New to Australian Research!

[fridayjan]

Hi,

I've recently discovered that relatives emigrated from Scotland to Australia (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,300539.0.html) and wondered if anyone can help me with a few questions?

a) is it possible to see Australian BMD indexes after the 1920's?

b) I've tried to find the McGavin family on Australian passenger lists without any success.  I would presume they paid for their own passage as they seem to have been wealthy when in Scotland.  Any suggestions as to how I might find them?

c) Is there any access to Australian census records?  I haven't been able to find any apart from the Electoral rolls 1901-1936.

Janet

[karenlee]

Hi Janet

As to Australian Census Records.... there aren't any to speak of.  None were kept.  There are Electoral Rolls for each State, and they are fairly easy to access from over here in Australia.

Depends on which State you are looking at as to what BMD is available.  Some States work on the 50 Year Privacy Rule some on the 100 Year Rule, which makes life difficult.  Very few BMD are online though.

Shipping is another matter... there are lots of records available, once again depending on which State they came to.

I am based in Queensland and would be happy to check on anything for you at the State Library.

Cheers
Karenlee

[deeiluka]

Hello Jan.

Welcome to the Australian Board.  

I see Karenlee hass answered but I'll post this also as I have included some webistes......

To answer your questions......

Question 1.
 There are limited BMD Indexes online after 1920  I believe Queensland marriages now go to 1929.
http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/829.htm

NSW deaths go to 1977 and marriages to 1956.
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/search.htm

Western Australian have some indexes past 1920.
http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/829.htm

Victoria has Indexes online, but it's a pay for view site.
http://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/home

However, some of us have the Indexes on disk and don't mind helping at all. Likewise with South Australia.

Question 2.
This is a hard one. I presume you have tried FindMyPast? You could try the NAA website
http://www.naa.gov.au/

Question 3.

All Australian Cenuses apart form parts of a couple of very early ones have been destroyed. Even now, we have to give individual permission for our info to be saved to be released in the Years 2300 +      


......dee

[karenlee]

Hey dee

Beat me to it again... was in the process of working up a document to transfer with most of this info on it.... you are quick my friend.

QLD marriages and deaths do go much further on fiche than they do online.

Karenlee

[Ruskie]

Janet (hi Karenlee),

Has anyone given you this this yet?:

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/

There are some immigration records on there, but not sure if all are online yet. If you need any lookups from the State Archives I can pop along to check for you - ie any bmd's which aren't yet online, wills ( ) - but we really need an idea of death dates for that, immigration records for those arriving in Qld ... etc.

Electoral Rolls are a good resource too, but the downside is that you need to know where the person was living. Not sure what info is online re these records (haven't used them  ).

Karen, if you can think of any way I can help Janet, give me a yell  . Got to dash off now - back later to re-read Janet's posts and take notes (or I'll get all mixed up ) ...

[karenlee]

Hey Ruskie

Have not seen any Electoral Rolls online as yet.  They have lots up at the State Library here in Brisbane... for lots of places. I would be happy to go up later this week and check them out.  Archives have the Immigration records, but they are waaaaay out of town, and I am pretty much inner city.

Karenlee

[Ruskie]

Hi Karen, I will do the State Archive searches and you can do the State Library searches, if that's OK? There are also Electoral Rolls at the Archives if you need any help.

I thought there were electoral rolls on Aus Ancestry? 

I'll get together a list of things that need looking up ...

[karenlee]

Oh yeah, forgot about them on Ancestry.  But they are only 1901 - 1936.  There are HEAPS more of them available at the Library.

Karenlee

[fridayjan]

Thank you so much for all your offers of help!!  I can't believe how quick you are (and generous with your offers of time).

It took me a while to work out what FindMyPast meant - but I got there eventually!  I have tried Find My Past but (from what I can see) their records start in 1890 and I think the McGavin's must have moved between 1861 (they were in Scotland) and 1866 (when Mary Reid McGavin married Henry Marsh). 

To save duplication, would it be best if I list all the family members I've found so far, and any dates etc.  Would you need the reference numbers from information I've found on the Queensland BMD site?

I'm in Liverpool (England) so if I can be of any help to any of you with information from the Liverpool Records Office - just let me know!

Janet