As an historian of migration I often work with large numbers, for example with databases which contain information on the thousands of foreign born who enlisted in the first AIF, the Italians who were required to register as aliens between 1916 and 1920, or the migrants who stayed in the post-World War Two migrant hostels. While these representations of mass migration tell one side of the story, ultimately these names represent individuals. Individuals with unique and important stories of their own. Stories which personalise, explain and enhance our understanding of migration. This paper, through a series of examples from my own research, will explore the way in which I write history, on both a grand and intimate scale.