Family history and genealogy | National Library of Australia (NLA)
Search

What can we help you find?

Not sure where to start or need help? Ask a Librarian

Family history and genealogy

Showing 13 - 24 of 39 results
Sort by:
Family history desk common questions blog
Most common family history questions we get asked at the Library: Part 2

In our second blog, find out how to find information on births, deaths, addresses and property records.

Blog
National Library Special Collections Research and support Team
Most common family history questions we get asked at the Library: Part 1

In the first of two blogs, learn about birth certificates, First Nations family history, electoral rolls, and cemetery records.

Blog
A black and white photograph of a family dressed in late 1800s style fashion. The are standing in a clearing in a forest and are standing in front of a tent.

William Henry Corkhill, Jim Stephens, Steven Marsden, Charlie Marsden, his wife Rebecca and their children Millie and Stephen outside their tent, Mt Dromedary, ca.1899, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140334789

Learning webinar: Family history for beginners

Delve into our collections with our Research Librarians and uncover your family history.

Event
Learning activity for adults
Video
A sample of an emigration pass. It says 'Colonial Emigration Form, Man's Emigration Pass' with signatures and handwritten information.
Indian emigration passes to Fiji 1879 - 1916

Find out how to access over 60,000 passes issued to Indian people who came to Fiji as indentured labourers.

Research guide
Collection guide
Hood Collection

About 240 recordings of folk music, folklore, and oral histories documenting family history, local history, work experiences, music and other arts.

Collection guide
Excerpt from John Bartholomew and Son, Gazetteer of the British Isles, 9th ed., 1970, showing alphabetical listing of place names with details of each.

John Bartholomew and Son, Gazetteer of the British Isles, 1970, nla.gov.au/catalog/1374709

Historical gazetteers

Gazetteers are listings of places and can provide useful details, such as territorial division, location, alternate names, population size, and more.

Research guide
Four young children sitting on a bench and smiling

[Anderson family children on a garden seat at Dee Why, New South Wales], c. 1920, nla.obj-145928313

Get started with your family history

Find out where to begin with researching your ancestry, download family history charts, and learn about resources and services available to uncover the hidden stories of your heritage.

Information article
Cover of book 'Lookin for your mob: a guide to tracing Aboriginal family trees'

Diane Smith and Boronia Halstead, Lookin for your mob : a guide to tracing Aboriginal family trees by Diane Smith and Boronia Halstead, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn354970

First Australians family history

Access resources to help you research your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family history including records for births, deaths and marriages, missions, military service and information about the Stolen Generations. 

First Australians
Research guide
Man steering a large male cow that is pulling a wagon with his wife and children inside

Mallee farmer and family with his bullock wagon, Victoria, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-153091696

Finding and dating photographs

Find family photos and piece together dates and places from the many clues they contain. 

Learning activity for adults
Video
A black-and-white photograph shows a group of soldiers marching down a street with rifles over their shoulders. They are accompanied by civilians, who walk arm-in-arm with the soldiers, smiling and engaging with the crowd. The street is busy with people, and buildings can be seen in the background.

Fairfax Corporation, Departing troops walking with their families down Macquarie Street, 1914, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-162908974

Find your military ancestors

Trace the military history of your ancestors using resrouces and records from Australia, New Zealand and the British Army at the Library and beyond.

Research guide
Mothers and Babies at the Drouin Infant Welfare Centre in Victoria

Jim Fitzpatrick & Australia Department of Information, Mothers and babies at the Drouin Infant Welfare Centre, Victoria, 1944, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147033868

Find what time you were born

Find out what time you were born using hospital records, birth announcements and family keepsakes.

Research guide
A black-and-white photo of a smiling family in swimsuits, standing together in shallow water at Manly Beach. The background shows pine trees and other beachgoers. The picture was taken in 1923 in New South Wales, Australia.

Noel Minchin, A family at Manly beach, New South Wales, 1923, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140924016

Find family and friends

If you're trying to reconnect with friends or relatives, there are a range of resources and organisations that can help you.

Research guide

Need help?

Our librarians are here to guide you.

Ask a librarian