THE Redland Genealogical Society is looking back on its own history as it marks 40 years of helping people discover their family origins.
It will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a lunch at the Redlands Museum on May 12.
The society was established in the Redlands on May 11,1981, when a small group decided to set up a club for people interested in discovering their family history.
It also aims to promote the study and preservation of genealogy and increase the knowledge of local and family history in the Redlands.
Some of the group's founding members will be among the guests at the lunch, including founding chairperson Sue Skinner, librarian Denise Brady and treasurer Marel Donaldson.
The three recently met at the Cleveland library, the society's current home.
"It's so very different from 1981 when the library was stored under Denise's bed and the main source of information came via a single microfiche reader and microfiche," president Helen Veivers said.
"The society now has access to several computers, hundreds of book resources and a sophisticated microfiche reader with printer."
The society has been involved in many projects over the years, including a quest to find out more about the World War I soldiers named on Redlands' cenotaphs.
Along with other community members, the group managed to unearth photographs and information on all but a few of the soldiers
All people interested in finding out more about their family history are able to visit the Genealogy Room on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9.30am and 12.30pm and on Saturdays from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Volunteers from the society are present during those times to provide assistance.
