Meet your FHWA Committee for 2024

Garth Walter
President

Elected Committee Member 2020; Vice-President 2021; President 2022

I joined FHWA as I wanted to be part of a community interested in family history.  This came after I spent some time in the Battye Library when I was 15 and got support from some of the FHWA volunteers. Being part of FHWA has helped my research in many ways and met extended family members who knew more about the family than we ever knew.

Throughout my first year as President I have met with 10 of our Interest Groups to ask the question: “What will we be when we are 50 years old in 2029?” I intend to continue these sessions in the current year in order to develop a refreshed Strategic Plan and Vision for FHWA. Please contact me with your thoughts president@fhwa.org.au

Christine Harris
Vice President and IT Manager

Elected Committee Member 2019; Vice-President 2020

In 1980, for some inexplicable reason that is lost in the mists of time, I decided to purchase marriage certificates for both sets of my grandparents.  When the certificates arrived I discovered that two of my great-grandfathers were called James McLaughlin.
That puzzle started me down a path that has been a "long and winding road".  And I have loved every minute of it.

I was born in Sydney, and all of my ancestry is on the East Coast.  According to DNA Ethnicity, I am 56% Scottish, 29% Irish and 15% English. 

But I recently got DNA results for three of my grandchildren that mean that I am now (finally) looking for family history in Western Australia, as well as India, Turkey, and Belgium!  

The search for your family's history never ends. 

Neil Bradley
Treasurer

Elected Committee Member 2013; Treasurer 2014

Convenor TMG Interest Group since it started in 2005 and participated in 11th Battalion and Gallipoli Projects, as well as the new website which launched last year.

Currently working on the Convict website, as well as updating Genie Links page on the new website.

Has been researching his (largely WA) family since the late 1990's. Estimates that he is related to approx 20,000 people in WA.

Diane Thornton
Secretary

Elected July 2023                         

My love of family history started when I was young when I listened to stories about how my grandparents came from Poland after WWII and Croatia after WWI to Western Australia.  I am currently studying a Master of Applied History online at the University of New England, part-time.  In 2023 I am also undertaking the Certificate in Genealogical Research through the Society of Australian Genealogists.  My immediate family comprises my husband (who is from Ireland and has an extensive family tree), a daughter and a son. 

Professionally, I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2000 and worked for an accounting firm, KPMG, for 9 years.  I then spent the next 15 years at BHP Billiton and Chevron in business planning, governance, financial modelling, and commercial roles until 2022.  I worked in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia in those roles.  I hold a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Australia.

Robert Atkins
Committee Member, Policy and Procedures, Awards Convenor, enews Editor

I joined FHWA in 2007 when I became active in genealogy, having inherited my father’s records and hand drawn trees. My first task was to digitize his family trees using The Master Genealogist. FHWA’s TMG SIG was a great help in getting to grips with this program and getting me started on my journey. I am currently the co-convenor of the TMG SIG. It took me two years to complete the digitization and this was to become the basis for my website. I have published several articles in the Western Ancestor on some of my more interesting ancestors. I am currently writing the story of the Atkins migration in 1847 from Ireland to Australia, Canada and the USA.

I joined the FHWA management Committee in 2013. I was immediately pressed into running the annual raffle and have been doing it ever since. I was appointed the Policy and Procedures Officer in about 2015 and guided the transition to the new Rules of Association and By-Laws to comply with the new State legislation. I have been the eNews Editor since 2014.

Jean Campbell

Committee Member

Elected June 2024

(Info to come)

Peter Forrestal

Committee Member and editor Western Ancestor

Elected 2024

With a degree in English and History from UWA, it's not surprising that I have had a life time fascination with history, hence my involvement in FHWA. I was an English teacher for 20 years and wrote English and Social Studies texts (my reference Look it Up! has been in print for 37 years) before tumbling into the nether world of wine writing and becoming foundation editor of Sydney-based Gourmet Traveller Wine. I have written 36 books with the most recent being a history of the early days of the Margaret River wine industry, The Way it Was.

As well as editing Western Ancestor, I am Secretary of the Australian Federation of Family History Organisations (AFFHO).

Anne Giles
Committee Member and Webmaster

Elected July 2022

I was the one in the family who listened to the stories, asked the questions and kept the photographs in old shoe boxes, so I was destined to join FHWA.

When I retired from a varied career as journalist, librarian, union official and public servant, I resolved to take a deep dive into my family history. I still haven't answered all the questions, or sorted the photos, but I am working on it.

I began volunteering iin the FHWA library at May St  soon after I joined in 2015. I also volunteer at the State Library and took on the role of webmaster about five years ago. I am  a member of the South Australian and Writers Interest Groups.