Australian research

[Asa]

My grandfather's cousin and namesake emigrated in 1920 with his bride to Western Australia. Using the Wiki, I've managed to find their burials.

I've never researched any emigrants to Australia before - is there anything else I can do? Is it possible to search online for births of children and so on?

[Guinevere]

I think it is possible but I believe it has to be done by state. I have an Aussie contact who has found them for me.

I'm sure someone who knows more than I will be along soon.

[dicole]

Hi Asa

Free online searching of Western Australian birth, death and marriage indexes is available for the following ranges of years:

Birth indexes - 1841 to 1931
Death indexes - 1841 to 1953
Marriage indexes - 1841 to 1923

Go to this page and enter the type of event in the box in the middle of the page to go to the next ste.

You should also be able to find them on the National Archives of Australia website which covers incoming passengers - theres a special index of those arriving to Fremantle WA during 1926-27, if your lot fall into that time frame (click on the "passenger index" link on the right hand side)

Regards

Diane

[Macbev]

Hi Asa...this link takes you through to the Justice Department's BDM site (see Diane's post above for dates involved)

Searching WA Online Indexes

Btw, I notice this link is not in the wiki....can someone who knows how please add it?

For births after 1931, it gets more tricky. You could become a member of DPS-Chat Perth (see the Wiki) and ask around...or you could ask a current member (me) to ask on your behalf.

This is not such a big State, population-wise, and many of us are inter-related (No cracks about inbreeding, thankyou )...so often you may find someone researching the same family.

You can check the Postal Directories (also in the wiki) to trace where your family moved, up to 1949. Also, since you have the burial dates/ dates of death, you could ask someone in Perth (not me, because I haven't been in there for ages) to trawl through the newspaper microfilms held in the Battye Library for the death notices, which will often give clues as to younger generations.

Have you looked for your names on the Reverse Marriages Search?

Reverse Marriage search

Don't hesitate to PM me if there is something you think I can do for you.

[Janet]

Macbev

I have put a suggestion that this goes in to the Wikki on a special Overseas section being worked on.

Janet

[Macbev]

Thanks, Janet. I know those links were all there in the original boards...but I guess things get changed about. The Reverse Marriages link is in the wiki, but they recently updated their site, so mine is a newer link.

[Asa]

Morning Gwynne

Thank you Diane & Bev - I did have a look at the birth indices but there are no parents names for the first few years and as I don't know if they had any children, let alone what their names were, I suppose that stymies me:-) They had a common surname too. Mine arrived in Freemantle in 1920 but I have go their details from findmypast.

Thanks for the information about Western Australia, Bev - I really don't know very much about it. I am going to look at the Post Office directories now.

[Asa]

What does "rly emp" mean after his name?


Aah railway employee:-)

[KiteRunner]

Macbev, I've added the Searching WA Online Indexes into the Wiki, but can you please confirm which link the Reverse Marriages one is to replace? I can see this one which it calls Western Australia Marriage Index 1906-1947 (Reverse Marriage search) but I don't know if that is the right one and I would hate to mess things up!

[Mary from Italy]

There are some electoral rolls on Ancestry. If you have the UK sub, you won't be able to access the full details, but you can do a name search. If you find anyone, send me a PM and I'll have a look for the full details.

Australian Electoral Rolls, 1901-1936 - Ancestry.co.uk

The WA rolls online are for the years 1901, 1906, 1916, 1925 and 1936.

The electoral rolls only show people aged over 21, and give their address and occupation. You can find people of the same surname living at the same address, but not people of different surnames at the same address.

[Macbev]

Hi Kite. The link I provided in post #4 on this thread is updated to 1949....I think the site owner modified the original website...he sent the new link to the DPS group. I can try to look out the original email tomorrow if you like.... This is an ongoing local initiative and the transcribers hope eventually to bring it even more up to date. The registration number supplied for each entry can be used to order your certificates through from the Justice Department (although that cannot be dome online)

[Mary from Italy]

By the way, the National Archives site that Diane linked to in post 3 contains service records; full records for WW1 and mostly just brief details for WW2, although a few files have already been uploaded.

There's another WW2 site here, which may give slightly more information:

Australian War Memorial - Research a person

[Mary from Italy]

Might be worth having a look at the Welcome Walls site:

The Welcome Walls (WA Maritime Museum - Fremantle, Western Austalia)

[KiteRunner]

Sorry, Macbev, I just really wanted to confirm when you said it is already in the Wiki but your link is more up to date, was the Wiki link that I mentioned the one that should be replaced with your one?

[Macbev]

Yes, Kite.....mine is more up to date, although the one in the Wiki still seems to be functioning. Sorry if I am being obscure :o

Be a little wary of the Welcome Wall, Mary....the information was gathered from relatives who may or may not have had their facts straight. My own cousin came to me for the facts about our mutual family members and I had an awful lot of trouble to prevent the information becoming garbled on the form we had to submit. The people who were responsible for setting up the Wall did not themselves check out the accuracy of the information given. Like the IGI, you really need to check it out for yourself.

[KiteRunner]

Thanks, Macbev, I've replaced it.

[Mary from Italy]

Be a little wary of the Welcome Wall, Mary....the information was gathered from relatives who may or may not have had their facts straight.

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind. I've never actually found any of my people on it yet

[Asa]

Thank you very much, Mary - they do appear on there in the years I can't find them in the PO directories. Will pm you:-)

[Mary from Italy]

OK, I've replied. Just realised I gave you a WW1 site in post 12;this is the WW2 site:

WW2 Nominal Roll

[Asa]

Thanks very much, Mary - and for the service records site. He only last a few months oddly, the same as he did in WW1 when he enlisted at 15.