Hi my name is Arnie,
I'm sure that at some stage of our lives the " need to know " syndrome has popped up and that is the reason that has brought me to this site, apart, of course, from Dorne's invitation.
Although I am a member of a number of other genealogical sites, I feel that there is always the need to spread your search as wide as possible in your quest for information.
I have been researching my family since October 2004, only a short time compared to others, after the realisation of just how little I knew about my father's family, at that stage I was amazed and astounded that I didn't even know my grandmother's maiden name.
I had initially intended to trace only my father's family, but as we all know that tracing one strand of the family is not quite as satisfying as the buzz we get from that extra piece of information about all the strands that we eventually uncover.
I had always thought that our family had only come from England, how wrong was I !! Not only England but all the usual suspects, Scotland, Ireland and I think Wales as well as Germany.
I can't brag about having a " First Fleet " Convict in the tree, but I do have a convict background, the earliest being Donald KENNEDY, who arrived here aboard the Royal Admiral in 1792, and then subsequent arrivals by fellow fellons, in 1808, 1812, 1818, 1820 and 1822.
I won't mention all the surnames here, but will eventually list them on the surname board.
I look forward to a long and successful association with this group in our mutual quest for enlightenment and satisfaction of all things genealogical.
regards
Arnie