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.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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:

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.

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