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​USEFUL RESEARCH WEBSITES  & FACEBOOK PAGES 
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Task:  To make your family history a more interesting story, research how they were employed, descriptions of their place of abode, what social activities were popular in the community. 
- Preservation of family photographs, sketches and letters is particularly important. 
- Preventing damage is the key to preserving your items. 


This list of simple tips will help preserve family papers and photographs for the next generation.  For detailed instructions, log on to: https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives
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NEW!
Some Facebook Pages and Groups
**Fellowship of First Fleeters has an active Facebook to which Arthur Phillip Chapter will make ongoing contributions: www.facebook.com/FirstFleeters 
First Fleet Researchers
Second Fleet Researchers
Third Fleet Researchers
Norfolk Island History Researchers
Convicts and Free people 1792 - 1800
NSW Corps
Old Sydney Burial Grounds
Australian History Research
HMS Sirius 1787 -1790
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Overseas sites for DNA testing:
Ultimate beginner’s guide to genealogy:  https://www.dnatestingguides.com
Biased towards several DNA testing companies and is USA focused.
Note:  The Fellowship of First Fleeters has used DNA testing to validate members' lineage to their First Fleeter.

Other First Fleet related Facebook Groups & Pages:
These are indicative of the level of interest in the First Fleet in the Facebook “world”, including people in the Baby Boomer age group and younger.  Note:  This list does not include the Facebook “presence” of specific First Fleet Families nor FFF Chapters on Facebook.
Historical Costumes
Steampunk and Victorian theme costumes
Women Convict's Cap
Black Colonial Bonnet
Convict Bonnet
Colonial Men's Shirt
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Websites:  Note that Websites are not linked - to open copy and paste to your chosen URL.

Fellowship of First Fleeters
Established in 1968.   For descendants of those who arrived in Sydney Cove with the First Fleet on 26th January 1788.  Publishes the bi-monthly Founders magazine.  See website for details of the Chapters that have been established in various parts of Australia. 
www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au

Your local Municipal Library
Our closest is at Gordon which holds many records in its history reference section:
http://www.kmc.nsw.gov.au/Services_facilities/Facilities_and_venues/Ku-ring-gai_Library/MyLibrary
  • encyclopedias and dictionaries, guides and directories;
  • atlases and maps, year books;
  • newspapers and history periodicals;
Searching in-house for online resources is free on producing your library card:
NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriage         
Records since 1788 of Births (to 1911), Deaths (to 1981) and Marriages (to 1961) (as at 2011, extended each year).
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/searchHistoricalRecords.htm
www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyhistory 

The State Archives - State Records NSW                
The repository of the official archives of the State of NSW.  Publishes a monthly electronic newsletter advising updates etc.
www.records.nsw.gov.au

Society of Australian Genealogists                       
Established in 1937.  Helping people trace family history for over 75 years.  Publishes a monthly electronic newsletter advising upcoming events and courses. Also publishes the quarterly Descent magazine and has started giving podcasts on history.
www.sag.org.au 

Biographical Database of Australia 
BDA is a new research tool for historians and genealogists comprising transcripts and indexes of many original records and published biographies of deceased individuals who arrived in or were born in Australia, starting from the earliest times.  The first release contains convict, muster, census, baptism, marriage and burial manuscript records for most of the New South Wales population 1788-1828, for Norfolk Island and Tasmania 1802-1811, and many immigrant and convict records from 1829-1837 along with full text of short biographies of 11,000+ residents of most colonies/states published 1881-1907. Log on to search the indexes FREE.  
http://www.bda-online.org.au/   

JCS Online Resources
Now the representative for Findmypast Ltd in Australia:  https://jcsonlineresources.org/
Findmypast.com.au
Worldwide family history research online. Search birth, marriage and death indxes, census returns and many more resources from more than 120 countries.  Over 1.8 billion records and growing.
https://www.findmypast.com.au

Dictionary of Sydney
This website contains a multitude of interesting facts about the First Fleet and emerging facts regarding the early settlement of Sydney; click on highlighted sub-menus for individual histories of the eleven ships. 
http://trust.dictionaryofsydney.org/dictionary-of-sydney-launches-new-first-fleet-histories/

Ancestry:   Includes the fully-indexed Convict Transportation Registers, 1788 to 1868. 
http://www.ancestry.com.au
 
British Newspaper Archive (BNA)
The Archive currently comprises of over 33 million pages dating from 1703 - stories, photos, family notices, letters, advertisements, and public opinion relating to the large movement of European families and young people to the new colonies.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

Cora Nunn’s Website for Genealogists
Mainly Australian but some immigration, overseas etc.
http://www.coraweb.com.au/

The 1788-1820 Pioneer Association Inc                 
Established in 1968.  For those descendants of the early pioneers up to 1820 and to encourage the preservation of our heritage.  
​Now managed by the Biographical Database of Australia (BDA).

