Mount Gambier resident Gina Surth has sung the praises of the volunteer researchers at the South East Family History Group.

Her forebears emigrated to Australia from Italy during the twentieth century and settled in places such as Mount Gambier, Millicent and Kingston.

Ms Surth (nee Letizia) saw the SEFHG research centre in Millicent had its open sign on the footpath while recently driving through the town and decided to make an impromptu stop.

She was warmly greeted by the on-duty volunteer Les Bebbington and within minutes was looking at primary documents relating to her various Italian ancestors in the vast SEFHG collection.

As the afternoon wore on, other SEFHG members arrived and also made helpful suggestions about where the information on the Morello and Morelli families could be found.

Ms Surth said she was compiling a family tree and was keen to see where her forbears worked and the businesses they ran.

“I have been back in Mount Gambier for a while after living in Shepperton for 30 years,” she said.

Meanwhile, retired Millicent forester Michael Bleby recently spoke at the SEFHG monthly meeting about his memories of his working life dating back 
to the 1960s.

He shared his recollections of some of the unusual tasks undertaken in the day-to-day life on a large forest plantation.

His talk was well received by the SEFHG members.

Mr Bleby was called on at short notice when the scheduled speaker was unavailable.

In other SEFHG news, Santa Claus will make one of his pre-Christmas appearances to the SEFHG on this evening.

There will be a shared tea commencing at 6.30pm and there will be parlour games and singalongs rather than the usual guest speaker.

The group does not hold monthly meetings in December and January and its research centre is briefly closed at the height of the festive season.