Australia Genealogy Records

Find your Australian ancestors, local history and details of their lives with these links to online family history and genealogy resources.

General Family History Websites

  • Find My Past Australia
    Find My Past Australia specialises in family history records relating to Australia. The following are available: Census, Armed Forces, Births, Marriages & Deaths, Newspapers, Migration and much more.
  • Biographical Database of Australia
    BDA is a new research tool for historians and genealogists comprising transcripts and indexes of many original records and published biographies of deceased individuals who arrived in or were born in Australia, starting from the earliest times.
    This first release contains convict, muster, census, baptism, marriage and burial manuscript records for most of the New South Wales population 1788-1828, for Norfolk Island and Tasmania 1802-1811, and many immigrant and convict records from 1829-1837 along with full text of short biographies of 11,000+ residents of most colonies/states published 1881-1907.

Archives

  • National Archives of Australia
    Discover a fascinating collection of more than 100 years of Australian Government records, documenting the history of individuals, communities, and the nation.

Burials & Cemeteries

  • Australian Cemeteries Index
    The purpose of the Australian Cemeteries Index is to provide a searchable data base for all cemetery inscriptions that have been recorded by the authors and contributors over several years. It is intended to be a useful tool for those researching their family history.
    The index contains details of headstones from a number of cemeteries in Australia. It initially concentrated on cemeteries in regional NSW but is now expanding Australia wide.
  • Australia Cemetery Records
    A free online library of cemetery records from thousands of cemeteries across the world, for historical and genealogy research. Search and browse cemetery burial records from thousands of cemeteries across the world.

Criminals and Convicts

  • Convict Records of Australia
    The British Convict transportation registers 1787-1867 database has been compiled from the British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm. You can find details for over 123,000 of the estimated 160,000 convicts transported to Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries – names, term of years, transport ships and more.
  • Convict Central
    Most family historians in Australia regard a convict in their ancestry as enormously desirable. “Convicts to Australia” is intended to guide, inform and entertain those just starting the hunt as well as the more experienced researcher. The site is a ‘work in progress’ and data is being added regularly. We hope your convict research is made easier by our efforts and above all we hope you have FUN.

Electoral Registers

  • Australia Electoral Rolls
    Over 12,000,000 records available. Electoral rolls are Australia’s census substitute and are an extremely useful genealogy tool for local, family, and social historians.

History

  • Trove
    Find and get over 169,991,421 Australian online resources: books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more.
    Trove is run by the National Library of Australia.

Immigration

  • Oz Ships
    Oz Ships is a website of Peter Larson who is indexing shipping arrivals and departures. The site includes more than 92,000 alphabetical passenger list entries, which are, in turn, linked to transcripts of the passenger lists.

Maps

  • Trove Maps
    Search maps of Australia and the world. Includes printed sheets, atlases, globes, aerial photographs, star charts, nautical charts and tourist maps.

Magazines

  • Traces Magazine
    Uncovering Australian history, from ancient culture to convict settlers, genealogy, local history, artefacts and antiques.

Obituaries

  • Obituaries Australia
    Obituaries Australia is a digital repository of obituaries published in newspapers, journals, magazines and bulletins. Here you will find the life stories of Australians from the earliest times to the present.
  • Ryerson Index
    The Ryerson Index is an index to death notices appearing in current Australian newspapers. It also includes some funeral notices, probate notices and obituaries.

Photos and Postcards

  • Picture Australia
    Old and historic photographs of Australia including: photographs, objects, maps and works of art. Quality print copies can be requested.

Societies and Groups

  • Society of Australian Genealogists
    The SAG was established in 1932 and is the oldest family history society in Australia.
    It has over 4,000 members throughout the world. The society’s principal object is the advancement of genealogical education and this is reflected in our education program and collections.

New South Wales Genealogy Resources

Archives

Births, Marriages and Deaths

Cemeteries

Census & Electoral Rolls

  • New South Wales Census 1891
    These records include an index with images of census returns from 1891 for New South Wales.
    To protect individual privacy, all national censuses were destroyed after statistical information was collected. The New South Wales 1891 census was one of the few census records that survived the destruction.
  • New South Wales Census 1901
    Search more than 255,000 records in this collection.
  • NSW Electoral Rolls
    This collection which covers the years 1903, 1913 and 1935 includes over 2.2 million records.

Crime & Convicts

  • Braidwood Gaol Entrances 1856-1899
    A register of entries of the gaol. The reason for admission and the exact dates were not included.
  • Free Settler or Felon?
    Search the Free Settler or Felon database from the Search Box above to find your Newcastle or Hunter Valley ancestor. There are now over 167,000 references to Convicts, Settlers, Townsfolk, Bushrangers, Innkeepers, Soldiers and Land Owners. Search by First Name, Last Name, Ship or all three.
    Information about the voyages of approximately 350 convict ships and the Surgeon Superintendents who accompanied them can be accessed via the Convict Ship Index and Surgeon Superintendent Index.

