August is National Family History Month

August is National Family History Month and Sutherland Shire Libraries are running two events to celebrate.

The first is an introduction to Researching Your Family History and is aimed at people who have thought about researching their family history but don’t know where to start. It will be presented by Jean Campbell who is the Education Officer at the Botany Bay Family History Society.

Jean will also speak about two genealogy databases, Ancestry.com and FindMyPast.com which are available to use for free at Sutherland Shire Libraries.  Ancestry.com is the world's largest online genealogy resource with more than 1.5 billion names in over 4000 databases.  The library subscribes to the Australian, UK and Ireland versions of FindMy Past.com and holds various records including cemetary, military, migration and census information including some exclusively held records.

The talk will be from 10.30 to 11.30 on Wednesday the 7th of August at Caringbah Library.

The second talk on State Records Sources for Family History Research will suit the beginner as well as the more experienced family history researcher. State Records hold records of the NSW State Government from the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 onwards.  Anyone who had an ancestor who came to, lived in, died in or worked in New South Wales can find useful information to flesh out their research via NSW State Records. You just need to think how your ancestor might have interacted with the State Government to know where to look.

Senior Archivist from State Records, Gail Davis will give an overview of sources they hold for family history. They include shipping, convicts, courts, gaol, education, employment, probate and deceased estates, government care and correspondence.

NSW State Records recently closed their reading room in The Rocks and now only have a reading room at Kingswood.  However before you venture out that far come to Sutherland Library which holds the NSW State Records Archive Resources Kit on microfiche. The kit holds many of the resources Gail will discuss so you may be able to find what you are looking for locally before you need to go all the way to Kingswood.

Gail’s talk from 10.30am to 12pm on Tuesday August 13 and will be followed by a mini tour of all the family history resources held by Sutherland Library.

Both events are free but you will need to book online or call the library on 9710 0351.