Ray Thorburn, OAM

Ray is a Member of the Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents (No.60) and was appointed founding director of the Australian Genealogical Education Centre in Oct, 1988, retiring in Nov, 2006. Now known as the Kiama Family History Centre, it is a Kiama Municipal Council operation, unique to the world, and well known for its work in the practical extensions of Family History, including school education, and genetic research. An experienced communicator, Ray, as a full-time family and social historian, has spoken to many organizations on a variety of subjects, both in Australia and overseas. A Rotarian since 1976, Ray is a Past President of the Kiama Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow, he writes a regular column on Family History and related subjects for the Rotary Down Under magazine and is an occasional feature writer for the Probus News. Ray also broadcasts on the Print Handicapped Radio  network and for some years did a talk-back Genealogy program on the ABC Illawarra and South Coast regional network.

Ray was awarded an OAM in the 2011 Australia Day for "service to the community of Kiama, particularly through the preservation of local history".