Jan's About Me Page

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Jan Squire - About Me

I thought I would organise this page by providing some background on each of my main subject areas, then provide notes about other memberships, hobbies, lesser interests, and even past interests, if I can remember them. If you want to speed though this page, the following list gives you an idea what you will find below, including a direct link :
  Family History - how I started and got this far.
  Web Design - my skills.
  Landcare - my piece of heaven.
  My Internet Businesses - one day this might pay the bills.
  Employment - this pays the bills, but I much prefer web design.
  Other Things - you will just have to look at these.

Family History - I began serious research in 1975, looking at both my own family, and that of my marriage partner. I have been a member of the South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society Inc., since about 1975.

I have gathered lots of information and documentation, but did little during the 1990s. I have looked at many sites and probably have seen all the bad ones. I think my way of presenting my material is different and will be easy to navigate through, and you will find your possible areas of interest easy to locate. I have the code to include a site search facility, once there is enough information to search.

My basic document is the family page. It contains the key information for mum and dad, and their children. It provides links the the grandparents' family pages, the childrens' family pages, and contains biographical notes for mum and dad. There is a link to source information and another to any photographs, etc. Because I have so many, these will mostly only be available on the CD version of this site. The family pages will be accessible from pedigree charts, descendent charts, the index of family names, and the 'site' search engine. The best place to start is my Family Surnames page, but you could also go straight to my Surnames Index Page. Other indexes are also being created - see the main Family History page for a list.

In 2006, I am starting to create a web page based Family History space, where data entry and searches can be managed on-line, including transfers to and from Gedcom format. During the creation phasae, you can use this for free. Register for my Newsletter to be advised of progress, and find out more here. There is nothing like this anywhere, so stay tuned.
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Web Design - I am a capable Web designer and specialise in uncluttered but appealing web sites that are quick to load. I have lost count of the number of times I have given up waiting for a site to load graphics, or gone elsewhere when the home page is too confusing or is not inviting. I use all the web features and Javascript, but try to avoid using 'Frames'. These often frustrate me because they usually run slower, frequently are not user friendly, and the frames limit the useful size of the information area. I have a mixture of sites I maintain as a community service, and some I am developing commercially. I design web sites under the name 'jsgraphics'. Please have a look at my Web Design Page, and consider using my services for your sites. My fees are by agreement, based on the work involved (discussion is free, and I also provide computer training, troubleshooting and set-up).

Landcare - I live on a rural property and have an interest in Landcare in the Harrogate area. We bought the land in 1983 because it had about 30 acres (12 hectares approx) of natural scrub. I have an aerial photograph from 1949, showing the tree cover in that year, and another photo from the early sixties, with most trees cleared. This stand on our property is one of the few left untouched by the clearing. We have revegetated other parts of our land as well, and some site works are profiled on my Landcare pages.

I am a member of the Northern Bremer Landcare group,and currently am their Secretary. Our area covers the upper reaches of the Bremer River, part of the Murray River catchment area. Our area is known for the relatively high salt levels that flow down the river into Lake Alexandrina. I am also a member of the Bremer Barker Catchment Group Board, and we prioritise and manage on-ground activities over much of the Bremer River catchment.
My Landcare Page
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My Internet Business - I am establishing a web business to provide information on using the internet for education and profit. I am also starting a project to manage Family History information on the web, and providing much better user views than is currently available. Find out more. Also, I did launch a publishing business for low volume digitally printed books with a good friend - see 'Australianskies'. This has now lapsed as a result of Colin dying suddenly in late 2005. I am revising these pages, but there are a few books mentioned that may be of interest.

Employment - I currently work part time at Employment Options Inc, a not-for-profit Job Network provider in the Adelaide Hills, where I am Finance Manager and a member of the Board. You can see their web site at www.employmentoptions.com.au.

I have a Batchelor of Economics degree from the University of Adelaide, and am a Certified Practising Accountant, being a member of the Australian Society of CPAs (also known as CPA Australia). I am an expert on QuickBooks, QuickPayroll (Australian versions), and Excel.

