Happy National Family History Month! Yep, it’s that time of year again here in Australia, and I am SO excited to be diving back into genealogy content for the next month - every Thursday you’ll find a fresh post on the blog that will, hopefully, be interesting and insightful for all my fellow genealogy enthusiasts, especially those who may be just starting out on this wonderful journey. Now, let’s face it, researching your family tree can be a bit expensive. Or is it? While it’s true that subscribing to various genealogy websites and ordering records can easily break the bank, there are actually plenty of resources that you can access for free or at a discount. You’ll be very surprised by just how much you actually can achieve without spending a single cent, or barely making a dent to your bank balance. Now in my own family history journey, I’ve definitely tried to focus on what I can find and access for free. Yes, I have had an Ancestry subscription in the past, which was amazing of course, but the months do quickly add up, especially if you have a lull in your research. It’s definitely a major misconception that you need an Ancestry or MyHeritage subscription to begin researching your family history. The truth is, there is a LOT that you can research, depending on where you are in the world and what types of records your looking for, for a very little to no investment. I have not forked out a single cent for my genealogy research over the past few years and yet I've still managed to make plenty of progress in piecing together and fleshing out my family tree. So that means you can too! FREE ONLINE RESOURCES There is a plethora of free resources available online that can help you in your genealogy research, and the sheer amount available at your fingertips will depend on your location. FamilySearch is an absolute gold mine with SO many records accessible for FREE. When you consider what is paywalled by Ancestry, MyHertiage and FindMyPast, it’s crazy to see what we have access to for nothing through FamilySearch. On top of that, the FamilySearch Research Wiki is an invaluable resource to help you navigate the different records and where they may be found. FindAGrave and BillionGraves are fantastic volunteer-contributed resources to help you track down where your ancestors are buried, and here in Australia there are several other burial indexes that are also super helpful - no doubt other countries and regions around the world also have similar region-based indexes that you can access. For Australian research, Trove is a phenomenal and FREE resource for searching the newspaper archive, as well as magazines, images, and maps. These same resources are usually paywalled in other countries, so we are super lucky to have them available for free. And don’t worry, you can still access these if you are outside of Australia! And speaking of Aussie newspapers, the Ryerson Index is an amazing resource indexing death notices in Australian newspapers, all the way up to current day. And don’t forget to see what is available on Google Books or Internet Archive, especially if you are looking for more general history items. Although, you’d be surprised at the kinds of documents your ancestors popped up in, so who knows what hidden treasures you might find in these locations. There are no doubt more free resources accessible around the world, so do do a bit of research to see what is available to you. Slide into my DMs if you want some help with Australian resources! VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, MUSEUM, HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR ARCHIVES Make use of your local library’s genealogy section and access their collection of books, magazines, and research guides. Most libraries have a fabulous selection of family history guides and local histories, which can be particularly helpful if your family has lived in your area for several generations. Many libraries also provide free access subscription-based websites like Ancestry and MyHeritage, meaning you’ll be able to access a selection of records you would otherwise need a your own subscription for. I’ve even found a few libraries here in Australia offering a lot of interesting and fun webinars and social sessions online via Zoom, so also think about searching a little further afield than just your local library. I've found Eventbrite super helpful for this. And don’t forget about your local history museum, historical society or archives. They will have an amazing collection of items that you can request copies of or access to. It’s important to note that there may be a research/copy fee attached to these locations, or even a membership fee. These fees are usually pretty affordable, and sometimes getting a membership means you have free access to even more information. JOIN A GENEALOGY OR HISTORICAL SOCIETY In the same ballpark as the previous point, a genealogical or historical society is a super valuable group to be a part of. Joining a genealogy society can provide access to resources and expertise that can help you in your research. Many of these societies offer access to databases and libraries, as well as workshops and events, and an ability to network with fellow genealogy enthusiasts. Membership tiers usually vary, and while the initial cost may seem like a lot, you can certainly get a lot of bang for your buck in a good society. While not every town or region has a genealogical society, there are larger societies - like the Society of Australian Genealogists - who still offer a great deal of resources for those further afield, especially in the day and age of online archives and webinars. Do a bit of research and see what is available to you and if you can budget for it - most societies have discounts for students, pensioners and families, and many may also have payment plans to help make things a little easier. And if your area is lacking a genealogical society, maybe you could consider trying to start one… TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE TRIALS & PROMOTIONS Keep your eyes peeled for free trials and promotions offered by a variety of genealogy websites. Most platforms offer a free trial, usually seven days, that you can take advantage of and cancel before the full subscription kicks in. Of course, you can really only do this once, but it offers a good chance to have an intense research session if you plan accordingly. Many platforms also periodically offer limited-time access to their databases, or a set selection of records. For example, Ancestry is usually pretty good at offering these promotions - convict records around Australia Day, military records around Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, Irish records around St Patrick’s Day, marriage records around Valentine’s Day, etc. I absolutely LOVE these short periods of access and getting to focus solely on those records for my tree. And usually by the time the promotion rolls around again, more records have been added to their collection so there’s even more things to discover. Make sure you’ve subscribed to the email updates from these websites so you can be notified when free-access periods are coming up, as well as following them on social media. Sometimes these access-periods can pop up out of nowhere and be super limited, so it’s important to be on the look out all the time! SOMETIMES, YOU DON’T NEED THE FULL RECORD For some records, you’ll obviously need to pay for individual copies, like birth, death and marriage certificates. And while this is a fee you’re going to have to bite the bullet and pay, you don’t necessarily have to purchase all these records for every single person on your tree. What I mean is - the index information can usually be substantial enough to not warrant a copy of