A guide to the convict &
pioneer records
of tas., qld., s.a., vic., & w.a.
Introduction by James McClelland, O.A.M.
The purpose of
my books are to show Australians what kind of historical records have survived
the ravages of time; where they can be found and, if possible, the reference
numbers under which they can be located.
Every State has
a State Archives, or State Library, where historical records are kept. Some of
these Archives have been very helpful to me.
To trace one's
ancestors can be one of the most satisfying and rewarding experiences of one's
life. It could involve writing dozens of letters away to various authorities
for information, putting the pieces together, discarding the unwanted facts and
persevering until a picture of the past emerges. Think of it as putting a
crossword puzzle together.
Most districts
now have Historical Societies or Genealogical Societies to which readers can
belong and whenever possible, readers are strongly advised to join these, but
as some people seem to want to do their own Genealogical Research in the
privacy of their own home, my books are designed to assist them also.
Most
Genealogical Societies put out rather inexpensive and very good booklets on how
to go about tracing one's ancestors. A list of the addresses of some of these
societies is available in this book.
Please remember
that most Convicts, Pioneers and Immigrants to Australia are positively
identified by the name of the ship that they cam on, so wherever possible you
must try to establish the name of the ship and the year it arrived, and state
this fact in any correspondence concerning the tracing of ancestors.
Always remember
to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope when writing away for
information, and if writing to a church, it is my personal opinion that it is
nice to include a small donation, even if it is only one dollar. It also seems
to ensure a prompt reply.
Now, every
Australian has the democratic right to write to his State or National Archives
for information, but, unfortunately, no Government in the world could afford
the massive cost of adequately staffing our State Archives to ensure an
immediate and prompt reply to the massive amount of correspondence that is
received by them every day. Often there are letters that are unreadable, except
to the writer of the letter, and written by people who haven't a clue what
information they require.
So please try to
limit inquiries to one per letter. Clearly state the information you require,
all the facts that you know, and don't jump up and down if you don't get a
reply for a few weeks.
Try making up
your own Family Tree. Remember the old proverb that "one picture is worth
a thousand words". There are many forms of family trees, but the one I
like best is as per the sample in this book. Start with the name of your own
children and work backwards. Don't worry about any name you don't know at the
moment. You can always go back to these and fill them in later.
Now at the
various State Archives, the dedicated staff will do all in their power to help,
but access to actual records or information is usually limited to those who are
in possession of a Reader's Ticket; unfortunately, in all societies there are
people who want to steal, tear pages out and otherwise damage our priceless
historical records. To protect the records, it is necessary to have some record
of the people using them. To obtain a Reader's Ticket, you should write to your
State Archives and ask for an application form.
Please remember
that all State Archivists and State Librarians have the sole right to determine
to whom, and the type of information, they will supply. Most records that are
under 90 years of age are classified 'Restricted', and will not be made
available. In some cases, various types of records may be restricted for periods
of 50 years or more.
If writing away
for information to private or professional genealogical researchers, I strongly
advise readers to ask for a quote as to how much the information required is
likely to cost, as sometimes overseas searches can become quite expensive.
Where Archive
reference numbers are quote, please remember that these may be changed over the
years but the old number should be able to lead you to the new number.
Book 8. A Guide to the
Convict & Pioneer Records of Tas, Qld, SA, Vic & WA - 218 pages.
$AUD39.60 ($USD30.15) + p&p
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A GUIDE TO THE CONVICT & PIONEER RECORDS OF NSW