Descendants of Convicts Inc                                  
Established in 1981.  For those who can claim a convict forebear, transported to the Australian Colony between 1788 and 1868.  Publishes the bi-monthly The Mail newsletter.
www.vicnet.net.au

Australian Dictionary of Biography
Biographies of significant Australians from 1788 – in digital and printed form.
http://adb.anu.edu.au/

Friends of the 1st Government House Site (Inc)    
Established in 1983 to promote awareness and research into the 1st Government House Site 1788-1845. Publishes the quarterly The Site Gazette newsletter.
www.ffghs.org.au

Passenger lists from all 19th Century shipping records. 
Very useful sites that could save the eye strain of searching the reels - volunteers gradually updating and digitising the records. 
http://mariners.records.nsw.gov.au 
http://www.coraweb.com.au/shipindex.htm

State Library/Mitchell Library/Dixon Collection    
The State Library of NSW, including the Mitchell Library and Dixon Collection, is the unique major research and reference library in NSW.
www.sl.nsw.gov.au

National Library of Australia                                   
‘We cannot understand the present or plan for the future without the knowledge of the past’ – Prime Minister Harold Holt, Stone Ceremony March 1966.
www.nla.gov.au

Trove                                                                     
Established by the National Library of Australia – the digitised newspapers of Australia from the 1820’s onwards.
www.trove.nla.gov.au

National Archives of Australia                                
Described on their web site as the memory of our nation - collecting and preserving Australian Government records that reflect our history and identity.  Log onto their website: www.naa.gov.au - and go to:
Family History
Record Search
Record Search again
Keywords (i.e. name)

It may display that there is an option of a digitised record (a symbol something like a piece of paper). Click and the record will appear which can be copied/printed.  If there is no digitised record available and it shows “open” you will need to apply directly to the National Archives of Australia.  If not “open” you can request that it be opened. It will then be checked for any security or secret information which can take months – this may be expensive.

Family Search (LDS) 
A free service for recording family history and genealogy - provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.  The most useful section is the International Genealogical Index (IGI).  Deaths and the Census may be more useful when developed further.  Main focus is the USA but has births and marriages from parish registers in other countries.  
https://www.familysearch.org/

Australian Cemeteries Index                                     
Transcriptions & photos of many Cemeteries mainly in NSW but expanding to rest of Australia.  
www.austcemindex.com

Convict Stockade                                                       
A Wiki site for Australian Convict Researchers.  
http://www.historyaustralia.org.au/ifhaa/

The Ryerson Index                                                    
An index to contemporary death notices and obituaries in Australian Newspapers. 
www.ryersonindex.org

Irish Famine Memorial                                            
Australian Monument to the Great Irish Famine (1845-1848) located at Hyde Park Barracks, Macquarie St, Sydney.  The web site also contains some of the records of the 4400 Irish orphan girls who were shipped to Australia during 1848-1850.
www.irishfaminememorial.org

Australian ANZACS on the Great War 1914-1918  
Established in 2003.  A database of the 330,000 men and women who served overseas in the First Australian Imperial Force – hosted by UNSW@ADFA.
www.aif.adfa.edu.au

Australian War Memorial                                        
A Museum commemorating the sacrifice of Australians who died in War; publishes a regular Electronic newsletter plus the Wartime magazine.
www.awm.gov.au

Roll of Honour- Australian War Memorial            
Records of Australia’s war dead.  
www.awm.gov.au/research/people.roll_of_honour/

WW2 Nominal Roll 
Service record details of individuals who served in Australia’s defence forces and the Australian Merchant Navy during World War 2.           
www.ww2roll.gov.au

Commonwealth War Graves Commission              
Commemorates the 1,7000,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars.
www.cwgc.org

The War Graves Photographic Project                   
A project set up by the UK Ministry of Defence to photograph every war grave, individual memorial and family memorial of serving personnel from WW1 to the present day. Due to popularity it has now been extended to all nationalities and military conflicts.
www.twgpp.org

Family and Friends of the 1st AIF                          
Established in 1998.  Dedicated to Digger Heritage and Keeping The Memory Alive (KTMA) of the First AIF Diggers who served in the Great War (1914-1918).  Publish quarterly Digger magazine.
www.fffaif.org.au

Australian Royalty (Convict Ancestors)               
Coined from a comment by actor Jack Thompson on Who Do You Think You Are that these days, unlike in the past, having a Convict ancestor gives you the status of Australian Royalty.  
https://australianroyalty.net.au/
 
Google: 
The almost universal general search engine.  Do use the advanced search but be aware the search is by letter recognition so it will not pick up spelling variations etc.
http://www.google.com.au/
 
ASK  
This search engine uses slightly different criteria and may bring up different sites.  Log on and key in your question:
http://www.ask.com/

Cyndi’s List
Useful links for sites for countries, including Baltic States, Belgium, Greece, Italy, France, USA etc, surname lists and hard-to-find entities such as Huguenots and Quakers. 
http://www.cyndislist.com/

Australian History Research
Historical Records Research Service, shipping records, Norfolk Island records and more
www.australianhistoryresearch.info

Free Family History and Genealogy
https://www.familysearch.org

The Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc. (known as Family History ACT)
https://www.familyhistoryact.org.au/

Outback Grave Markers Inc
Raises funds to purchase a professionally designed website to preserve the 440 outback grave sites already marked in the State of Western Australia and to further their search, identification and preservation of others in the outback. Many stories appear on their
website: www.outbackgraves.org

Images from the internet.  Examples of repositories for research and study: 
(L) Matthew Flinders statue stands outside the NSW State Library.
​(C) Sydney Town Hall
(R) Sydney Observatory

© Arthur Phillip Chapter of Fellowship of First Fleeters 2023 -