relatives, share knowledge and expand my tree. The potential to smash through brick walls in your research using DNA is very exciting.

I love that family history allows me to connect with history on a personal level. The Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, the world wars; they’re not abstract things that happened, they happened to my family and have ripple affects in my life.

Mine and my ancestors’ lives also have an indelible impact on Aboriginal lives, in particular the Wurundjeri, Bunurong, Djadjawurrung, Wadawurrung, Djabwurrung, Kaurna and Ngadjuri people on whose stolen land my ancestors set up home.

I believe it’s important not shy away from difficult parts of history including the mass murder and cultural genocide inflicted upon and still experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders since the invasion by the British in 1788.

I’m committed to being anti-racist and decolonizing family history in an active way. This includes questioning the way in which history is presented, educating myself, sharing First Nations voices on social media, supporting activism efforts and supporting Bla(c)k businesses and artists.

I also believe knowing your family is a social justice issue and I’m happy to help anyone whose family has been affected by the Stolen Generations, Blackbirding, adoption, the Holocaust or any other relevant unjust separation from family. Please email me or message me on social media.