South Australia
Sands Mc Dougall online directories at State Library of South Australian
1864-1899
1900-1973
Just click on the year required, put surname in search box then click on the results to view the page. Click on the page to zoom in.
Great for finding addresses and movements of people or businesses
Advertiser Funeral Notices - periods between 1970 - 2013 online
Remember the date is when the funeral notice appears in the paper so death date will be one or two days prior
The following websites have relevance to South Australia
Adelaide Cemeteries Authority
This Authority administers West Terrace, Cheltenham, Enfield and Smithfield Memorial Park.
Burial registers for these cemeteries are now online.
Adelaide City Archives
Discover more about what is in the Archives. Explore the archival holdings of the City of Adelaide using this innovative Web-based system that gives you on-line access to those record items that have been catalogued in the Archives' electronic database.
Note that to date approximately 40% of the Archives' holdings have been entered into this system. The remainder, which can be accessed through the Archives paper-based finding aids, is being progressively added to the database as older material is converted from existing systems
Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group
Location Salisbury. Contact details and database of families being researched by members.
Adelaide Street Names 1837
These 63 names for the Streets and Squares of Adelaide were bestowed by a committee on the 23rd May 1837, two months after the first land sales in Adelaide had taken place. They represent, except in a few cases, founders, friends and promoters of South Australia. Some of the pioneer/founders had laboured for over 6 years to establish the colony. Comprehensive details of those that the streets were named in honour of.
Anglicare Church of England Homes
Homes were run by independent boards of management with a Church of England philosophy. In1981 The Church of England became known as the Anglican Church. Records are held at the Anglican Archives, State Library of South Australia, Mitchell Library (Sydney) and in private hands. All access conditions and contact details appear at the end of the section. Information on the following Homes -
The Babies Home, Walkerville
Farr House
Girls Friendly Society Lodge
Hostel of the Holy Name
The House of Mercy
Karingal Youth Hostel
Kennion House
Lady Victoria Buxton Girls Club
St Francis House
St Mary’s Mission of Hope
Anglican Social Welfare Bureau
Births, death & marriages before civil registration
Contains searchable database will disclose the known persons recorded in the above records. The version contained herein has been updated to 20 Dec 2005.
Buffalo Passengers
Includes search engine for crew and passengers click here
Burra History
This site has been set-up for those of us that are passionate and dedicated to the preservation and investigation of the history of Burra and it's outlying areas. It is hoped that through an on-line presence we will be able to contact more people interested in Burra history and share the information amongst us. Contains Obituaries, Biographies of Burra Notable citizens, School register for boys and girls in Burra, and much much more.
Catholic Archives
We hold in trust a rich collection of written and pictorial information about the life of the Church in the Archdiocese from its early days to our recent history.
The role of the Office of Archives is to collect, preserve and manage the administrative papers generated by the church through successive archbishops of Adelaide, parishes, diocesan offices and church agencies.
Cemetery - Council records online
Local Government Authorities in South Australia are working to list the burials in the cemeteries under their control.
You can search the whole listing via the form , or go to the individual local authorities links.
Clare Regional History Group
Website contains many Historic Photos of Clare.
The Clare Regional History Group was formed in April 1984. It developed in response to a community-felt need for a Collection to house written and photographic materials relevant to Clare and the surrounding area.
We are happy to carry out research for people who cannot visit Clare. Over the years since the Group was established in 1984, we have answered hundreds of letters asking for help with family and local history research. We try to answer promptly, but given that all our members are volunteers, a busy tourist season or time to sow the wheat crop can cause delays. We aim to promise a maximum wait of two months.
The Group welcomes enquiries by mail, addressed to: The Research Officer, Clare Regional History Group, PO Box 6, Clare, South Australia 5453. Other contact details are given in "Contact details".
Please enclose a self-addressed envelope, and a donation towards the Group's work is always much appreciated. Fees Charged $15 per hour for research carried out, or $3 per entry for BD&M entries transcribed.
Cemetery Search
The searchable database will disclose the known cemeteries in South Australia. The version contained herein has been updated 1 Apr 2007. To secure a search for a transcribed headstone and burial register entry complete the form.
Census 1841
The following searchable database will disclose the names in the South Australian 1841 Census.
The material is arranged into the districts proclaimed in the province at the time.
You can access further information by paying a fee for a single lookup including the purchase of a print of the enumerators' sheet from Adelaide Proformat.