Local History

Migration

Miscellaneous

  • Biographical Database of Australia
    BDA is a new research tool for historians and genealogists comprising transcripts and indexes of many original records and published biographies of deceased individuals who arrived in or were born in Australia, starting from the earliest times.This first release contains convict, muster, census, baptism, marriage and burial manuscript records for most of the New South Wales population 1788-1828, for Norfolk Island and Tasmania 1802-1811, and many immigrant and convict records from 1829-1837 along with full text of short biographies of 11,000+ residents of most colonies/states published 1881-1907.
  • NSW Police Roll of Honour
    The Honour Roll commemorates those members of the New South Wales Police Force who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the execution of their duty.This official NSW Police Honour Roll records the name, rank, date and a summary of each death which has been accepted as duty-related by the various Commissioners (and Inspectors General) of Police of the day.
  • Central Coast Family History Society
    The Central Coast Family History Society (Australia) was formed in 1981 when a small group began to meet over coffee to exchange ideas regarding research into their family histories. As interest grew, and membership increased it became necessary for a more formal approach, thus the first election of Officers was held in April, 1983.
  • New South Wales Family History Document Service
    Over 30,000 pages of online records for family history research in New South Wales, Australia.

Queensland Genealogy Resources

Births, Deaths & Marriages

  • Queensland BMD Index
    A searchable index of births, marriages and deaths for Queensland, Australia.Searching the historical index is free, and can be used to find
    • births registered in Queensland up to and including 1920
    • marriages registered in Queensland up to including 1945
    • deaths registered in Queensland up to and including 1990

Cemeteries

  • Brisbane Cemeteries
    Search and view the records for 12 Brisbane cemeteries. I found my Grandad in the Toowong cemetery.
  • Queensland Gravestone Photos
    A list of locations in Queensland where the gravestones have been photographed. The images are available online.
  • Rockhampton Burial Indexes
    PDF documents containing the indexes from Bajool, Gracemere, Memorial Gardens, Mount Morgan, North Rockhampton and South Rockhampton cemeteries.
  • Toowoomba Deceased Search
    Search for death records from the 19 regional cemeteries in Toowoomba, Queensland. All records are free to search and view.The Toowoomba Regional Council Cemeteries Digitisation Project commenced mid 2008, involving the conversion of all existing interment registers of council controlled cemeteries. As interment registers were kept in different formats including hard copy books.
  • Queensland Funeral Records
    Search over 620,000 records and see a transcript with details such as name, description, gender, age, birth details and more.

Obituaries

Occupations

School Records

Societies

  • Central Queensland Family History Society
    The society has regular meetings, workshops and a member’s interests section.
  • Genealogical Society of Queensland
    The Genealogical Society of Queensland was established as a not-for-profit association in 1978. Its mission is ‘to foster the study of family history, genealogy, and related subjects for the benefit of our members and the community.’ It specialises in family history in the Australian state of Queensland.The GSQ has Queensland’s largest family history reference library and our experienced volunteers can provide advice and assistance on all aspects of genealogy. Their program of classes, workshops and seminars has something for everyone.
  • Queensland Family History Society
    The Queensland Family History Society Inc. (more familiarly known as QFHS) is based at Gaythorne, a northside Brisbane suburb. QFHS is Queensland’s leading family history and genealogy organisation and has the State’s largest genealogical bookshop.The QFHS has a full calendar of events to help you learn more about your ancestors and how to research them.

South Australia Genealogy Records

  • Genealogy SA
    Genealogy South Australia has a great online database for finding your SA ancestors. The website contains lots of free info and is also a genealogy society with membership options and benefits. You can use the database search box to search the following databases:
    • Newspaper Birth Notices Index from 1960 onwards
    • Newspaper Death Notices Index from 1972 onwards
    • South Australia Cemeteries Index
    • Birth Registration Certificates Index 1842 – 1928
    • Death Registration Certificates Index 1842 – 1972
    • Marriage Registration Certificates Index 1842 – 1937
  • South Australia Burials
    The OZ Burials website has thousands of burial records for the following places in South Australia, all for free.
  • Family History South Australia
    The aim was, and still is, to provide free resources and data for family history and genealogy research on South Australians and their ancestors at home and abroad.

Tasmania Genealogy Records

Tasmanian Names Index

The first time that such a variety of Tasmanian records are available online, all from the same search, including Tasmanian Birth, Death and Marriage records.

