Research
Exploring family history can be a very rewarding and interesting experience and there are a variety of information resources available to you.
Some people can find their family information very easily, but for others it may take more time. Archival sources can be incomplete and some records may have been damaged or destroyed over time.
If information on your family does exist, you may need to look in more than one place to find the information you are after.
Below are some helpful places in Western Australia that will assist you with your research.
- State Library of Western Australia
- State Records Office of Western Australia
- National Archives of Australia
- Western Australian Genealogical Society
- Your local public library
You may also want to consider contacting similar agencies in your family's country of origin and/or port of departure.
Please note the Western Australian Museum cannot research or verify information for your Welcome Walls registration.
State Library of Western Australia
Whether you are an experienced genealogist, a complete beginner or somewhere in between, the State Library of Western Australia has much to offer. The State Library provides free tours and workshops, handouts and in-depth subject guides. The State Library collection includes birth, marriage and death indexes, convict records, directories, electoral rolls, newspapers, passenger lists and much more. The State Library also provides free access within the building to some of the top family history databases such as Ancestry library edition and British Newspapers.
The State Library's Genealogy Centre has a wide variety of sources for all Australian States and Territories as well as for other countries, particularly Britain and New Zealand.
If you are researching your Western Australian ancestors, a visit to the J S Battye Library of West Australian History is a must.
State Library of Western Australia
J S Battye Library of West Australian History
The Genealogy Centre at the State Library
State Library of Western Australia
Perth Cultural Centre
25 Francis Street
PERTH, WA 6000
Telephone: +61 8 9427 3111
Fax: +61 8 9427 3256
State Records Office of Western Australia
The State Records Office of Western Australia has microfilm copies of passenger lists for Fremantle, Albany and other Western Australian Ports, 1829–1928 (dates will very for different ports). Shipping registers for Fremantle, arranged by date of arrival, giving name of vessel, tonnage and date departed. Also available are databases and indexes of the Western Australian Genealogical Society.
Website: www.sro.wa.gov.au
Alexander Library Building
James Street West Entrance
Perth Cultural Centre
PERTH WA 6000
State Records Office Search Room
Mon - Fri : 9.30am - 4.30pm
Phone: +61 8 9427 3360
Fax: +61 8 9427 3368
Recordkeeping Services
Mon - Fri : 8.30am - 5.30pm
Phone: +61 8 9427 3365
Fax: +61 8 9427 3368
Intermediate Records Repository
Mon - Fri : 9.30am - 4.30pm
Phone: +61 8 9271 3865
Fax: +61 8 9272 6659
National Archives of Australia
The National Archives of Australia holds original Commonwealth records that can assist the public with information about family arrivals in Western Australia. These included inward passenger lists for Fremantle, Albany and other ports from 1898, migrant and naturalisation files.
Website: https://www.naa.gov.au/visit-us/western-australia
National Archives of Australia – WA Office
Address
National Archives WA Office
Ground Floor, William Square
45 Francis Street
Northbridge WA 6003
Hours
Mon–Fri 9.30am–4.30pm
Sat–Sun Closed
Phone 08 9470 7500
Western Australian Genealogical Society.
The Library of the Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc. holds various records to assist in the research of your Family History. These records include Australian and English birth, death and marriage indexes, census records, cemetery transcriptions, probate records and early pioneer histories.
Website: www.wags.org.au
Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc.
6/48 May Street
Bayswater
Western Australia
Postal address:
PO Box 265
BAYSWATER WA 6933
Telephone: +61 8 9271 4311
Facsimile: +61 8 9370 1572
Your local public library
The Australian Libraries Gateway is a free Web-based directory service which has information about more than 6,300 Australian libraries, their collections and services.
To find a library using the gateway, enter the library name into the Name box, select WA for the Location, and select public for the Library Type. If you do not know the name of your library, simply leave the Name box blank (choose WA and public) – this will return a list of all public libraries in WA. From this list you will find:
- Library branch name, & related libraries
- Address and contact information
- Library catalogue
- Opening hours
You could also choose to use the map to find libraries in regional Australia. Click on "Use the map to find libraries in regional Australia", and then select WA and public, then select the Region you are interested in.
Search the Australian Libraries Gateway.
You are entitled to join your local public library. Please check with your local library for more information on becoming a member and to discover the range of materials and services it provides.