Family History

Doing family history in Ballarat is more than a hobby. It's an enduring interest and love affair with the history that lives on our streets and in our collections. The Australiana Research collection at the Ballarat Library contributes to research in many ways - read on to find out how we can help you.

Guides

The State Library of Victoria provides some very useful guides about How To Do family history, family history resources, and other very useful information.  We recommend that you have a look through them especially if you are a beginner at family history; even if you're well into family history there may be something there of interest or use to you.

Genealogy

The Ballarat and District Genealogical Society house their materials in the Australiana Research Room and maintain a large collection of relevant family history resources.  The Society generously makes the material available to the public for free, but any donation you make in return for use, goes towards purchasing more resources. 

You can search the Genealogical Society's collection which is included in our catalogue.   Search our catalogue  and select Genealogy in the Item Category 1 drop-down box.

 Ancestry Library Edition

Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation has Ancestry Library Edition in our suite of online databases.  You can access Ancestry Library Edition from any of the internet terminals in all the Branch Libraries across the region. Call the library to make a booking. This link will take you to the Online Database page, where you can select Ancestry by clicking on the Library icon.  Please note that Ancestry Library Edition is not available at home, only on internet terminals in the libraries in the region.    The terminal in the Australiana Room is No. 1.

Microfiche/Microfilm/CD Rom indexes

Follow this link to see the microfiche held by the Genealogical Society. 

Machines are available to enable printing or copying of microfiche/film.
CD ROM records may be downloaded or printed.

Reader/Printer and CD ROM facilities can be heavily utilised at times - telephone the Australiana Research Room on 5331 1211, to book some time if you are travelling long distances.

Using the materials is free, however there is a copying charge of 20c per page.

Indexes available on CD ROM

The library has the following CD Roms available for use In the Australiana Room

Victoria Birth Death Marriage Records (BDMs)

• Pioneers Index 1837-1888
• Federation Index 1889-1901
• Edwardian Index 1902-1913
• Great War Index 1914-1920
• Death Index 1921-1985
• Inquest Index 1840-1985
• Marine births, deaths and marriages 1853 - 1920
• Immigration to Victoria 1852-1879 (Index to Inward Passenger Lists, British & Foreign Ports)
• Hatches, Matches, Dispatches (Index from Baptismal, Marriage, Burial/Death records from Ballarat & surrounding areas)

New South Wales

• Pioneers Index 1788 -1918

South Australia

• South Australian deaths registrations 1842 - 1915
• South Australian births 1842 - 1906 

Tasmania

• Tasmanian Convicts (Complete list from the original records)
• Pioneers Index 1803 - 1899

Western Australia

• Pioneers Index 1841 - 1905

Other resources useful for Ballarat family history research

• Street Directories for the Ballarat area ranging in date from 1853-1907, and also the 1940s and 1950s are available for you to look through.  These work like telephone books today - you can look a person up and find out their address.  Useful if trying to locate an ancestor who was in Ballarat.

• Do you know if the ancestor you seek is buried in Ballarat?  Check the cemetery records available in the Australiana room either on fiche or CD Rom.  If you can find out a burial date you can go to the newspapers for death or funeral notices.

• Newspapers are a great resource; not just for death notices, but for reporting of events, advertisements, finding out how people lived at the time.  It is handy (if ghoulish) if your ancestor died in some 'interesting' way, eg a murder or accident, as you can be sure of finding it in the paper! Details of local newspapers held by CHRLC can be found on the Local History pages. 

• The Australiana Room holds large photographic collections and historic maps, detailed on the Ballarat History page.

• There are also several books containing biographical information which should always be consulted:

  • Ballarat and District 1901 - photographs of businesses and manufacturers in Ballarat, small potted histories of the owners or of the business

  • Ballarat and Vicinity (no date but circa 1895) - excellent biographies of 'men of the town', often including photographs

  • Citizens and Sports 1915 - a little Who's Who of Ballarat of the time, actually includes some women

  • Cyclopedia of Victoria

  • Victoria and its Metropolis

• If you are reading this elsewhere to Ballarat, remember that these titles may be available in a library near to you - although of course we would be pleased to see you if you visit Ballarat to follow up those tantalising leads in your family history.

• The librarians who work in this room also regard themselves as resources: they have long memories, plenty of experience in tricky enquiries, and above all, a great depth of knowledge of our collection.  They are also sitting fairly centrally to much of the research that goes on in Ballarat, so may know just the person you need to speak to.  So, you should always make yourself known to staff, whether it is just for a bit of help to get started, or for assistance with ongoing research.

We look forward to seeing you in the Australiana Research room soon!