Alternatively, you can purchase a copy of the full census on CD. This product includes a fully searchable index, biographies of many listed people and scanned enumerators' sheets.
Available from Gould Genealogy.
Centennial Park Cemetery
One of the larger cemeteries within the metropolitan area of Adelaide. Has a fully searchable facility via 'Relative Search' button on right hand side of the screen. Gives not only burial location details, but also age at death and last residence as well as expiry of lease date. Click here for list of expired leases 2001-2005 and here for 2006
The Cemetery was established on 8th June 1936, with the enactment in Parliament of Part 19 of the Local Government Act. Initially 40 -acres were proposed to be purchased at an estimated cost of £4,000 ($8,000).
The Park is jointly owned by the councils of Mitcham and Unley and now consists of approximately 40.5 ha (100 acres).
Convent of Mercy, Adelaide Archives
Holdings -
Convent of Mercy: History of the Order 1856-1991, Life of Foundress 1798-1841, Photographs 1831-1991, St Aloysius College: Photographs 1880-1991, School Records 1880-1991, Foundress of Order: Original letters 1838, Early Superiors: Correspondence 1880-1990, Cunningham inheritance: Maps, Plans 1920, Convent of Mercy: Illustrated manuscripts 1904, Lives of nuns 1856-1991.
Court records
The Supreme Court Library that dates from 1837 may also hold records of interest to family historians. Of particular interest are Supreme Court judges' notebooks dating from the 1840s. The notebooks are often the only surviving record of some court proceedings as a number of early records were subjected to sampling a number of years ago.
Crooks, Cops and Victims 1838, 1839, 1849, 1850
The following searchable database will disclose the names persons associated with crimes as listed in the South Australian Government Gazettes of 1838, 1839, 1849 and 1850.
This data is particularly useful in disclosing residents in the earliest days of the colony. In the period 1841-1846 there was no assisted emigration and so the arrivals have no records in shipping material. Using resources such as the Gazettes aids researchers in determining residence. Of course not everyone was involved in crime but it covers all classes of people and is a resource that should be used in concert with other documentation being generated at the time.
Cultivators 1840
The following searchable database will disclose the names in the official returns of the country sections of the colony under cultivation. This is a useful supplement to the 1841 Census and will add significant details to the data about individuals. The database contains enough information to allow you to identify the person of interest.
You can access further information as shown in this table by paying a fee for a transcription of the original data from Adelaide Proformat. You may prefer to order to whole database on CD from from Gould Genealogy.
Directories
State Library now has SA Directories online
Directories
The searchable indexes on this family history site are provided as free resource to family history / family tree researches.
The aim of this site is to encourage the research of genealogy, family history and family trees. Family history and genealogy encompasses the lives and ancestry of individuals and families.
Reward yourself with amazing discoveries while researching your family history. Discover your family history today.
To access the databases on this site, please log in.
If you do not have a username and password then you will need to register.
Registration is free and all you need is a valid e-mail address, login name, password and your name.
Howell's Directory for the City of Adelaide - 1858
1870 Professional, Mercantile, and Trades Directory of Adelaide
Motor Cycle Ownership index for South Australia in the year 1910
Car Ownership index for South Australia in the year 1910
District Councils
To find information about each Council and remote communities, including a link to local websites, click on the Council name. If you don't know which Council you are looking for, enter an address or suburb/town name in the search function.
Family History SA
Were your ancestors pioneers of South Australia? Find out by searching our early shipping passenger lists and marriage records. Did they go to the gold fields in the 1850s? Maybe they purchased South Australian land in the 1870s or 80s? Your ancestry questions may be answered by the free databases, informative articles and genealogy resources.
Farm Apprentices (British 1913-14)
172 British youths aged 15 to 19 arrived in South Australia to participate in the State Government's farm apprentice scheme during 1913-14, before the First World War interrupted.
They were predecessors to the better known 1,400-plus 'Barwell Boys' who arrived during 1922-24 and 125-odd 'Little Brothers' who emigrated in 1927-28.
This website shares their stories.
Flinders Ranges Research
Hint - turn down the volume, music plays throughout th site.
Research inquiries are free of any charges if the information is held on record at Flinders Ranges Research.
Small research jobs are charged at a rate of $25 per hour. You determine the number of hours.
Large research contracts are negotiable.
General Registry Office
The General Registry Office currently located at 39 Carrington Street Adelaide was established as a Records Office to administer the Registration of Deeds Act in South Australia.
