2023 onwards
Territory Technical Solutions came into the life of our Family History Library when we were wanting serious help with our IT problems. Michael Feldbauer and his team at Territory Technical Solutions (TTS) have made a massive difference to our IT experience. We can now concentrate on being Volunteers and helping Northern Territory families to connect with their families past and present.
TTS are working with our Library to update the ICT Systems to improve the reliability and security of the system whilst simplifying the services that are in place. The TTS team is looking at implementing best practice cybersecurity across the systems to ensure the records are kept safe and sound.
Recently GSNT with TTS have been successful in obtaining Microsoft Not for Profit Licensing to assist our Library with being able to access free licensing to expand the services. We can now access in Office 365. This is a giant step forward to our previous working environment.
Finally, the implementation of offsite backups of current family history data will ensure the preservation of all the records.
ACCOMMODATION GRANT
2021-2026
Our Family History Library is appreciative of the accommodation grant and the continued
support of the Northern Territory Government. With out this grant and support we would not be able to reconnect past and present Northern Territory families.
NT GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND GRANT
2024
The Community Benefit Fund has helped us in many ways over a long period of time by funding computer equipment and general office equipment. This funding helps to increase our participation in our Community in helping others to reconnect to the families here in the NT, Australia wide or internationally. In 2024 we applied for and was successful in obtaining a Grant for Library Equipment and GSNT Events Kit. This grant has enabled us to be more active in the Community with the transportation of free standing signs and other library resources needed when holding information talks.
2023
Once again we acknowledge the financial help we have received from the NT Community
Benefit Fund – the fund has helped us many times, their latest grant was to purchase a “Fire Wall” for our server, an essential item. The Fire Wall took some time to arrive and finally it was installed a few weeks ago. Being able to receive help from the fund at critical times is of enormous assistance to our Library.
2022
The Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory Inc thank the Community Benefit Fund for their support that enabled us to purchase signage for our new location at Harry’s Place, Tiwi. Without this important funding, we would not have signage to redirect our members and members of the public to our Library The Family History Place. Our signs also include acknowledgment of the support we receive from the Northern Territory Government that is part of us helping families reconnect, both past and present.
2020
In 2020 our computer NAS backup system was failing with the help of the Community Benefit Fund we were able to purchase a new NAS system. If we had a worse case scenario we would have lost data that took 40 years to index and catalog. The Fund came to our aid and now the new NAS is installed.
2018 – 2019
In 2018-2019 we had outgrown our server both in technical terms and in the amount of storage for Northern Territory documents containing a wealth of information. These documents allow us to assist families to find their ancestors or to reconnect with present day family members.
Without the assistance of the Community Benefit Fund, as a Charity, we would have been unable to keep providing our research services to individuals seeking to learn more about the Territory life of their family.
COMMUNITY BANK NIGHTCLIFF
2024
Our Library had been limping along with computers that constantly broke down, it was costing us a lot of lost time in Volunteer help and the number of available computers was fast diminishing. What we really needed was to buy 10 new computers. As a not for profit organisation we had very little money. The Community Bank Nightcliff were advertising the Partnership Grant for 2024. We applied explaining our problem and were successful. The Bank’s program provides financial assistance to organizations like our Family History Library.
Our role is to reconnect families past and present. Our organisation has no paid employees, we are all volunteers. We value the Community Bank for recognizing the contribution we are making to reunite Territory families and other family who are living in the Territory and have relatives living elsewhere. The Community Bank supports organizations, schools and clubs. They continue to expand their services while providing exposure and growth opportunities for the Nightcliff Community Bank. Their encouragement in community participation in activities that build a sense of community is to be applauded.
Our Library has been fortunate to receive a Volunteers Grant in the years 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2024. These Grants help us to provide our Volunteers with improved working conditions by providing ergonomic chairs and other office equipment including library ladders and computer programs to assist them in their work of indexing many sources. The results are the indexes they compile significantly assist our Library in answering queries from not only members but the wider community. Some of the indexes are now well known NT sources for example, NT Probates, Shipping, Mining, Police, Overland Telegraph Line, Railways, Pearlers, Birth Death and Marriage records from newspapers and other sources, cemeteries, lone graves, land records, Nurses, Surveyors etc.
Our volunteers work tirelessly to provide indexed resources so that users of our library have a great success rate in finding information about their family, past and present. We can only do this with the support of Grants like the Volunteers.
Be Connected was first launched in 2017 by the Good Will Foundation, it aims to increase internet skills so people feel they are not being left behind in this increasing digital world. The Be Connected Network has well over 3,000 community organizations who support older Australians to thrive in a digital world.
Through The Be Connected experience, older Australians can be helped to realise the value of being able to use computers through access to appropriate training and support in a safe and familiar environment. Our Library offers help to all of our Be Connected registered users. If you want to start off on this program or know someone who would benefit from learning more about computers we can help, come into our Library and receive free one on one help at any time.