Genealogy Services

This guide to genealogy services aims to assist people who have been impacted by adoption and are searching for their families using professional and informal genealogy services.
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Increasingly, more people impacted by adoption are searching for their families using professional and informal genealogy services. There are a range and supports available, both locally and internationally, to support you in accessing historic family records and to undertake DNA testing to confirm biological relationships and ancestry.  Before you begin, you may want to consider reaching out to an adoption counselling and support service to help you prepare for some of the challenges associated with finding your relatives through genealogy, including the possibility of receiving unexpected results.

Using genealogy services to find information and family can be a positive and rewarding experience. However, it can also cause feelings of confusion and distress if the results are different to what you had anticipated. Preparing can help you to understand your motivations, understand expectations and prepare for any potential disappointment. Sometimes, genealogy can be a long process, and you may require additional expertise to   interpret the information. It is important to undertake genealogy at your own pace and to allow yourself time to come to terms with new information and how this may impact you.

If you are considering engaging a service, including a commercial DNA testing company, Communities advises that you consider the Terms and Conditions of the service including privacy and confidentiality, fees and charges.

Forced Adoption Support Service

The Forced Adoption Support Service (FASS) provides people impacted by forced adoption with assistance with records searching. FASS is funded by the Department of Social Services and is a free service.

Find and Connect Support Service WA – Lanterns House

Find and Connect Support Service Lanterns House helps Forgotten Australians/Care Leavers find information about the institutions they lived in, the legislative and social environment that created the welfare policies of the time, and, where records created about the children exist, how to access them. Lanterns House can provide support and assistance to people in obtaining records of their time in care and trace their family. Find and Connect is a free service.

Tuart Place – Records and Tracing Support

Tuart Place staff will support you in applying for records about you, which may be held by government departments; past providers of children’s homes, orphanages and foster care; hospitals, medical and health services. The public can access computers, with or without support, to trace family members using Ancestry.com and other databases. Tuart Place Records and Tracing support is a free service for care leavers. You can also pre-book a one-hour session with a family tracing expert from the WA Genealogical Society.

Telephone: (08) 6140 2380
Email: admin@tuartplace.org
Web: Tuart Place website

Yorgum Healing Service

Yorgum Healing Service provides support to Aboriginal people separated from their families as a result of past governments’ removal policies and practices, including adoption. Through the Link-Up program, Yorgum works with the Stolen Generations and their descendants to rediscover family histories and connections to community and Country. Yorgum Link-Up is a free service.

Aboriginal History WA

Aboriginal History WA (AHWA) through the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, provides a family history research service to help Aboriginal people to access records about themselves and their ancestors. AHWA manages access to restricted State Government records relating to Aboriginal people including State Government records, personal files, personal history cards and administrative files. AHWA also provides regular information sessions across WA. AHWA is a free service.

Telephone: 1800 161 301
Email: ahrs@cits.wa.gov.au
Web: CITS website

Storylines

Storylines is an Indigenous online archive managed and hosted by the State Library of Western Australia. The Storylines archive provides for the digital return of photos and other materials directly to Aboriginal families, communities, and people. The database currently has more than 6,500 people identified and over 12,000 photographs. Storylines is uniquely capable of adhering to cultural protocols. Storylines is a free service.

Telephone: (08) 9427 3111
Email: info@slwa.wa.gov.au
Web: SLWA website

Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages

The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (the Registry) creates and preserves more than 3.1 million records of WA births, deaths, marriages and changes of name. The Registry provides free online access to search historical registrations and eligible persons are able to apply for copies of certificates. People can access certificates at a reduced fee if the event occurred more than 75 years ago.

Telephone: 1300 305 021
Email: bdm@justice.wa.gov.au
Web: Department of Justice website

State Records Office of WA

The State Records Office of WA is the key repository for government documents in WA. The archival collection includes records that may be useful for people who were in out of home care as children. The archival collection includes a range of admission and discharge registers, individual client files, records relating to adoption and foster placements, Children’s Court registers and correspondence between government departments institutions and organisations. Accessing records from the State Records Office is generally free, however fees may apply to accessing restricted or copies of certain records.

