Family history and genealogy

A black-and-white photo of a family posed outside a brick house with a white picket fence. In the foreground, a man in a bowler hat sits beside a large dog, while a young girl stands nearby. A seated woman holds a baby on her lap, and a child is visible on the steps of the house in the background. The garden surrounding them is filled with overgrown plants.

Portrait of Oliver Barberie and family, 1900, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136621963

Uncover hidden stories of your heritage and trace your genealogy using our research guide.

Research guide

1892 map of the Parish of Tullamarine and Parish of Maribrynong

Parish of Tullamarine Parish of Maribyrnong, 1892, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-232027555

Discover land and property history with our extensive map collection and enrich your family history research with unique geographical records.

Research guide

Husband and wife sitting at a table with a large cake and vases of flowers in front of them

John Joseph and Harriett Willson Denison celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, November 1939, nla.obj-151150861

Beginner’s guide to family history research

Find out how to get started with your family history research and how the Library can help along the way.

Blog

A black-and-white photograph showing a large wedding party posed on the steps of a wooden house. The group includes men, women, and children dressed in formal Victorian attire. The women are in elaborate dresses, some holding small bouquets. The men wear suits, some with top hats, and a small boy peeks around a door frame to the left.

Album of photographs of Bushy Park, Tasmania, and Dandenong, Victoria, 1875, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-139460187

Births, deaths and marriages

Find out how to access and use BDM records to link generations and branches of your family.

Research guide

New one inch Ordnance Survey of England & Wales, 1864, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-231933519

This ‘one inch’ topographic map has a scale of one inch on the map representing one mile on the ground (1:63 360). Ordnance Survey maps at this scale provide an overview of an area, including the relationships between cities, villages and other features in the landscape.

British and Irish maps for family historians

Learn how to access historical gazetteers, Ordnance Survey maps, and early atlases to get detailed insights into your family's origins in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.

Research guide

Landscape watercolour showing trees, hilly, grass covered terrain, few small buildings and a mountain in the distance

H M Rolland, Canberra, view from Camp Hill looking towards St. John' s Church, Mt. Ainslie in the distance, 1924, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135217175

Canberra family history

Discover early family histories of the Canberra region while learning about how you too can explore your town and put your family history puzzle back together.

Learning activity for adults

Video

Black and white photograph of a gravestone surrounded by a wrought iron fence. The grave is situated in a grassy, rural setting with a few trees scattered around. The gravestone has an arched top and an inscription in memory of William Henry Light.

John Flynn, Grave of William Henry Light: a lantern slide from John Flynn's missionary days in Gippsland, 1906, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-142432903

Cemetery records

Find out how to locate burial information, cemetery and crematorium records that can lead to valuable discoveries in your family history.

Research guide

Woman of Chinese heritage sitting on a couch in a nice house, wearing a colourful striped jumper and smiling

Anna Zhu, Dawna Leung, Thornleigh, Sydney, New South Wales, 31 May 2022, nla.obj-3084238106

Chinese-Australian family history research guide

Beginner researchers can use this guide to find resources to help learn about their domestic family history or trace their ancestral origins overseas.

Research guide

Painting of The First Fleet in Sydney Cove, 1788

John Allcot, The First Fleet in Sydney Cove, January 27, 1788, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135776002

Convicts research guide

From January 1788, when the First Fleet of convicts arrived at Botany Bay, to the end of convict transportation 80 years later, over 160,000 convicts were transported to Australia.

Research guide