In partnership with Museums of History NSW, Ancestry launches a new collection of NSW immigration records. In partnership with Museums of History NSW, Ancestry has digitised, indexed and published an important set of 19th century NSW immigration records held in the NSW State Archives Collection. Never digitised before, these records provide a remarkable range Read More
1915 – The landing at Gallipoli. 1916 – The Battle of the Somme. 1940 – The Battle of Britain. 1942 – The Battle of Malta. 1945 – Burma’s liberation from Japan. If ever there was one story of an Anzac who encapsulates both World War I and World War II – whose report card reads Read More
Military historian Prof Peter Stanley tells Cassie Mercer how to look for clues in military portraits. Of the 320,000 Australians who served in World War One, around 10 per cent have a portrait that survives to this day – held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Almost double that number of men appear in Read More
For anyone with ancestors from Sydney, Rookwood General Cemetery may hold clues vital to your family research. Why? Because it’s the largest cemetery from the Victorian era still in operation in the world, with more than one million burials spread across its 200 hectares. Its vast landscaped gardens have become the last resting place for Read More
One hundred years ago, the Great War ended after four years of death and destruction. Cassie Mercer speaks with author Professor Peter Stanley to understand more about what Australian troops were doing in those last few years of the war. The Great War left an indelible mark on thousands of Australian families. Men and women Read More
When Governor Macquarie laid the foundation stone for the Parramatta Female Factory in July 1818, little did he know how important its role would be to understanding the lives of female convicts 200 years later. It’s estimated that one in every five to seven Australians is related to a female convict who was incarcerated at Read More
The 1939 England and Wales Register is a valuable resource for family history research, particularly in learning about your more recent relatives. It is the only surviving overview of people in the UK and Wales from 1921 to 1951 – the 1931 census was destroyed during World War II, and the 1941 census was cancelled Read More
Was an ancestor of yours admitted to an asylum? Or perhaps a paper trail has gone cold and you’re not sure where else to look? Ancestry’s latest dataset could help. When James Watson walked into the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, Ballarat, in November 1897, there was nothing about his behaviour to cause alarm or remark. The Read More
Military records can be valuable sources of information for genealogists, helping you to find enlistment dates, learn about famous battles and discover the unique stories of the heroes in your family tree. We’ve put together some tips to help you get the most out of Ancestry’s extensive collection of military records: The best way to Read More
Guest post by Kim Phillips, the historian behind Spirits of Gallipoli In November 2000 when I first walked the beach at Anzac Cove, I had little idea of the effect that visit would have on me, or the journey it would take me on. There is an aura at Anzac, a ‘spirit’. Those who have Read More