Family History Centre

There are a range of useful resources, worksheets and guides available online from a variety of reputable organisations which will help you in your family history search.  Listed below are just a few to help you get started.

• Research guides from the State Library of NSW: Explore your family history using the State Library's diverse and extensive collections. Great resource whether you're a veteran family historian or just starting out.
• Research guide from NSW State Archives and Records: A guide for family historians that highlights the key records and available indexes and the best way to approach your research.
• Research guides from the National Archives of Australia: A collection of 27 detailed research guides that cover areas such as immigration, military history, First Australians and family History.

Volunteers from the Liverpool Genealogy Society are available to assist visitors to the family history centre with their family history research.  Family documents such as birth, death and/or marriage certificates, photos and other documents may assist with your search..

Currently you will need to join the library before you visit the Family History Centre.  A Liverpool Library card is required to access the centre's computers, databases and printing.

You can join the library online or at any Liverpool Library branch..

The Library subscribes to several databases, both Australian and International, which can help you with your family history search.

Please note: You can only access these databases from the Family History Centre or at Liverpool City Library.

Currently, you will need to join the library before you visit the Family History Centre.  A Liverpool Library card is required to access the centre's computers, databases and printing.

You can join the library online or at any Liverpool Library branch.

• Ancestry Library Edition

Ancestry enables users to explore their family’s history using local and international records including convict and free settler lists, passenger lists, Australian and New Zealand electoral rolls and military records. There are English, Welsh and Scottish records.

• Find My Past (UK, Aus, US)

Search millions of records for Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States & Canada. Find your past using our family history records including census, birth, death and marriages records, parish records, migration and military records and more.

• The Genealogist (UK)

The Genealogist is a leading British Genealogy website featuring a collection of census transcripts and clever search tools. The site has a database of the Knights of England going back to 1127 and as well as civil registration indexes.

• Historical Newspapers: Australian Collection

The Historical Newspapers: Australian Collection provides access to Australia's two leading newspapers - The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, allowing researchers to find news coverage on Australian history throughout the years. Covers from 1831 to 2002.

• Biographical Database of Australia (Aus)

This database contains convict, muster, census, baptism, biographies, marriage & burial manuscript records for most of the NSW population 1788-1828+, immigrant and convict records 1829-1837 and full-text short biographies of 24,000+ residents & clergy of most colonies/states published 1878-1907, 10,000 Sydney burials & inscriptions 1819-1901 & more.

• British Newspaper Archive (UK)

The British Newspaper Archive contains millions of digitised newspaper pages from the British Library's vast collection.

• Forces War Records (UK)

Welcome to Forces War Records. Search military records of over 5 million British Armed Forces personnel exclusively cross matched with over 4000 units of the British Armed Forces going back to 1350.

• Sydney Morning Herald Library Edition 2006 -  (Aus)

An identical replica of the Sydney Morning Herald printed edition from 2006 onward.  Sign in with your library card number and library PIN and access through our library catalogue.

• Sydney Morning Herald Archives 1955 - 1995 (Aus)

Search every edition of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun-Herald since 1955 - 1995.  All articles, captions and advertisements are keyword searchable and full-text results are returned in an exact digital reproduction of the printed pages as they were originally published.  Search birth, death and marriage notices.  Sign in with your library card number and library PIN and access through our library catalogue.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images or names of deceased persons in photographs or printed material.

If you are looking for information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families, communities and places there are a range of resources to help you with your research. To check what resources the Library holds, search the catalogue.

The links below have specific resources relating to indigenous people:

• Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council:

The traditional custodians of the land in Liverpool are the Cabrogal Clan of the Darug Nation, with the land also accessed by peoples of the Tharawal and Gandangara Nations. Contact the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council for further information.

• AIATSIS, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies:

Provides help to research your Indigenous family history. Their collections have information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families, communities and places. Their Family History Unit can also help to find information in other collections across Australia.

• Koori Mail Collection Online from AIATSIS:

The Koori Mail digitised collection is the only complete online archive for the Koori Mail – Australia’s fortnightly national Indigenous newspaper.

• Aboriginal Family History from State Library of NSW:

Aboriginal family history - Resources and guides for researching your family history.

• Aboriginal Resources from  NSW State Archives and Records:

This Guide consists of a listing and description of records in the collection which relate to Aboriginal people.

Listed below are a collection of links to free databases and websites that provide useful and relevant information for family history searches.

• Trove
• State Library of New South Wales
• NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages
• NSW State Archives and Records
• Australian War Memorial
• National Archives of Australia
• The Ryerson Index to Contemporary Death Notices and Obituaries in Australian Newspapers
• Family Search
• Internet History Resources
• Papers Past - Historical New Zealand Newspapers
• Society of Australian Genealogists
• Sands Residential and Business directories
• Cyndi’s List (US)

A more detailed list of suggested sites is available on the Liverpool Genealogy Society's website.

• Explore Liverpool Cemeteries
• Liverpool Soldiers Honour Rolls Commemoration
• Internees