Telephone: (08) 9427 3600
Email: sro@sro.wa.gov.au
Web: State Records Office website

Australian Electoral Commission

Electoral rolls list people who are eligible and registered to vote in federal, state / territory and local government elections. An Australia-wide electronic version of the current Australian Electoral Roll in available for public viewing at any Australian Electoral Commission Office.

National Archives of Australia

The National Archives of Australia (NAA) preserve nationally significant Australian Government information and connects Australians to the national archival collection. The NAA provides public access to original records to support family history research. The WA office in Perth CBD provides a one-stop-shop for viewing records and accessing assistance to locate records. National Archives of Australia is a free service.

  • Telephone: (02) 6212 3600 (National office) or (08) 9470 7500 (WA office)
  • Web: NAA website

State Library of Western Australia

The State Library of WA holds key resources such as books, newspapers, photographs, maps, and oral history recordings which can offer information on people, places and communities throughout WA. It has a dedicated section to family history with free access to Ancestry.com, Aboriginal reference books, newspaper archives and photographic collections for members of the State Library. Membership to the State Library is free.

National Library of Australia

The National Library of Australia offers a wealth of guides and resources suitable for both beginner and experienced researchers. The Family History collection includes genealogical material from all Australian states and territories and some overseas resources. Accessing resources from the National Library is free.

Telephone: (02) 6262 1111
Web: National Library of Australia website

Trove

Trove is an online platform managed by the National Library of Australia that provides access to a vast digital collection of Australian historical information collated from hundreds of institutions and organisations including libraries, museums, galleries, the media, government and community organisations. Trove is a free service.

Metropolitan Cemeteries Board

The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board Cemetery Records System holds records of internments, entombments, cremations, and memorials dating back to 1899. It includes Karrakatta, Fremantle, Pinnaroo, Midland, Guildford and Rockingham cemeteries. You can search for the record of a loved one using the online Name Search Register. The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board can also provide photos of the memorial or headstone of a family member for free.

Family History WA

Family History WA (FHWA) is the largest family history society in WA and assists members to research their family history. FHWA aims to promote, encourage and foster the study and knowledge of genealogy while also assisting with transcribing and indexing records, and providing a forum for people with an interest in family history. FHWA provides educational courses, seminars and workshops on a wide range of topics relevant to family history. Affiliate societies can be found in Albany, Australind, Busselton, Collie, Esperance, Rockingham, Geraldton, Mandurah and Ellenbrook. Resources from FHWA are free for members.

Society of Australian Genealogists

The Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG) is the oldest family history society in Australia. The SAG is an organisation that welcomes enthusiastic amateurs alongside professional genealogists, sharing a passion for family history. The SAG can provide access to a range of record collections and support you with advice or expertise from a professional genealogist. SAG also provides regular online webinars on a range of topics including adoption and forced adoption. Access to resources from SAG is free for members.

Swan Genealogy

Swan Genealogy is a private organisation providing services including genealogical research, probate genealogy, digitising records, comprehensive tracing of ancestors and support in using DNA to locate family. Fees for services are determined by Swan Genealogy.

Ancestry

Ancestry provides access to the world’s largest collection of online family history records from archives in Australia, New Zealand and around the world. Through a paid subscription, Ancestry provides access to a range of historic family record collections including birth, marriage and death, census and voter lists, immigration and travel, family trees and photos. The AncestryDNA service can also assist you to find genetic relatives, discover or confirm your ethnicity and connect with relatives around the world. Many local libraries provide free public access to Ancestry.

Family Search Australia

FamilySearch is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving important family records and making them accessible online. Family Search Australia has collaborations with more than 10,000 organisations in 100 countries. Family Search Australia provides services including access to genealogy records, family trees, DNA education, research guidance and learning resources. Services provided by Family Search Australia are free.

Email: PacificSupport@familysearch.org
Web: FamilySearch website

DNA Detectives

DNA Detectives is an online community providing educational resources to people looking to discover their relatives. DNA Detectives provides assistance with DNA testing through commercially available services such as Ancestry, MyHeritageDNA, 23andMe and Family Tree DNA. Fees for services are determined by DNA Detectives.

Web: DNA Detectives website

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