Researching your family's history

Exploring your 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 fragmentary and 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 similiar 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 - JS Battye Library of Western Australian History

The Battye Library holds printed and archival records of Western Australia
including books, newspapers, serials, maps, ephemera, oral histories,
photographs, private archives, film and video. There are also indexes and
catalogues to help find family information. Microfilm copies of passenger
arrivals to Fremantle 1898-1963 are held.

Download the State Library of Western Australia Fact Sheet

State Library of Western Australia
Perth Cultural Centre
25 Francis Street
Perth WA 6000

Telephone: +61 8 9427 3111
Facsimile: +61 8 9427 3276
Email: battye@liswa.wa.gov.au
Website: www.liswa.wa.gov.au


Back to top of page

State Library of Western Australia - The Genealogy Centre

The Genealogy Centre is a focus point for researchers wishing to trace
their family history. It comprises a wide range of genealogical resources.
The Centre operates as a partnership between the State Library of Western
Australia and the Western Australian Genealogical Society (WAGS) with the
collection focus being on Australian and British resources.

Download the State Library of Western Australia Fact Sheet

State Library of Western Australia
Perth Cultural Centre
25 Francis Street
Perth WA 6000

Tel: +61 8 9427 3111
Fax: +61 8 9427 3276
Email: geneo@liswa.wa.gov.au
Website: www.liswa.wa.gov.au


Back to top of page

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.

Alexander Library Building
Perth Cultural Centre
Perth WA 6000
Telephone: +61 8 9427 3360
Website: www.sro.wa.gov.au or for collection guide to Harbour Master records visit:
www.sro.wa.gov.au/collection/harbour.asp

Back to top of page

National Archives of Australia - Perth Office

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 and other ports from 1898, migrant and naturalisation files.

Download the National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet

384 Berwick Street,
East Victoria Park WA 6101

PO Box 1144,
East Victoria Park WA 6981

Telephone: +61 8 9470 7500
Facsimile: +61 8 9470 2787
Email: ref@naa.gov.au
Website: www.naa.gov.au

Back to top of page

Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc.


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

Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc.
6/48 May Street, Bayswater, Western Australia 6053
Telephone: +61 8 9271 4311
Facsimile: +61 8 9370 1572
Email: genealogy@wags.org.au
Website: www.wags.org.au

Back to top of page