New South Wales Archives and Libraries

Archives collect and preserve original documents from organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books and maps. This article describes the major national and New South Wales archives and libraries that hold genealogical and historical information.

Government Archives
National Archives of Australia National Archives Queensland Office 16 Corporate Drive Cannon Hill Qld 4170 Australia Telephone:07 3249 4200 Postal address:, PO Box 552, Cannon Hill, QLD 4170, Australia Website Research Guides Family history

National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia Parkes Place Parkes ACT 2600 Phone: +61 (0)2 6262 1266 Fax: +61 (0)2 6273 5081


 * The National Library is the largest reference library in Australia. Their catalogue is online. Use eResources to locate indexes, full-text ejournals, websites and guides. Frequently asked questions for family historians explain about the records there.

ACT Heritage Library
ACT Heritage Library Email: [mailto:act.heritage.library@act.gov.au act.heritage.library@act.gov.au] Phone +61 2 6207 5163 Fax +61 2 6207 5835

For marriage or death research:
 * ACT Historic Marriage Index
 * ACT Historic Death Index

The State Records Authority of New South Wales
The State Records Authority of New South Wales Email info@records.nsw.gov.au Phone +61 2 9673 1788

The State Library of New South Wales - Family History Service
State Library of New South Wales - Family History Service Macquarie St Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Phone +61 2 9273 1414


 * A guide is Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales. No. 13 in the Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales series. Sydney, Australia: The Authority, 1969. (FS Library book .)

Family and Local History Societies
Family History Connections promotes and encourages the study of genealogy, heraldry, family history and allied subjects throughout Australia and to assist members and others in genealogical research.

Cora Web lists family history organizations that are helpful to researchers.

University Archives

 * Australian National University Archives (including Noel Butlin Archives Centre and Pacific Research Archives)

Other Archives

 * Australian Trade Union Archives
 * State Archives and Records of New South Wales - online guide to goldmining industry

Another major source of archival material is Newspapers. Australian newspapers all have archives of important events in the past. The following WIKIPEDIA website provides a list of Australian newspapers:

Newspapers in Australia

General Guides to Archives
Printed guides may be helpful in locating family history material.


 * White, Olga, Anne-Marie Schwirtlich, and Jennifer Nash, comp. Our Heritage. O’Connor, Australian Capital Territory, Australia: Australian Society of Archivists, 1983. (FS Library book .)
 * Australian Archives. Relations in records: a Guide to Family History Sources in the Australian Archives. Canberra, Australia: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1988. (FS Library book .) The following book contains a listing of indexes that are available in Australian libraries:
 * Henty, Margaret, and Rachel Jakimow. Indexes in Australian libraries. Canberra, Australia: National Library of Australia, 1995. (FS Library book .)

FamilySearch Catalog
The FamilySearch Library has other guides. Call numbers for these can be found in the library's catalog by using the Place Search for:

AUSTRALIA, [STATE] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS