Beginning you Family History Journey

Talk! Discuss your family’s history with your relatives, and write down their recollections.

Ask older family members to tell you about their family recollections, ask to see photographs of people and places, and use information from one person to prompt the memory of another. Every name, place, relationship or anecdote may prove useful.

Record! Keep track of all your information in a systematic way that works for you.

Our memories are fallible, and details tend to be forgotten over time. Be diligent, consistent and systematic in recording information while it’s fresh in your mind, and make a note of the source of every item.

Triangulate! Find corroborating evidence for every piece of information.

People’s recollections may be incorrect; even official records such as birth, death or marriage certificates may contain errors; and transcribing records – e.g. from a national census – can introduce errors into the digital indices. Always use original records when available.

Learn & Share! Join a family history society to share your interest and learn from others.

Membership of Family History ACT has many benefits, including using our extensive library of resources. Members have free access to paid subscription sites (e.g. Ancestry, Find my Past and British Newspaper Archives) and to FamilySearch restricted-access digital images. Attending special interest group meetings will also help you develop your research skills.