Family History Resources

Physical

Visit the Salisbury West Library where you will find:

• birth, death and marriage indexes for Australia (including Norfolk Island) and New Zealand
• marriage and death indexes for England and Wales
• divorce records for South Australia and Victoria
• various cemetery records for most Australian states and territories
• miscellaneous Census records for Australia and the UK (except Ireland)
• shipping records for New South Wales, Norfolk Island, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria
• genealogy magazines

Local and/or family history searches of the collection are available at a rate of $35.00 per hour (*plus costs). For more information, contact the Local History Officer on 8406 8207

Online

These resources can be used to support genealogical and history research:

• Ancestry Library Edition (powered by Ancestry.com)- available on computers within all libraries, or via the library's free wireless network.

• Find My Past - available on the computers and via the library's free wireless network at the Salisbury Community Hub and Salisbury West Library ONLY.

There are millions of websites devoted to genealogy. Some provide free information, others require a paid subscription. Below is a range of sites we think people might find useful.

General sites

• Cyndi's List of genealogy sites on the Internet

• Family History South Australia records of early settlers in South Australia

• Trove access books, digitised newspapers, photos and more

• RootsWeb free genealogical community

Births, Deaths and Marriages

• Family Search

• New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriage

• Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages

• Tasmania Births, Deaths and Marriages

• South Australia Office of Consumer and Business Services - Births, Deaths and Marriages

• Western Australia Department of the Attorney General - Births, Deaths and Marriages

• Northern Territory Births, Deaths and Marriages

• Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages

• ACT Registrar-General's Office Births, Deaths and Marriages

Military

• Australian War Memorial

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)

• State Library of SA > South Australians at war

Archives and Societies

• State Library SA

• State Records of South Australia

• Genealogy SA

• Society of Australian Geneaologists

• National Archives of Australia

Maps

• Ordinance Survey Historic Maps (UK)

Newspapers

• Internet Library of Early Journals (UK): A digital library of 18th and 19th Century journals

• Manning Index of South Australian History South Australian newspapers and magazines 1837 – 1937

Where to start

Has it been done before? Check to see if your family history has been published.

Write down what you know about yourself

• birth date
• birth place
• occupation
• education
• where your family lived
• marriage - date, place, spouse's name
• children's names, date and place of birth
• parents' names - date and place of birth, occupation, hobbies, etc.
• grandparents' names - date and place of birth, occupation, hobbies, etc.

Collect any supporting documentation.

Talk with / interview family and friends

• Start with the oldest person in your family.
• Explain what you are doing and why.
• Record the talk for future reference.
• Get as much information on family members as you can.
• Ask about certificates and photographs and seek permission to make copies.
• Construct a questionnaire to contact interstate and overseas family members.

Tips on keeping and collecting information

• Genealogy recording sheets can be downloaded from the Internet.
• Try creating your create own recording sheet from samples found in our family history books located in Dewey number 929 or on the internet.
• Check all possible spellings of the name.