Speakers’ Corner Premier: Anne Young sharing Australia’s Caroline Chisholm
In anticipation of the premier this week of Projectkin Speakers’ Corner, I wanted to get you a preview of what we're up to and why. This exciting program is free and open to all members. Join us?
I’m very excited to be hosting the Speakers’ Corner for Projectkin, premiering later this week. I have invited two guests each month to tell a story from their family history. However, this first event will be the exception by having just one guest, as I will host and share a story myself. My guest for this first event is Anne Young, fellow Australian and family history blogger at Anne's Family History. Over the years, Anne and I have regularly connected through our blogs and now on Substack.
Guest Speaker: Anne Young
Anne is a great storyteller and is now active with her Substack publication, Anne’s Family History. Her thoughtful research and instinct for a story make her the perfect guest to kick off this series. Anne has been researching her family history since she was a teenager and began sharing her discoveries in 2012, on her WordPress blog, Anne's Family History. Her posts explore ancestors across Australia, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Anne strives to add definition and colour to some of the events in her family’s history beyond mere names, dates, and places. Anne believes real lives are more compelling than fiction — and that personal stories help us better understand broader history. She is particularly interested in how living conditions have changed over time, comparing, for example, her third great-grandmother, who was a washerwoman in 19th-century Germany, with a cousin who was presented at Queen Victoria’s court. Anne is an energetic participant in the annual A to Z Blogging Challenge and contributes enthusiastically to WikiTree. With nearly 900 posts, Anne continues to find joy in researching and preserving her family’s legacy.
Our 1st Topic: Caroline Chisholm
At this first Speakers Corner event, Anne Young and I will tell the story of Caroline Chisholm1, a formidable woman, her connection with Australia, and why she was remembered on our currency.
In 1966, Australian currency was changed from the pound to the dollar. New coins and notes were issued. In 1967, a five-dollar note was issued; it was a new denomination, and there was no equivalent note in the pre-decimal currency system. Australian notes in the 1960s were for $1, $2, $5, $10, and $20. The Queen appeared on the $1 note with Indigenous artwork on the back. The other four notes had notable Australians on the back and the front. Of these eight notable Australians, only one was a woman, Caroline Chisholm.
Join us & support our speakers.
Like all Projectkin events, our program is free, and recordings will be shared with subscribers a few hours after its conclusion.
This is a brand new series, and the response has been enthusiastic since it was first announced in June. I’d love to have you join us to share a story from your family history. Below you’ll see the schedule for upcoming programs through the balance of the year. Please note that the timing of each event is arranged for our speakers' convenience. Matching speakers and time slots is a special challenge, but I’ve done my best to make this work by referencing our two established Pacific- and Atlantic-friendly time windows2.
If you have suggestions for our December holiday special, drop me a message. I’d love to hear from you:
I’m currently filling in the calendar for 2026, and we’d love to include you. Kindly complete this simple form to help me balance speakers, timing, and topics: Projectkin.org/speakers-queue.
This is a community effort. Barbara and I wholeheartedly welcome your participation as an audience member and a speaker. As described in the initial post in June, all speakers will receive a video file with a copy of their talk after our program. We hope this will be of value to you and your family in future years.
Archives of past programs will be available from a new section at Project.org/speakers-corner.
At Projectkin, we benefit from genealogists worldwide and host events from our home in California during strategic time windows:
“Atlantic-friendly” — best for Europe & the Americas
“Pacific-friendly”— best for Pacific Rim & the Americas
The map below shows these time windows on different sides of the globe.
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