HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY

The Gympie family History Society Inc (GFHS) as it is today, began in 1980 under a members house as a social group of like-minded people interested in family history research, wanting to help each other. Officially beginning as the Genealogical Society of Queensland, Gympie Branch in the Jaycees Hall Apollonian Vale Its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 1st 1980 had 21 members attend, and there after the weekly meetings were held at the Gympie Central School library on Lawrence Street. The societies decided its first index task was to be the records of the Gympie cemeteries and with the cooperation of the Gympie Cemetery Trust this was started.

Over the early years the location of the society had to move for various reasons, its location was even in and under members homes. In 1987 the branch adopted its own constitution and became the Gympie Ancestral Society, incorporated in 1989. It was at this time the society’s quarterly magazine “The Researcher” began. This publication changed to a trimester magazine in 1994.

for more details regarding this story, or further information on the society’s history, order a copy or an excerpt, or contact the society.

sourced from “Twenty Five Years of Remembrances and Reminiscences – The story of the Gympie Family History Society, 1980 to 2005”, and “Gympie Family History Society Inc – The Last Five Years 2015-2020”, both by Marjorie Head.

summary by Brett Watson, 1st April 2023.