00:00Among sandstone ruins and iron gates, the past is stirring again.
00:08A collection of historians sift through historic registers, helping inquisitive locals uncover their lineage.
00:16When people find out some information about their convict ancestry, they become really excited,
00:21and I think it encourages them to find out more detail as well.
00:26This weekend, historians like Diane Snowden are giving people the chance to dig deeper into their ancestry.
00:33From convict registers to orphan school archives, the information paints a fuller picture of the lives behind the records.
00:41My great-great-great-grandmother stole potatoes in Ireland in 1845.
00:47She brought two of her six children out with her.
00:51Fiona Howard's tracing the story of her ancestor, Charlotte Noy.
00:55She came, arrived in Hobart-on-the-America in 1831.
01:00She retained her maiden name and had two sons.
01:04She says the journey's given her a newfound respect for what convicts endured.
01:09Personally, I just have so much admiration for them for what they've had to suffer and go through.
01:16The event's popularity shows that what was once a family secret is now a source of pride,
01:22with people's ancestry giving them a connection to the stories that built Tasmania's colonial past.
01:28They were people, most of them made good.
01:33And, obviously, the descendants who are here have got every reason to be very proud of them.
01:40Thank you very much.
01:41Thanks, everybody.
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