About the Site and Its Author
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The website’s main goal is to offer free or low-cost research tools and support for family and local historians, going beyond basic “birth, marriage, death” details—it’s about enriching family history with broader context and social insight. terrycallaghan.com
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Terry Callaghan shares a professional background in engineering and metallurgy, having worked in steelmaking and coal mining (both in Australia and internationally), before transitioning to historical research. terrycallaghan.com
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Academically, he holds a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in History and a Graduate Diploma in Local and Applied History. His areas of focus include pre-1900 Australian social history, with special attention to land alienation, place names (toponymy), and everyday structures like houses, fences, gates, and building materials. terrycallaghan.com
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If you’re interested in exploring or using these resources, there’s a Contact page where Terry provides an email (txcallaghan@gmail.com) for research inquiries. terrycallaghan.com
Summary Table
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Family/local history research—thematically rich and socially focused |
| Background | Engineering and steel/coal industry + history qualifications |
| Key Interests | Pre-1900 Australian social history, land, toponymy, infrastructure |
| Resources Offered | Indexed databases (e.g., landholders, mineworkers, publicans), manual lookups |
| Contact | Available via email for assistance or lookup requests |
I provide look ups and searches of a series of electronic indexes and databases which have been compiled from primary and secondary source material.
My family – Christmas 2008
My aim is to provide inexpensive research assistance for family and local historians. Searches of the electronic indexes are in the most cases free of charge. I do provide research services for those requiring a ‘manual’ search of the holdings and other resources which have not yet been transcribed or requiring a number of ‘look ups’ . Monies received for these services are used to develop further research aids. For those wishing to utilize these resources I suggest that you follow the ‘resource’ tab.
Xmas 2016
I have a background in Engineering and Metallurgy having served an apprenticeship as a Fitter & Turner at Commonwealth Steel Company, Waratah concurrently gaining a certificate in Mechanical Engineering. I also later graduated with Certificates in Metallurgy and Management. My employment was in the steel making and coal mining industries. In the latter, in management of coal preparation and processing plants at Hexham, Aberdare, Liddell and Hunter Valley and Kalimantan , Indonesia. During my employment I worked in steel making at Manchester and Sheffield and during my employment with Coal & Allied undertook a number of study tours of processing plants and equipment in U.S.A., Canada, South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom. I have also been fortunate to travel extensively visiting Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium , Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Alaska, Hawaii, New York, Washington, Denmark, Mexico and Hungary.
My Family Xmas 2019
I have a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and also a Graduate Diploma in Local and Applied History. My own area of research is pre 1900 social Australian history in particular the alienation of land, the inter reaction between the squatters and other land users, toponymy – the study of place names and Victorian England. I also have a interest in houses , fences and gates and building materials used in their constructions . Some of my work is focused on providing background material such as address, occupation and where available salary. An example of this work you will find in my CD entitled ‘Residents of NSW’. My CD’s have been purchased by family historians and Family History Societies, Local Historical Groups and Public Libraries. See here for listing.
I hope that my records are of use to those family historians who wish to add some foliage to the family tree and move on from the ‘womb to tomb’ aka known as ‘cradle to grave’ approach of the mere recording of date of birth, marriage and death approach.
The following is an extract from the introduction to my own family history :-
Patrick and Dinah Callaghan. l.to r. James, Jack and William
‘This work attempts to provide a frame of reference for those who wish to research the history of the Callaghan, Smith or Schmidt, McCraven, Fullick, Marshall, Doring, Schaefer, Claydon, Grungleman, Kony or Counts families. I have endeavored to write the history of my forebears from a social perspective and to determine albeit with mixed success to identify their reasons for leaving homes, family and friends and traveling some 13000 sea miles to an unknown land. Equally I have tried to trace their mobility on arrival either on an individualistic or family basis. It would seem, however, that their mobility was more of a geographical nature rather than economic or social. This is not to conclude that they were not worse or better off, but rather one of relativity. For those who might seek to find men and women of mark as measured by some socio economic determinants I am afraid that to date this has not been the case. Rather it would seem that our ancestors typified those who left their homeland in the 19th century, either of their own volition or otherwise, to seek a new life in a new world…..more
If you are researching for Callaghan you may find this link to an extract from my database ‘Residents of NSW Vol 3.” of use. It contains the names and details for 263 Callaghans. link
Also if your name is Callaghan you might like this:-
© 2006.Reproduction without permission is not appreciated. Whilst most of the data has been sourced from material in the public domain, these formats of the data have not and along with my historical notes are protected by copyright.