Material held in the collection can be summarised as follows:
• Registrations of deeds executed.
• Enrolments from original deeds or Deposits of original deeds and plans.
• Real Property Act application packets containing original general law deeds.
• Wills involving land before Feb 1892.
Historical Societies in South Australia
This list is not exhaustive, but includes organisations which are particularly concerned with the history of local areas, the preservation of specific locations, buildings and historic sites, or the operation of historical museums.
The list is organised according to Local Government Area (LGA).
How to access electoral rolls
Site gives details of where to access particular electoral rolls.
The Electoral Roll is a list of people entitled to vote. In Australia there are two parallel systems and a Commonwealth electorate is called a Division and within the state they are known as Districts.
Each electoral roll contains names and addresses. Rolls prior to 1980 also include sex and occupation.
Land Titles Office
The information available within the register book maintained by the Registrar-General contains a wealth of information on South Australia's history.
Most of this historical information is accessible only in manual, hard copy form at the Customer Service Centre, Ground Floor, 101 Grenfell Street, Adelaide.
By accessing the historical information of the register book customers can research the history of a particular piece of land or even find out about land owned by their ancestors. In fact, genealogists often access the register book for this purpose.
Land Title search - free download of historical land titles - New !!!
Log in as Guest user
At top of page click on Land search drop down to historical search
Enter address
Acknowledge terms & conditions and order
Click on parent title which then comes to a pdf file and you can download and save to your computer
Also searchable by name but more difficult as you need to manually look through alphabetically scanned documents.
LDS Church Family History Centres
There is little doubt that the services offered at LDS Church Family History Centres are one of the better ways to progress your ancestry beyond South Australia and especially Europe. There are a few issues that researchers should take into account when using these facilities or the online service.
Lonely graves
The searchable database will enable users to access known lonely grave sites in South Australia. To find more information about the grave you need to purchase the CD (2nd Ed) from Gould Genealogy or visit an appropriate library and access the CD (make sure it is the 2nd Ed). The version contained herein has been updated to 1 Apr 2007. Entries marked New or Updated can only be accessed by contacting Adelaide Proformat. To secure a details about other listed burials complete the form.
Lutheran Church Archives
The Lutheran Archives is the official repository of historical material relating to the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA). It holds records of the present LCA, as well as records of the earlier Lutheran Synods in Australia which in time amalgamated to form the present LCA.
Most records are available for inspection. (Some records have closed or restricted access. Private records of church departments which are less than 30 years old are generally not open for research, unless special permission is gained.)
The Archives has a limited collection of items from the Lutheran Church of New Zealand. (If further details are required, researchers can contact the President of the Lutheran Church New Zealand, or the Archives collection at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.)
Naturalisations
You can search this list by typing a surname into the field.
The National Archives of Australia holds the naturalisation records for South Australia and these have been microfilmed and are available in South Australia at the National Archives office, the State Library and the SA Genealogy & Heraldry Society Library. State Records also has some limited records relating to naturalisation.
Newspapers
Newspapers are the great untapped resource for family historians. Unfortunately they are many and rarely indexed. Their nature does not lend them to successful electronic scanning with OCR facilities and therefore they remain relatively unused.
Family historians will find two particularly useful sections within newspapers:
• personal notices and particularly births, deaths, marriages and funeral notices
• obituaries
If you locate a name of interest you can obtain further details on the entry via Adelaide Proformat's lookup services. Go to online BDM lookup service and select from the menu under Other records available in the Civil Registration Era. You can chose to see the newspaper reference only and locate the entry for yourself OR you can seek a transcription with photocopy of the item.
Parish registers
Parish registers are the major source of records predating civil registration which started in mid 1842 in South Australia. They are also useful for those vital events not registered after 1842 or to confirm the accuracy of a registration. Many Catholics and Scots did not register births prior to 1875 and a significant number of deaths went unregistered. The latter can be checked on this web site. I could be expected that some weddings were not reported as well.
You can search the database by place and/or denomination
Photographers
Many people mistakenly think that the photography process has been around for a very long time. This is of course untrue and indeed the pictures in your 19th century album are unlikely to predate the 1860s. Photography was very expensive and largely restricted to studio portraits in the early days. The advent of the Brownie camera and celluloid film in the 1890s was the dawn of home snap shots and unfortunately the end of the attributes in photographs that allow quite accurate dating of your collection.
