Lesser Known Sources for Surname Searching in Australia

Victoria was the colony that experienced the gold rushes of the 1850s. This presentation looks at websites that assist anyone trying to find relatives in Victoria in the 19th century into the 20th century.

This presentation examines the lure of gold discoveries in various Australian states in the 19th century. Many people travelled down under to try and make their fortunes but didn’t realise just how hard it was working on Australian gold fields. Mining records and newspapers can be used to trace miners and to understand their way of life.

This class examines online indexes that are not available through the big subscription sites. Family history societies and volunteer groups have created unique resources only available through their websites. Often free to use or more details are included in a society membership.

This presentation explains how to search online archive catalogues for maximum results. Just one letter can mean that researchers will not find what they are looking for. Searching variant names and places is critical and numerous examples will allow researchers to search more effectively in Australian online archive catalogues.

This presentation examines free Australian websites useful for genealogy including BDMs, government archives, libraries, local government, and specialist websites in all States and Territories. Using these websites will allow researchers to start building a family tree or to look for someone who may have disappeared down under.

This presentation will demonstrate how to do surname searches effectively in the various Australian state and territory archives as well as the National Archives of Australia.

The records of churches and congregations in Australia are spread across a range of different archival repositories at local, state and national levels. Come on a journey to find what records might help develop your family history and genealogy, where those records live, and how to access them.

Exploring the life of a convict ancestor can be exciting but also a daunting task. This webinar leads participants through a methodical examination of the records available at various stages of a convict's life from trial through to freedom. After developing a framework for investigation, case studies are then used to demonstrate the various records available and where to find them, including both within Australia and overseas. Issues such as record conflicts and understanding the broader social context will also be explored to more fully understand changes in terminology and record types.

Many Australians will have a soldier or sailor somewhere in their family tree, particularly from the 20th century onwards. Finding those ancestors who served in Australian contingents during World War One or Two for example, is a relatively straightforward process, mainly because the records are mostly available in Australian archives. However, once the search moves back into the 19th or 18th century, then it can become a more complicated puzzle. This presentation provides an overview of the military history of Europe during the 19th and 18th centuries and outlines the range of records which are available, such as those at The National Archives (UK) in particular as well as Australian archives and military museums and an increasing number of online resources. The wealth of detail will help reveal the life of your military ancestor and may even be able to take your research back into the 18th century.