Family and Local History

New to family history research? Get started with a one-on-one tutorial with one of our skilled librarians. They’ll take you through the wide range of library resources available, including access to Ancestry and Find My Past, free of charge, in each of our library branches. Available at Cheltenham, Parkdale, and Chelsea libraries. 

Book a tutorial session

If you need help with your research, our librarians can assist you either online or in person.

Join our Family History Group

Whether you’re a skilled family history researcher or just getting started, join the Family History Group. We’ve got a whole program mapped out for the year. You can book in to individual sessions or book in for all of them.

Learn more

At our libraries, you can access genealogy records, and Ancestry and Findmypast are both accessible for free from our computers or wi-fi.

Local History

Kingston Libraries also holds resources to help with your local history research. You can search the catalogue for what you want or email us with your query. You can also visit the Kingston Local History website for stories about the local area.

We hold large photographic collections, as well as documents and objects from the former cities of Chelsea, Mordialloc, Moorabbin, Oakleigh and Springvale which were amalgamated in 1994 and now form the City of Kingston. Some of these collections can be found online at Victorian Collections, and more is being added regularly. For more information email us.

Free resources

Ancestry Library

Ancestry Library  provides access to a vast collection of family history resources, including census records, immigration documents, birth, death and marriage records, and more. It’s a great tool for researching your family tree and discovering historical information about your ancestors from around the world.

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Australian Dictionary of Biography

Search the Australian Dictionary of Biography to find concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.

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British Newspapers Archive

You can access the British Newspapers Archive online via your State Library of Victoria membership.

Search this free index to hundreds of British newspapers dating from 1800 to the present day. One million pages are free to view and download with a free user account. 

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FamilySearch affiliate

FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries provide free access to a wide range of genealogy resources, including international records, digitised collections and research tools. Visit an affiliate location to explore family history materials and build your family tree with expert support and guidance.

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FindMyPast

Findmypast is a family history resource that provides access to millions of historical records, with a strong focus on Australian, British and Irish ancestry. It includes census data, military records, newspapers and more to help you trace your family history and uncover personal stories from the past.

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National Archives Australia

Access records received or created by the Commonwealth government. The archive consists of tens of millions of items, and includes records about immigration, military service, transport, Indigenous Australians, science and the environment and much more.

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Public Records Office Victoria

The Public Records Office Victoria (PROV) enables you to access records created by Victorian government departments, courts, local councils, schools, public hospitals and many other resources. PROV records date from the mid-1830s to the present day.

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Trove – Historic Australian newspapers

Access digitised Australian newspapers, government gazettes, and other heritage focused collections.

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Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages – Historical Index

Births, Deaths and Marriages hold records of births, deaths and marriages in Victoria from 1853. You can also find church registers for baptisms, marriages and burials dating from 1836. Access restrictions apply with 100 years for births, 60 years for marriages and relationships, and 30 years for deaths.

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More information

Useful tips

Visit Family Search for useful tips on how to get started on your research.

Start with what you know

Do you know your parents' names, birthdates and birth places? What about your grandparents or great grandparents? Following one family line helps keep your research on track.

If you have older family members ask questions. They may have items like a family bible, letters, diaries, photographs, certificates and war medals which can be helpful in your research. 

Begin from all the facts and work backwards

Make sure you check the accuracy of each source. Keep a record of all your research.

Get a family tree

Sometimes known as a pedigree chart. You can use the chart to record family relationships. You can access free charts from:

A good place to start is checking Ancestry to see if anyone else has done any research on your family. Make sure they have supporting records for each ancestor.

Visit your local library

Visit your local Kingston library to access family history resources and seek assistance from library staff.

Remember less is more

Sometimes by entering a full name you can miss the right record. For example James may have been written as Ja, Jms or J. The name Thomas was often  written as Thos. Allow for spelling variants when searching, this may bring up records that sound like the name you are looking for.

Be careful with original documents

Make copies and leave the originals in a safe place. Never lend your original copy. 

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