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Aboriginal Family History

 

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Introduction

 

Many indigenous Australians are visiting archives and libraries to search for information about themselves and their ancestors.

The State Records Office contains many records of value to Aboriginal people undertaking family history research. To improve access to these records the State Records Office has undertaken initiatives designed to help Aboriginal people achieve greater ease of access to information that may be of importance for family history research.

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Official Records - Aboriginal Affairs

 

In Western Australia successive State Government agencies controlled the lives of Aboriginal people from 1905 until the latter were granted citizenship rights in the late 1960s. The official records that document this control are of vital significance, particularly for those people who were removed from their families and settled elsewhere in the State.

The State Records Office holds departmental files relating to Aboriginal affairs dating back as far as the 1880s. Before this period records relating to Aboriginal people can be found in the correspondence of the Colonial Secretary’s Office - also held by the State Records Office.

Staff on duty in the State Records Office Search Room are available to assist clients in locating records of relevance to their family history. Most of these records will have subject or locality based titles; i.e. they concern places where Aboriginal people lived, such as missions, pastoral properties, town reserves and institutions (such as Moola Bulla and Moore River). Only a handful of records are personal or family files.

It should be noted that in the case of files created after 1908 prior permission must be obtained from the Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA) to access the records (see information on accessing restricted records here). State Records Office staff can assist clients in completing the necessary application to see the records. Applications are made on special forms that can be obtained from either the State Records Office Enquiry Desk or the DIA Library. Once a request has been approved by the DIA, the records can be examined in the State Records Office Search Room.

For a guide to some of the more notable records relating to Aboriginal people contained within the collection click here.

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Other Official Records

 

Records created by government schools, police stations, courts of law and prisons are important sources of family history information for all people with Western Australian ancestry.

The following areas are of particular relevance to clients interested in researching Aboriginal family history:

Examples of some of the records that may be of interest to clients undertaking research into Aboriginal family history include:

For more examples of Aboriginal records held within the State Records Office collection click here.

Enquiry Desk staff are always happy to advise clients on the use of the numerous finding aids and indexes available in the Search Room to assist clients in locating records of relevance to their family history.

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Helpful Indexes to Personal Names

 

Indexes can provide a short cut to information contained in archival sources or in published material, such as newspapers. Useful indexes to names of Indigenous Western Australians are:

 

The personal history cards are particularly useful, containing information extracted from former Native Welfare personal files held by the Department for Community Development.

Researchers are welcome to consult the State Records Office’s copy of this index at the Search Room Enquiry Desk. To obtain access to the information on these cards you will need to contact the Family History Officer at the Department of Indigenous Affairs.

 

The Index to the Chief Protector of Aborigines Files is now available online and can be downloaded here.

 

Other indexes which may prove useful to clients wishing to undertake Aboriginal family history research include:

All of the indexes above are available from the Reference Shelf in the State Records Office Search Room. Staff at the Search Room Enquiry Desk are happy to assist clients with using these indexes.

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Restricted Aboriginal Records

 

Generally records relating to Aboriginal people created by the Department of Indigenous Affairs and its predecessor agencies are restricted. All records post 1908 are restricted and permission to access these records must be sought from the Department of Indigenous Affairs.

For more information on Accessing Restricted Records click here.

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Reference Queries

 

In some cases State Records Office staff may be able to provide limited research assistance to clients who live outside the Perth metropolitan area and are unable to attend the Search Room in person.

For more information on the State Records Office’s reference query service click here.

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Private Archives

 

Private archives are records that have been donated by non-government organizations (such as churches and benevolent associations), families and individuals. These records can be of significance to Aboriginal people researching their family history, particularly church mission records which can contain vital information on Aboriginal people who have lived in those communities.

Arrangements can be made to view these records in the Battye Library Researchers Room located on the Fourth Floor Mezzanine of the Alexander Library Building. For more information on accessing Private Archives material contact the Battye Library Reference Desk on (08) 9427 3291.

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Useful Contacts for Family History Information

 

Aboriginal people wishing to research their family history should be aware that there are specialist departments within other agencies that may be able to assist them. Of particular importance are:

 

 

The Family Information Records Bureau provides a research service aimed at assisting Aboriginal people to trace their family history.

 

 

The Family History Officer at the DIA’s Aboriginal Family History Information Service can provide expert advice for Aboriginal people undertaking family history research. In particular they are able to provide access to personal history cards.

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Further Information

 

For more information on Aboriginal records held within the State Records Office collection click here.

State Records Office staff at the Enquiry Desk can provide additional information on the range of resources available from within the State Records Office collection that may be of benefit to Aboriginal family history researchers. For more information contact us by telephone on (08) 9427 3360, by facsimile on (08) 9427 3368, via email at sro@sro.wa.gov.au or in person.

 

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