A dip into the family archives has revealed that Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd descends from a clothes thief and a man convicted of stealing sugar.

His fifth great-grandmother Mary Wade was about 12-years-old when she was sent packing Down Under in 1789 – having avoided the death penalty for stealing underwear.

Meanwhile, his fourth great-grandfather, Thomas Rudd, was also transported to OZ for nicking sugar.

Contact your local genealogical society to see where you come from – especially if you're working in your family's hometown.

Also, contact local personalities such as the mayor to see if they want to trace their family history for a feature.