Western Australia
Key resources in the J S Battye Library of West Australian History
Dead reckoning: how to find your way through the genealogical jungle of Western Australia
This key guide to researching family history in Western Australia is currently being extensively revised and will soon be digitised and available on our website.
Bicentennial dictionary of Western Australians
Biographical dictionary consisting of:
Vol 1. A-C
Vol 2. D-J
Vol 3. K-Q
Vol 4. R-Z
Vol 5. Asian immigrants to Western Australia, 1829-1901
Vol 6. Aborigines of the Albany region, 1821-1818
Vol 7. Aborigines of New Norcia, 1845-1914
Vol 8. Aborigines of the southwest region, 1829-1840
Dictionary of Western Australians, 1829-1914
Biographical dictionary consisting of:
Vol 1. Early settlers, 1829-1850
Vol 2. Bond, 1850-1868
Vol 3. Free, 1850-1868
Vol 4. The challenging years, 1868-1888
Vol 5. The golden years, 1889-1914
Vol 9. Convicts in Western Australia, 1850-1887
Vol 10. Far from home, Aboriginal prisoners of Rottnest Island, 1838-1931
Western Australian Post Office Directories
The post office directories are an invaluable source of information for anyone doing family history research in Western Australia. Directories for the period 1893-1949 have been digitised.
Other material in the Battye Library which is useful for family history research includes:
Birth, marriage and death indexes
Cemetery records
Electoral rolls
Passenger lists
Newspapers
Photographs
Related pages
Guide to WA History
Westraliana
Archives
State Records Office
The State Records Office, located in the same building as the State Library, holds State government records including Colonial Secretary's Office correspondence, convict records, court records, immigration records and more.
National Archives of Australia - Perth reading room
The National Archives houses Commonwealth government records such as military, immigration and naturalisation papers. Records date from Federation in 1901 although, for some government departments, earlier material dating back to the mid-1850s is held. Over 18 million documents have been digitised and are searchable by selecting RecordSearch from their home page. Other material can be viewed in their State and Territory Reading rooms.
Societies
Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc.
Visit the website of the Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc. (also known as WAGS) for information about the society and its affiliated societies throughout WA. The site includes WA shipping arrivals, WA surnames list, links to hundreds of websites and more.
Perth Dead Persons' Society
This site has information on pioneers, convicts, military research, cemeteries and more.
Royal Western Australian Historical Society Inc.
Information on the Royal Western Australian Historical Society located in Nedlands.
Journals
The following journals are available in the Genealogy Centre and/or the Battye Library:
Western Ancestor: journal of Western Australian Genealogical Society
Western Ancestor index
Volumes 1-8 (1979-2002) have been indexed and are available on CD-ROM.
We hold a range of other WA genealogy journals, including those published by the WAGS special interest groups and affiliated societies. Try searching our online catalogue using the keywords 'western australia genealogy periodicals' for a complete list.
Early days / Royal Western Australian Historical Society
Page last updated: 10/02/2009 16:21:10