South Australia, Australia Genealogy

Guide to South Australia, Australia ancestry, family history and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Background Information
In July 1836 the Kingscote settlement on Kangaroo Island which lies just off Cape Jervis in South Australia was established only five months before Adelaide was founded. The guiding principle behind the settlement was that of systematic colonisation, the idea was first espoused by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, whose aim was to establish the province as a centre of civilisation for free immigrants, promising civil liberties and religious tolerance. Although its history is marked by economic hardship, South Australia has remained politically innovative and culturally vibrant. Today, the state is known as a state of festivals and of fine wine. The state's economy centres on the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries and has an increasingly significant finance sector as well. South Australia covers some of the most arid parts of the continent of Australia.

Getting started with South Australia research
Numerous articles are available on FamilySearch Wiki to help you get started in family history. This portal will provide links to articles about general research topics.

Principles of Family History Research


 * 1) Identify What You Know
 * 2) Decide What You Want to Learn
 * 3) Select Records to Search
 * 4) Obtain and Search the Records
 * 5) Use the Information

Regions and Islands of South Australia

 * Kangaroo Island [[Image:Thiselton 2009 0716.jpg|thumb|right|181x141px|Thiselton 2009 0716.jpg]]

Kangaroo Island is a pristine wilderness - a place that has offered protection to substantial populations of native Australian animals and a place of beauty. It is 18 km off the coast of South Australia and has a population of just 4,400 people.


 * Fleurieu Peninsula
 * Yorke Peninsula
 * Eyre Peninsula
 * Limestone Coast

Northern Regions and Outback of South Australia


 * South Australian Northern Regions and Outback

This list is not exhaustive, but includes organisations which are particularly concerned with the history of local areas, the preservation of specific locations, buildings and historic sites, or the operation of historical museums. Not all places have online resources, but they do have addresses that can be written to, and in some cases email addresses.

Clicking on the title above, will take you to a website where you can click on the area you are interested in.

The list is organised according to Local Government Area (LGA). Over the past few years many councils, both municipal and rural, have amalgamated. The list below shows LGA names current at June 1998.

The North

The area consists of the following places:


 * Flinders Ranges - includes Hawker, Kanyaka and Quorn
 * Mount Remarkable
 * Northern Areas iIncludes Booleroo, Georgetown, Gladstone, Jamestown, Laura, Rocky River, Spalding and Yacka
 * Orroroo - Carrieton
 * Peterborough
 * Port Augusta
 * Port Pirie - includes Crystal Brook and Redhill
 * Whyalla

Outback


 * Marree, Radium Hill and Yunta
 * Coober Pedy
 * Roxby Downs
 * Woomera

Beyond South Australian Borders


 * Alice Springs, Northern Territory
 * Broken Hill, New South Wales

Online Records

 * 1838-1912 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1873-1985 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1849-1940 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * at FamilySearch — index

Research Tools

 * Australian Gazetteer