With the treasure trove of information on the internet, tracing your family history is now easier than ever. Online records and archives can help you fill in the blanks about your ancestors, providing genealogy information that you just can't get from your living relatives.
As records continue to be scanned, digitised and put online, information is becoming even more readily available, but piecing together a family tree is still a time-consuming exercise.
This guide helps you navigate your way through the forest to find your particular tree to:
- Start with free government births, deaths, marriage register.
- Find free family tree software.
- UK, Ireland and other overseas government records online.
- Online cemetery records.
On this page:
- How to get started
- Family tree software
- Government births, deaths and marriage records
- Free resources
- Paid family history sites
- Cemeteries and DNA searches online
- DNA ancestry search websites
How to get started
Gather as many family details from living relatives as you can before going online to kick off your search, so that you have somewhere solid to start. Get as many of the important details as you can, such as names, dates and places. Also think about recording your relatives' stories to add a bit of colour to your family tree – most family history software will let you attach multimedia files.
- Go to the cemetery, war and immigration records; newspaper archives for notices; convict registers; The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Family History Unit; and service records. Links for many of these and other sites can be found on the National Library of Australia's family history page.
- Joining a family history group can introduce you to others with similar interests and provide help if you run into a dead end with your research. Some groups have their own resources and run seminars to help educate people on how to find out about their ancestry.
- You can pay the births, deaths and marriages registry to conduct a search on your behalf if you don't want to do the searching yourself, but they charge a fee for each search. There are also transcription agents, but be sure to only use one licensed by the registry, and check out the cost beforehand. These can be useful if you want some details but not a full copy or transcript of a certificate.
Family tree software
There are both free and paid family history software products that can act as your own family history database.
One good free option is Gramps, which has a good list of features and is relatively easy to use. Brother's Keeper is a Windows-only program that can also be downloaded online.
Several features are important in a family tree program. Genealogical Data Communication (GEDCOM) is a standardised format for recording family history data. GEDCOM compatibility allows easy sharing of data with other researchers, and is also needed to upload files to online genealogy sites. The free programs all save files in this format.
Look for a program that allows multimedia like videos, photos and audio files so you can include interviews, family photos and scanned certificates or records.
Government births, deaths and marriage records
We recommend using the free websites listed below, starting with the Births, Deaths and Marriages government sites. If all the free avenues have been exhausted, then consider paying for access to other resources.
The paid sites give you access to a database to make the job of tracing your family history easier, and streamline the process of researching and sharing a family tree. There can also be ongoing costs for the convenience of having a one-stop shop for your family tree though, so consider carefully going down this route.
It's important to read sites' privacy policies, particularly if they're not based in Australia, as international sites won't adhere to our privacy laws. Sensitive, personal family information should be protected, and keep in mind that not everyone in the family tree may want it put online.
State government websites
It's now possible to find records for relatives going back several generations, and in some cases complete records and certificates can be viewed online. However, it's important to note that privacy laws restrict people accessing full certificates without authorisation. For example, in NSW and Vic, births over 100 years prior, deaths over 30 years prior and marriages over 50 years prior to the date of application are not publicly available as full records unless you have a family relationship or legal authority.
Start with your home state or territory births, deaths and marriages website.
Free resources
- The online resource site Trove has been created by the National Library of Australia and has a great deal of digitised content and links for further research.
- The National Archives of Australia has family history information.
- UK and US records can be found through FamilySearch or RootsWeb.
- Genuki has links for UK and Ireland family history research.
- UK government records are available at its website, the 1901 English Census website and the national archives.
- Find records for Ireland at the national archive or the births, deaths and marriages registry and Scotland at the Scotland's People website.
- New Zealand records can be accessed on the Department of Internal Affairs website.
- Cyndi's List and CoraWeb have extensive lists of genealogy sites with links for groups that might be useful.
- Accuracy is another thing to consider. It's wise to check and verify things, particularly for information that goes back a long way.
Paid family history sites
Always read the fine print before signing up to any paid sites, and be wary of supplying credit card details to activate a free trial. Local sites include ancestry.com.au and find my past, which also have links to UK and US records. Note that a library edition of ancestry.com.au can be used at the National Library of Australia.
A few others include My Heritage, TribalPages and One Great Family.
The Gould Genealogy and History site sells a large range of family tree software as well as other resources for research and archiving.
You might want to consider sharing the cost among several people in your family. This also encourages family members to collaborate on the project and share information they've uncovered.
Cemeteries and DNA searches online
Cemetery records
The National Library of Australia has a helpful resource page about online cemetery information, which also includes links to sites with free access to Australian burial and cemetery information.
Location technology is also starting to be used to help family historians find gravestones and burial sites on a map on cemetery websites. In Australia, the Centennial Park Cemetery in Adelaide, which has 134,000 burial and memorial sites, allows you to search records online, along with location details, so that family historians can find information about relatives including age, date of death and area of residence.
DNA ancestry search websites
The new frontier in family history research appears to be in DNA testing. Services have sprung up around the world offering DNA ancestry testing for upwards of $300. Most services have websites with information on how and what they test and offer downloadable information kits, with some even claiming to be able to link people to well-known figures from history.
However, the growth in this new field of research has also attracted criticism. Some scientists and geneticists say the tests are essentially meaningless in terms of showing reliable links to ancestral origins. The results are probabilities and aren't conclusive; for example, in terms of ancestral origin to a geographic area, a guaranteed link can't be established.
Other experts are uneasy about these services because the databases of samples are limited and rely on assumptions that may not be accurate. Each individual has a set of genes derived from thousands of ancestors, and these tests can skew the picture by looking too far back into the past. There are no genetic ancestry testing standards or framework to make the results better understood to people who want an insight into their ancient ancestry.
We're on your side
In more than 60 years of making a difference for Australian consumers, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family.
And you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
