Who do you think you are?You've seen the show on SBS, now it's time to find out who you really are.
And the State Library of Victoria is a great place to start investigating. We have a wide range of specialist resources, staff and training programs that will help you with your family history research. This includes a step-by-by step guide for those who are not sure where to begin.
Genealogy resources at the Library
Most of the key resources relating to family history research are in the Library's Genealogy Collection. This collection contains a wide range of material that will help you locate information about your family. These include:
- Australian cemetery and immigration records
- Births, deaths and marriages indexes for Australia and overseas
- Electoral rolls and census information.
Online resources
Because there are so many genealogical resources available online, the Library has compiled a series of practical genealogy sheets to help you locate information more quickly.
If you're new to family history research, the best place to start is the Family History Resources sheet which lists all the key resources needed to begin your research.
One of the most popular online resources is the Family Search database which has one of the largest collections of free family history, family tree and genealogy records.
Genealogy Centre
The Helen Macpherson Smith Genealogy Centre is where you can access a wide range of materials on microfilm, microfiche and CD-ROM, as well as a number of genealogy-related books and journals for reading and browsing.
One of the most valuable resources available in the Centre is Ancestry Library Edition. Normally a fee-paying service, the Library provides free access to information on this website. This is only available to those who visit the Centre. Information includes:
- English Census records (1841-1901)
- English Indexes to English and Welsh births, deaths and marriages (1837-2005)
- Australian electoral rolls (1901-1936)
For further information about what you will find and how to use this website see the Ancestry Library Edition information sheet.
The Centre is located on the ground floor, just off the Information Centre. For the exact location see the Library floor plan. You can visit the Genealogy Centre during the Library’s opening hours.
For more information about the resources and services available call the Genealogy Centre Information Desk on 03 8664 7008.
Genealogy programs at the Library
Throughout the year, the Library runs a range of programs, workshops and events for genealogists and family historians. Information about these programs is listed on the Genealogy & Family Historians events page, as well as in the Library's What's on calendar.
The next workshop Finding Families:researching family history at SLV is scheduled for 5 March. Details will be available soon. In the meantime, for further information call 03 8664 7555.
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