the document. Especially for collateral ancestors. For direct ancestors, by all means purchase these records, but the further out you research, it may not be necessary to spend money on the full document. At least not right away. And in some cases, if you wait long enough, the record will be digitised and become available anyway. A lot of archives are working towards having their indexes and collections available online, like the National Archives of Australia and their focus on military records. So if you can make do with just the index information, hold off on making a purchase for the time being. It’s also super important to not make too many, or any, unnecessary record purchases. Obviously, some records need to be seen in full in order to determine if they are connected to you or not, but it’s important to try and hold-off and see if you can use other resources and information to help confirm whether the record is for your ancestor. You’ll save yourself a lot of money if you wait until you’re absolutely certain about a record, or until you’ve exhausted any other way to confirm or deny. LIMIT THE SCOPE OF YOUR FOCUS Instead of trying to research your entire family tree at once, focus on one branch, one line or one generation at a time. This approach allows you to allocate your time and resources more effectively, preventing information overload and unnecessary expenses. This can be particularly helpful if you are taking advantage of free trials and limited-time promotions - you’ll get a lot more valuable work done in a short period of time if you limit the scope of your focus. For me, while I do sometimes narrow my research down to a particular branch, I’ve focused a lot on my ancestors who lived in Australia. With so many different databases and archives to search here, it’s been good to focus solely on the resources I know how to navigate (and that, for the most part, are free to access). GET ONLINE & CONNECT WITH OTHERS Whether you join a genealogical or historical society or not, another super important way to connect with the wider genealogical community is to get active online. Just because we are researching our own family trees, it doesn’t mean that genealogy needs to be a solitary hobby. Forums, Facebook groups, Discord servers, or just general genealogy communities on different platforms provide an excellent opportunity for networking and collaboration. Many people within these groups are willing to offer their time to look-up information that they may have access to - maybe they have a subscription or own books of interest. And you may be able to reciprocate with resources you have access to. By sharing information and resources, you can benefit from the collective knowledge and experiences of fellow researches. And who knows, you may be able to connect with distant relatives who are open to an exchange of information! There are a tonne of Facebook groups that either focus on geographical areas (like Genealogy In Australia) or surnames (like Gosper and Connecting Families), so make sure you do a search for any that may be of interest or connected to you. Reddit has a great little general genealogy community. And for GenZ, The Treehouse is a fantastic Discord server to connect with fellow GenZ genealogists. And of course, there are a heap of amazing genealogy social media accounts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube - like Uncovering Family History - that you can, and should, be following! Genealogy doesn’t have to break the bank, and if you focus on what you can access for free or for a very small fee, you’ll be surprised by just how much information you can uncover. All the while, you’ll be saving up those valuable dollars to one day splurge on purchasing records or getting a subscription. What free resources have you come across and found super valuable? Happy researching! Victoria :) Genealogy Document Bundle
A$10.00
Get a handle on your family history research and recording with our Genealogy Digital Download Bundle! Packed with essential tools and resources, this bundle is designed to help you piece together your ancestry, create a detailed record of you family’s history, and keep track of your research. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogists or just getting started on this wonderful journey, this bundle has something for everyone. BUNDLE CONTENTS
All files are formatted as fillable PDFs (except the Circular Generation Chart) for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Australian Genealogy Document Bundle with two extra documents for Australia-specific records and research. Australian Genealogy Bundle
A$12.00
Get a handle on your family history research and recording with our Genealogy Digital Download Bundle! Packed with essential tools and resources, this bundle is designed to help you piece together your ancestry, create a detailed record of you family’s history, and keep track of your research. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogists or just getting started on this wonderful journey, this bundle has something for everyone. BUNDLE CONTENTS
All files are formatted as fillable PDFs (except the Circular Generation Chart) for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Genealogy Document Bundle without the two Australia-specific documents. Genealogy Record Templates
A$5.00 - A$7.00
Give the historic records in your collection a refresh with record templates that make it easier to read and extract information from important documents. While it’s great to have the original record, you cannot deny that they can be difficult to decipher - these templates allow you to transcribe these documents to make the information easier to ascertain and share with others. PRE-MADE TEMPLATES:
CUSTOM TEMPLATES If you’re seeking a template for a particular historical document, record, or event not covered by the pre-made options mentioned above, there is the option to request custom templates in the drop-down menu. Once purchased, we will be in touch to request a digital copy of the document you would like a template for. Template creation time varies depending on the complexity of the template, the current work-load, and the general ups & downs of life. We will endeavor to complete the template within a week. Please note that the records need to be in English. All templates will be fillable PDF files, where possible, and will be emailed to the address provided at the time of purchase - please allow at least a full business day for pre-made templates to be sent out. **This is NOT a transcription service - the templates are provided for YOU to transcribe your own records.** Family Group Record & Ancestor Timeline Bundle
A$2.50
Uncover your family’s intricate history and organise your genealogical research with precision using our Family Group Record and Ancestor Timeline templates! These templates offer a structured approach to documenting family relationships and tracing the chronological timeline of your ancestor’s lives. CONTENT Family Group Record: Capture essential family unit details, including births, marriages, and deaths; spouses and children; significant life events, and a space to include a photo of your ancestors. Ancestor Timeline: Visualise and map the significant milestones and events in your ancestor’s lives, creating a chronological sequence of important life events and cross-referencing that information with sources and records. All files are formatted as fillable PDFs for convenience, but also work well when printed and filled in by hand. Instant download after purchase. Also available: Genealogy Document Bundle and Australian Genealogy Document Bundle with even more useful templates to help with your research and recording. |
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