The power of a sense of place cannot be underestimated.

A place connects us in the present and links us to our past.

A place invokes memories.

Finding a Place in your Family Research can, at times, be difficult. The place you are seeking may be lost to time, changed it’s name or just too small to find on a map.

NSW Spatial Services replaced SIX Maps with a new and enhanced version now known as SDT Explorer. This session will take you through the basics of navigating the tool and how it can assist and enhance your Family History research.

Learn how to change the basemap, find Lot/DP numbers and view the land through aerial photography. It also includes the extra layers of data that are now available to use.

About the Presenter:

Jeffrey Madsen had a long career in Information Technology using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software to prepare maps for Government, private enterprise and family researchers.

It became evident that this Spatial knowledge could be used in genealogical research. Using maps and investigating areas of historical geography would enhance family stories by finding information beyond names and dates. He has used many alternate sources to determine the locations where his ancestors were born and lived. He is currently working on a One Place Study for the town of Lochinvar in the Hunter Valley of NSW which lists the original land holders and innkeepers in the town.

Jeffrey has presented a number of sessions on how NSW Historical Land Records and maps can be used for Family Research and is a Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists.

Presenter: Jeffrey Madsen