When a photograph of an unknown WWI soldier, was left in the library’s La Trobe Reading Room, bearing the message `Can you please return this to the family’, we had to find out who he was. Read about the discovery of `Hal’ and how we traced his family.
Collections, Family matters, Research tips & tricks:
A common question we receive on desk is how to trace the career of an ancestor who was a police officer. To begin, I would recommend researching their birth, death,… Read More ›
Family matters, Research tips & tricks:
Is misinformation sinking its tendrils into your family tree? Are dates not lining up, people aren’t where they should be, or maybe there’s no record of Grandma Joan before the age of 25? Our Family History Librarians are here to help you separate fact from fiction in your lineage, and give you some tips to strengthen your research.
Migration to New Worlds charts the emigration experience of those who travelled from Great Britain, Ireland and Europe to Australasia and North America in the 19th and 20th centuries.
census, census records, British records, Family matters, Uncategorized:
Great news for anyone interested in British history. The 1921 census for England and Wales can now be accessed onsite at State Library Victoria through both the FindMyPast and Ancestry databases.
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Where can I learn about the American whaling industry? What would a ship’s master have in his chest? What would the dying words of a pirate be? And can anyone help me to tell the flags of the Union and Orient shipping lines apart? Find out all of this and more in the AM Digital database Life at Sea: Seafaring in the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1600-1900.
Ask a librarian, Family matters, Our stories, Victorian history:
Researchers visiting the Library are often dismayed when they discover that prior to 2001, there are no surviving census returns for individuals in the Colony of Victoria. What were the reasons behind the destruction of our census records? And how did our ‘genies’ save the day?
The State Library Victoria’s ebook collection continues to grow at a rapid place. We now provide free access to over 200,000 ebooks on such topics as social sciences, family history,… Read More ›
Ask a librarian, Collection spotlights:
Interested in the early history of cinema? Curious about what daily life was like over 100 years ago? Would you like see the moon playing a banjo? Explore a collection of early cinematic wonders from the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras.
The British Library Newspapers database (1732-1950) includes over 240 newspapers sourced from the British Library. Find out more about this incredible resource – the depth and scope of this collection being unparalleled.
