Researching Australian Ancestors: More than Convicts

Australia’s family history goes far beyond convicts, and so do its records. This session will help you uncover your Australian ancestors, particularly those who arrived as free settlers, gold miners, assisted migrants, or post-war arrivals. You’ll learn how to navigate the country’s unique record systems shaped by colonial settlement and state-based jurisdictions. We’ll explore how to access birth, death and marriage records, immigration and naturalisation files, land grants, and newspapers. You’ll also discover how to compensate for the lack of national census data using electoral rolls, directories, rate books, and other creative substitutes. Knowing were to look and how to access the records will be a key consideration of this session. Whether you're just starting out or tackling a tricky brick wall, this session will give you the tools, strategies, and confidence to explore your Australian ancestry effectively—no prior experience with Australian records required.