Phoebe Wikens – Our July 3 Speaker

Phoebe Wilkens is our next speaker at the July 3 meeting. Her passion is genealogy: discovering a love for researching families, their origins and finding skeletons in the closet and coaxing them out. She loves to solve historical mysteries, delving into the history of homes and properties and loves to write about historical events and delights in discovering treasures in the archives.

Phoebe is the director and researcher at Born & Bred Historical Research. She has a wide and varied range of research experience, including working at the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV), the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and volunteering at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria.

Phoebe’s research has been featured on television and included finding the missing branches when researching the family stories for celebrities on SBS Australia’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’, She features in the most current series working with Stephen Curry to untangle his family’s story. Phoebe also worked on previous series most notably with Shane Jacobson, Delta Goodram, Patti Newton, Bert Newton, Roger Corser and Uncle Jack Charles.

Family history research is a captivating adventure filled with both thrilling discoveries and occasional challenges. Delving into your ancestry opens a world of stories, connections, and insights, making the journey well worth the effort.

One of the rewards of family history is the sense of discovery it can bring, or for some a sense of closure or understanding. Unearthing details about your ancestors’ lives can feel like piecing together a puzzle, each new piece adding depth to your story. This exploration can lead to unexpected and exciting findings, and can give context and understanding to ancestors’ lives. These discoveries can also create a strong emotional connection to the past, making your history feel alive and relevant.