Records Included in the name index
  • Arrivals (19th Century). Passengers and ships arriving, mainly in Hobart.
  • Births (1803-1933). People born in Tasmania including some baptisms collected by the Registrar General (1900-1933 baptisms only).
  • Census (1837-1857). Householders in the 1840s and 1850s, not complete for all districts.
  • Deaths (1803-1933). People who died in Tasmania including some burial records collected by the Registrar General (1900-1933 burials only).
  • Convict permissions to marry (1829-1857). Convicts applying to marry free people or other convicts.
  • Convicts (1803-1893). Convicts transported to Tasmania and those convicted locally through the convict system.
  • Departures (1817-1867). People leaving Tasmanian ports, mainly Launceston.
  • Divorces (1861-1920). Petitions for divorce in the Tasmanian Supreme Court.
  • General Index (1818-1934). A range of records, including people’s names and subjects.
  • Inquests (1828-1930). Inquests into people’s deaths.
  • Marriages (1803-1899). People who married in Tasmania.
  • Naturalisations (1835-1905). People applying to become citizens.
  • Wills (1824-1989). Wills and letters of administration of estates registered for probate.

Births, Marriages and Deaths

Cemeteries

Electoral Rolls

Miscellaneous

  • Biographical Database of Australia
    BDA is a new research tool for historians and genealogists comprising transcripts and indexes of many original records and published biographies of deceased individuals who arrived in or were born in Australia, starting from the earliest times.This first release contains convict, muster, census, baptism, marriage and burial manuscript records for most of the New South Wales population 1788-1828, for Norfolk Island and Tasmania 1802-1811, and many immigrant and convict records from 1829-1837 along with full text of short biographies of 11,000+ residents of most colonies/states published 1881-1907.
  • Tasmania Wills & Letters Of Administration 1824-1989
    Discover information relating to your ancestors’ wills or letters of administration, such as the condition of their estate and their next of kin.
  • Tasmanian Place Names and Changes
    A list of former place names and what they changed to.
  • Tasmanian Family History Society
    This is the Hobart branch. They have some records, membership options, online and offline meetings.
  • A History of Tasmaia
    From its discovery in 1642 to the present time (1884).
  • Tasmania Convict Records 1800-1893
    Find out about your criminal ancestor who was sent to Tasmania.

Victoria Genealogy Records

  • Victoria BDM
    This is the official state government website where you can search for births, deaths, and marriages in Victoria, Australia. You can also order a BDM certificate from the same site if you find the records you’re seeking.
  • Victoria Wills and Probate
    Online index to Wills, Probate and Administration Records 1841-1925. The website will allow you to search for people who may have had estates that went through the probate process in the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia.
  • Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries
    The Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries website has a deceased search facility where you can search for burial records in Bunurong Memorial Park, Springvale Botanical Cemetery and St Kilda Cemetery, which are located in Victoria, Australia. Records date from 1900 to present and they’re free to view. You can search by surname, given name, date of death, date of birth and location.
  • Benalla Cemetery Records
    An online database that contains over 8,500 individual names, and sometimes an image of the memorial.
  • Family History Detective: Tricia’s Tracings
    Located in the central goldfields of Victoria, Australia, Tricia offers a professional family history research service. Tricia can research your family in the United Kingdom but more specifically can concentrate on tracing your ancestors who spent time in Australia or New Zealand. Tricia’s services are ideal for those who want to learn more about their family history but are not able to undertake the research themselves OR for those who need an expert to continue the search of elusive ancestors.

Western Australia Genealogy Records

  • Western Australia BDM
    The Western Australia birth, marriage and death registry offers free online historic index searching of births, deaths and marriages from 1841.
  • Western Australian Post Office Directories
    Western Australian Post Office Directories are a great source for family historians. It’s possible to see an individual’s name, profession or trade, address or locality. Directories are available for the years 1893-1949. Although it’s not possible to search the directories, it’s easy to find information about individuals by browsing the contents pages.
  • Freemantle Prison Convict Database
    By the time transportation ceased in 1868, just over 9,700 convicts had been transported to Western Australia. The Freemantle Prison Convict Database allows you to search for these convicts by the name of the ship they arrived on or by their surname. There is a lot of information relating to each convict, including their crime, where they were sentenced, length of sentence, occupation, marital status and more.
  • Police Gazette of Western Australia
    The Police Gazette of Western Australia 1876-1900 gives you access to lots of information on police and criminals.Information can be found under various headings: apprehensions (name of person arrested, arresting constable, charge and sentence); police appointments, dismissals, discharges, promotions, resignations and transfers; tickets of leave, certificates of freedom, and conditional pardons issued to convicts; physical descriptions of prisoners (name, condition, build, age, height, hair and eye colour, visage, complexion, trade, nationality and distinguishing marks); deserters from military service; escaped prisoners; expirees leaving the colony; inquests (where held, date, before whom, name and date of death of person, verdict); licences (publican, gallon, eating, boarding and lodging houses, railway refreshment rooms, wine and beer, colonial wine, spirit merchants, club, wayside house, packet and billiard table – name of licensee, name of hotel etc and town or district given); missing friends; prisoners discharged; people tried at Quarter Sessions (name, offence, district, verdict, how disposed of); special inquiries; stealing in dwellings; and warrants issued.
  • FamilyHistoryWA
    Formally the Western Australian Genealogical Society, FHWA provides a wealth of information and help for anyone tracing their family history in Australia and beyond.

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