I also have considerable experience in the concept of Corporate Governance, where the separation of responsibility and accountability between the Board and the CEO is clearly defined by the existence of Board policies, and adherence to them. I learnt my corporate governance through being on the Board of Employment Options Inc, where we worked through concepts put together by Boardworks International Inc. It is really worth while subscribing to their quarterly journal and checking out their web site at www.boardworksinternational.com
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Other memberships

I have been Honorary Treasurer and volunteer accountant of the Down Syndrome Society of SA Inc., from 1995 till 2001. I still have a strong interest in the Society, and you can see their web site at www.downssa.asn.au. I still volunteer for the Society at various functions and provide computer support. An important activity is the monthly Rock and Roll nights we host once a month for young people with disabilities, where I am currently sound and lighting technician. One of our great supporters is a local radio dj, Tommy Kaye. Check out his web site, Six O'Clock Rock.

I am a Justice of the Peace in and for South Australia, and a member of the Royal Association of Justices of SA Inc.

Hobbies and Interests

Predictably, I have an interest in computers, using my first Apple II for work in 1980. My first personal computer was a 'Dick Smith' System 80 with 16k of ram, but it was great. I learnt Cobol (not on my little computer though), BASIC programming and 'machine language' using the Z80 processor. I wrote my original Family History program in Basic. Over the years, I upgraded frequently, and each time the upgrade was much overdue. I revelled in the new features, and saw how quickly my needs outstripped the machine's ability to deliver. My current learning is web coding, design, Javascript and PHP/SQL programming. I mostly use CoffeeCup HTML editor to manage and create my web pages. I have a working knowledge of Visual Basic, but don't use it enough to be proficient. I also have a detailed knowledge of Excel, and create complex spreadsheets in the course of my work.

I have recently (2002) taken up cross-stitch, but need to make more of an effort to find time . . .

In 1967-1969, I spent two years in the Australian Army, as a Signals corp technician. In the process, I gained an electrical trade certificate. I could have used this later to become an electrician, but chose to persue a clerical and accounting career.

For most of my adult life, I have been renovating and extending my various homes. I have done lots of carpentry work, and have worked with a qualified carpenter on many occasions. I therefore consider myself a competant tradesparson, and have done most building tasks at different times.

In October 2003, I started attending weekly classes to learn social dancing. It wais great fun, but I dropped out after five months due to there being too few people to have a balance of partners.
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Past memberships

Past Hobbies and Interests

For much of my early life, I was interested in steam railway preservation and in model railways. My preference then was for an 'HO' model railway based on the South Australian prototype, particularly prior to 1970. I started a layout in the seventies, but my interest now has gone.
In the sixties, I played table tennis competitively for a few years. Do not remember much except I played in a hall at Parkside.
I used to like crosswords, and regularly did the 'Mr Wisdom's Whopper' in the Australasian Post weekly magazine. I sometimes wish I could find the time to still do them. Also tried the cryptics, but never had much luck with the obscure hints given.
In the seventies, I used to play 'Contract Bridge' every lunch hour at work. I enjoyed this but never found a regular group since then, that fitted in my schedule. I also liked chess, but that also fell by the wayside for lack of a partner.
In the seventies, I was involved in Cave exploration and mapping in the south east of South Australia. At one stage, I was a member of CEGSA (Cave Exploration Group of SA Inc), but did most of my work with an informal group of people, and with a person in Mt Gambier.
For most of the 1980s, I was a member of the Parents' Committee of the Belair Scout Group, and the honorary treasurer.
I have been a foster parent from about 1978 till the mid 1990s. During that time, we had many short term emergency care children, respite care placements, and two long term children in wheelchairs as a result of being affected with cerebral palsy. The many agencies we worked with included Emergency Foster Care, Interchange, Crippled Children's Association, and CSI.

You now know a fair bit about me, and can wander off to see the pages that interest you. I have lots of work ahead of me to get this site loaded with everything I want to include, and also have the desire to write my biography, but the Family History stuff is the main motivation for this site.

I like a bit of mystery, so can tell you there are a few pages about my background not linked here. They can be found in Google if you know what to search for, or, I might give you the link if you can convince me I should. Happy hunting!

This section last updated on 25 August 2006