About us
Updated 20 February 2015
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Australia is a pacific nation which is populated by persons from probably every country (and ethnicity) on Earth. It is geographically close to New Zealand and although there is much rivalry between the two countries, many in both countries have families resident in both. Frequently, I find that a person in the New Zealand DNA Project at FTDNA has also joined the Australian Settlers Project. (And vice-versa).
So, you maybe interested in looking at
An Australian and New Zealand data base of Family Trees can be located at http://www.famnet.net.nz/ (If there is sufficient interest, the owner will establish a specific Australian based site).
Be aware that this site hosts more than just a data base - much, much more!
You will need to register to see the people for whom you might be searching, but you will be intrigued with the concept of the site if you care to look at the introductory video.
(Disclaimer: Although I am a member, I have no pecuniary interest in this site).
If you have merely stumbled upon this project whilst looking through FTDNA Project lists and if you have ancestors who traveled to Australia (male or female), please hit the "Join Request" button.
If your ancestors were convicts and after serving and surviving those harsh days, selected to remain in Australia, you may care to join the " Australian Convicts" project. (Also a dual YDNA and mtDNA Geographical project, and which also accepts atDNA testers)
For the project to give meaningful information, all Y-DNA and mtDNA testers need to know the port of arrival for their most distant direct paternal (or direct maternal) ancestral settler. This means the results you represent can be placed into the "ancestor port/area arrival and settlement" categories on the appropriate page. (If you have only tested Family Finder (atDNA) then this information is unnecessary at this time). Please note this is NOT a surname project and the general criteria is a little different to that used in Surname projects. Please make certain you give me that ancestral arrival information when you join the project. If you cannot do this, then please let me know. (By the way, only one direct patrilineal ancestor's arrival needs to be given to me, not the lineage - the lineage is your business. Similarly for that direct matrilineal ancestor who entered Australia).
Although it is best that female testers locate a male member of their family to test his Y-DNA as her/their proxy, I am happy to welcome those men and women who, for example have only tested Family Finder (FF) or have transferred their autosomal results from 23andMe or from AncestryDNA.
( Here is a hint for you if you have tested FF.
What follows is a map of just where Australia is in terms of the world.
If your ancestors were convicts and after serving and surviving those harsh days, selected to remain in Australia, you may care to join the " Australian Convicts" project. (Also a dual YDNA and mtDNA Geographical project, and which also accepts atDNA testers)
For the project to give meaningful information, all Y-DNA and mtDNA testers need to know the port of arrival for their most distant direct paternal (or direct maternal) ancestral settler. This means the results you represent can be placed into the "ancestor port/area arrival and settlement" categories on the appropriate page. (If you have only tested Family Finder (atDNA) then this information is unnecessary at this time). Please note this is NOT a surname project and the general criteria is a little different to that used in Surname projects. Please make certain you give me that ancestral arrival information when you join the project. If you cannot do this, then please let me know. (By the way, only one direct patrilineal ancestor's arrival needs to be given to me, not the lineage - the lineage is your business. Similarly for that direct matrilineal ancestor who entered Australia).
Although it is best that female testers locate a male member of their family to test his Y-DNA as her/their proxy, I am happy to welcome those men and women who, for example have only tested Family Finder (FF) or have transferred their autosomal results from 23andMe or from AncestryDNA.
( Here is a hint for you if you have tested FF.
Once you (or anyone) joins a project, you can go to your FTDNA Home Page and hover your mouse over the FF Drop-down menu visible in the blue tool bar. Then select "Advanced Matches" from that menu. Check FF and select whether you want to see your matches in either the full data base, or just in the specific projects that you have joined.
Because it is a pain switching from one window to another, I have three browsers, so that I can get the same person’s Home page up showing different reports for the same tester all at the same time.)What follows is a map of just where Australia is in terms of the world.
Updated 30 March 2014
The day the project began...
Australia currently has in the vicinity of 12,000+ people who call it "Home". It is a vast land for such a small population. The country itself is separated into a number of states, each having its own distinct jurisdiction overseen by one federal central administration - perhaps it can be likened a little to that of present day USA?
It is populated by members of every ethnicity and representatives of practically every country in the world. From the very early beginnings of the arrival of the natives of Australia (usually termed "Aborigines" and who have their own very special culture) through to the arrivals of many others in the last 300+ years. Because this country is a virtual modern melting pot of such immigrants, it seemed sensible to pioneer a DNA Project enabling all to be brought together with a view to not only establish who has genetic questions with others, but to consider the movements of all via their DNA results, both within Australia and throughout the world. [More to come on this].