Family historians are looking for information about individuals and families. The National Archives has published several books which provide both insight and inspiration into the kinds of information that can be found in our collection:
These books are available to browse in our reading rooms and in many libraries around Australia. You can find more information about them, as well as purchase them, in our online shop.
> Go to Finding Families – in the National Archives online shop
> Go to Family Journeys – in the National Archives online shop
> Go to Footprints – in the National Archives online shop
> Go to In the Interest of National Security – in the National Archives online shop
National Archives staff and specialist researchers have contributed articles about our collection to various family history publications around Australia. We also publish these articles on this website. Topics include copyright, post office and maritime records, as well as records relating to migrant communities such as the Dutch and Japanese.
National Archives fact sheets give you a quick introduction to records on a range of subjects and people in the collection. They provide a short general overview of the topic and links to a selection of records in our collection database, RecordSearch.
A number of fact sheets introduce family history research in the National Archives.
National Archives research guides provide detailed listings of records in the collection relating to particular subjects, including some of interest to family historians.
The guides are research tools designed to help you identify and locate relevant records. They generally include introductory text, but do not provide comprehensive histories of their subject matter.
Research guides are available to download for free as pdf files through our online shop. Printed copies are also available to purchase.
> Go to Research guides in the National Archives online shop
What's on in family history? We coordinate and participate in family history fairs and tours to regional locations. We also conduct familiarisation talks about the National Archives and our records.
> Go to Public events
The National Archives is often not the best place to start your family history research, nor do we have records on every family. This is especially the case if you are looking for information before 1901.
A range of other organisations can help you. These include state and territory libraries and archives, local libraries and historical societies and family history organisations. Some of these are listed below.
Archives Office of Tasmania, Hobart – www.archives.tas.gov.au
Australian War Memorial, Canberra – www.awm.gov.au
Noel Butlin Archives Centre, Canberra – www.archives.anu.edu.au/nbac/html/index.php
Northern Territory Archives Service, Darwin and Alice Springs – www.nt.gov.au/nreta/ntas
Public Record Office Victoria, Melbourne – www.prov.vic.gov.au
Queensland State Archives, Brisbane – www.archives.qld.gov.au
State Records NSW, Sydney – www.records.nsw.gov.au
State Records Office of Western Australia, Perth – www.sro.wa.gov.au
State Records of South Australia, Adelaide – www.archives.sa.gov.au
ACT Heritage Library, Canberra – www.library.act.gov.au/find/history
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Canberra – www.aiatsis.gov.au
National Library of Australia, Canberra – www.nla.gov.au
Northern Territory Library, Darwin – www.ntl.nt.gov.au
State Library of New South Wales, Sydney – www.sl.nsw.gov.au
State Library of Queensland, Brisbane – www.slq.qld.gov.au
State Library of South Australia, Adelaide – www.slsa.sa.gov.au
State Library of Tasmania, Hobart – www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au
State Library of Victoria, Melbourne – www.slv.vic.gov.au
State Library of Western Australia, Perth – www.liswa.wa.gov.au
There are hundreds of family history organisations around Australia, big and small. To find your nearest family history group, check the website of the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations Inc (AFFHO). You could also ask your local library for more information.
> Go to Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations
Local organisations, such as libraries, archives and historical societies, often have specialised collections relating to their local areas. If you know the region, town or suburb where your ancestors lived or worked, it may be worthwhile making contact.
Likewise some churches, schools and businesses also keep archives that might be relevant to your research.
> Go to Directory of Archives in Australia
There are a growing number of privately-run websites for family historians – as well as those put together by archives and libraries.
When you are using online resources, it is worthwhile considering who has put the information together and whether you trust them as a source. Unfortunately there are some untrustworthy sites which are only out to make money, not help you find your family's past! Be particularly cautious of sites which ask you to pay large sums of money up front.
Remember, too, that other quite legitimate sites charge for access to information that is available for free through archives and libraries – if you are willing to do a little legwork!
The sites listed below might be of help in your research.
> Go to Coraweb – an Australian gateway site for tracing family history
> Go to Cyndi's List – a list of genealogy sites on the internet
> Go to GENANZ – newsgroup for genealogy in Australia and New Zealand
> Go to Family Search – free searching from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints