Useful Links

The National Archives of Australia

The NAA has immigration, naturalisation and passenger lists and other immigration information.  On the NAA website select record search to search the digital archives.  Some of the documents are open in which case you will able to view them, otherwise you will need to request access.  If you want a copy of a record this usually incurs a fee depending on the size of the file: small, medium or large. Records can also be accessed in person at the NAA in Canberra but you will need to request access and make a booking to view them.

Bonegilla Migrant Experience Identity Card Look Up

Each person or family group at Bonegilla post-World War 2 was registered with an identity card which recorded dates of arrival and departure, the ship or flight they came on, the block they lived in and more.

Trove

Trove is an online archive of a large number of newspapers.  Not all newspapers are available because they have not been digitised or they are only available up to a certain year because they are still in copyright.  Nevertheless, search the newspapers in Trove you may find an article on your relative.  These newspaper articles can reveal not only stories of historical value but of a personal nature.  Trove also holds a number of Australian-based foreign language newspapers which may also hold information about your relative.

Arolsen Archives

The largest archive on victims and survivors of Nazi persecution.  The Arolsen Archives share knowledge and promote active remembrance and democracy.  The focus of the Arolsen Archives is on documents relating to concentration camp prisoners, documents relating to forced labour under the Nazi regime, and records from the post-war period.

Ryerson Index

As per the Ryerson Index website: “The Ryerson Index is a free index to death notices appearing in Australian newspapers.  The date range covered extends from the Sydney Gazette of 1803 up to newspapers published within the last week or so.  The Index also includes many funeral notices, and some probate notices and obituaries.”

Find a Grave

If you are unaware of critical information such as date of birth and date of death, name of spouse and if there were any children, cemetery indexes can assist if they have been collated and uploaded online.  Find a Grave is one website where you can search for this information.

NSW State Archives

State Archives also hold immigration, naturalisation and passenger lists prior to the Commonwealth Government assuming responsibility.  They will also have archives relating to businesses and other items that fall under a State Government jurisdiction.

Each state has its own archives and can be found by a simple Google search such as “NSW State Archives”.

NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages

Each state has its own registry for recording births, deaths and marriages. 

Click on the button to be taken to the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Family History Search page. There are costs associated when requesting copies of certificates.

The Wollongong Local Studies Library

The Local Studies Library holds a large number of books and material written about the Region’s early history and people.  They also contain the early (handwritten) Rates book (which are also available online) which is particularly useful when researching pre-World War 2 migrants.  The Illawarra Images catalogue is available online when searching for photographs.  They also hold microfilms of local  newspapers that are accessible at the Library, that are not yet available from Trove.  You can also search the newspapers article titles online.

The Wollongong Local Studies Library also holds electoral rolls and telephone books for the Illawarra.  State and Federal electoral rolls and telephone books can provide information on where your ancestor may have resided, other than in a hostel.  Bearing in mind not everyone could afford a telephone.  Similarly, not everyone was entitled to vote.

The Local Studies librarians are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and often able to assist or at least point you in the right direction with your research.  The Local Studies Library has Ancestory.com that may be accessed by Library members in the library.

Illawarra Family History Group

Hold a large archive of records that is very useful when researching early migration history in the Illawarra.

Family Search

This is one example of a free genealogy website but you will have to create an account to access and search records held.  MHP does not endorse any genealogy website merely provides information that some are subscription-based and some are free and their use is entirely up to the individual researcher. 

“Searching Migrant Records: A Case Study”

A real-life story about the steps taken in the search for one person’s grandfather, a post-World War 2 displaced person migrant, and demonstrates how locating these records helped find out about his migration journey.