Over the years, I’ve drawn on the work of incredible researchers and record-keepers who made it their mission to preserve the ships and passenger lists of those who came to South Australia.

Diane Cummings, who compiled the extraordinary Bound For South Australia website, preserving countless shipping records with care and precision.

Sue and Gery Swiggum, based in Canada, founders of TheShipsList.com, a global migration database. Their work included major contributions for South Australian arrivals, thanks in large part to Robert Janmaat, who compiled and shared detailed passenger lists focused on our region.

I want more people to experience their work the way I did:
As a lifeline. A breakthrough. A quiet “a-ha!” in the middle of the night when a name or ship finally made sense.

What I Wish For
I have a vision — of these resources reawakened with modern tools: searchable, readable, and integrated into platforms like my own Ask Grandma Kylie chatbot, where they can continue helping people discover where they came from.

But I also know myself:
I work best when I’m helping individuals. Each family I research brings a fresh spark, and I pour everything into that. Large-scale projects like this are too big for me to carry alone — and I’ve learned to honour that.

If This Speaks to You
If you’re someone who:

Has technical skills in data extraction, OCR, or digital archiving

Cares about making migration records open and accessible

Wants to be part of preserving women’s work in history, not letting it quietly disappear…

Then I’d love to hear from you — or for you to simply take this idea and run with it in your own way.

Let’s keep their legacies alive.

Warmly,
Kylie
Genealogist, DNA detective, and grateful keeper of stories