Beginning Your Research

If you're new to genealogy, GSC's beginners' workshops are highly recommended. These are very popular and a great way to learn tips and meet others at a similar stage in their research. Also look out for GSC's scanning workshops.

There are also numerous guides available on-line with approaches and tips for undertaking research.

The approach you decide to take will depend on what you already know, even your motivation for undertaking the research e.g. to solve a specific family mystery, verify a story, to organise a family reunion, to focus on a particular person or branch of your family, or to discover and document as much as possible. 

At any time you might consider how you want to finally present your findings e.g. in a book, a family tree, a scrapbook, a website or a combination of these.

Above all, feel free to ask for help/advice any time at our Centre. 

Better still, come in and use our facilities!

Family Research Tips

The Society of Australian Genealogists provides a very simple introduction to set you on your way, plus other helpful links on their website. Society of Australian Genealogists - How do I research my family history? 

Get started with your family history | National Library of Australia (NLA) 

Also at the National Library: https://www.nla.gov.au/research-guides/finding-ship-and-passenger-records

Top 10 Tips for Starting Your Family History from the Society of Genealogists UK

• Begin with yourself and work backwards, one generation at a time.

• Read "how to" books

• Read "guides to sources" to locate records

• Obtain full copies of certificates for births, deaths and marriages.

• Note what was and was not found from documents

• Evaluate the reliability of the record and information

• Record all the information in a systematic fashion

• Double check your information at every step 

• Be methodical