Pioneer Ships to arrive in South Australia 1836 - 1843
Details of ships, number of passengers, departure & arrival etc.
Pioneers Association of South Australia
Contains early history of SA and lists of ships 1836-1845 with arrival & departure dates.
Probate registry
One of the roles of the Supreme Court of South Australia is to make orders in relation to the validity of a Will of a deceased person, appoint an executor or an administrator, and the administration of a deceased estate. The Probate Registry is the registry of the court which deals with applications for grants of probate or administration and other related matters. The registry keeps a register of probates and administrations granted by the court.
Remote graves
The following searchable database lists some very remote deaths for which expected remote graves have yet to be located. The version contained herein has been updated to 1 Apr 2007.
SA GenWeb
Database search engines available.
The SAGenWeb project is a genealogy hub and transcript depot for those researching ancestors and descendants in the State of South Australia. The project is part of the AustraliaGenWeb, which in turn is part of the broader WorldGenWeb Project.
SA Memory
SA Memory focuses on the South Australian experience - what makes South Australia different. Developed by the State Library of South Australia, this multimedia website highlights South Australia's people, places, issues and events from the colony's beginnings to now.
Manuscripts, photographs, art works, architectural plans, posters, newspaper articles, printed ephemera, maps, and sound recordings - you'll find a wide range of archival and published items, building a rich picture of the state's culture and heritage.
SA Police Historical Society
South Austrailian Police Historical Society
Official Web site containing historical
infomation about:- Foot Police, Mounted Police, Arms & Weapons, Gold Escorts, Women Police, Early Uniforms, Commisioners, Newletters and Museaum Galleries. Research available
SA TEACHERS 1852 - 1906
Searchable database by Surname, ID Number or Service Year.
Shipping 1836-1851
[The databases will allow you to access details on vessels arriving in South Australia.
The records are divided into specific periods which corresponds to the emigration schemes available at the time:
Shipping lists 1847 - 1855 - view and download the original documents now online with State Records
These official passenger lists record emigrants selected by the Colonization Commissioners, London, whose passages were paid for out of the Emigration Fund. The lists typically give passengers' names, and most give ages, occupation and marital status, while some give county of origin. Not all lists have survived.
South African or Boer War
A total of sixty-one men died and their names with one exception are recorded on the South African War Memorial at the front gate of Government House Adelaide. The exception being, Breaker Morant who was executed by a British Firing Squad for war crimes. To see a full list of men and nurses with their details just select a contingent number in the search engine facility.
South Australian Databases
Search the State Library of South Australia databases here. By simply entering a surname, results of information held by the State Library appear. Some contain 'snipits' of information held.
South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society
Has searchable indexes for the following
South Australian Birth Deaths and Marriages
Deaths & Burials
SA Deaths (Newspaper deaths updated 1st February 2008)
These searchable databases are Indexes. They are Finding-Aids to the records on the Society’s library computers. They include the Cemetery Index, Newspaper Deaths and Government Gazette databases.
Officers can often put you in touch with local history groups, individuals interested in history in the community and folk museums.
South Australian Migrant Shipping 1836 - 1860
This list was compiled from Ronald Parson's 1988 edition of Migrant Ships for South Australia 1836-1860.
South Australian Newspapers
List is loaded with names of newspapers in the area and the years they were published.
South Australians listed in the 1881 UK Census
This list has isolated only those entries which clearly identify the individual as born in South Australia. Further research is underway searching the GRO Indexes to confirm the birth was indeed in South Australia. While this is relatively easy for males and children, it is a longer process for married women, especially those who married outside South Australia. Enter name into search engine.
State Records
The City Research Centre is located in the centre of the City of Adelaide close to the Adelaide Railway Station. Records may be ordered in advance for viewing, with twice daily deliveries from the Gepps Cross Repository.
The Gepps Cross Research Centre is located 10 km north of the City of Adelaide. Free parking and a lunchroom are located on site.
The State Records Archival Collection is held at our Gepps Cross site. Should you wish to order and view a large number of original records, we recommend you visit the Gepps Cross Research Centre for more efficient retrieval service. Also, some original records, because of their fragile nature, size or format, can only be viewed at the Gepps Cross Research Centre.
Unregistered deaths
The searchable database lists known unregistered deaths in South Australia. To find more information about the death record you need to purchase the CD from Gould Genealogy or visit an appropriate library and access the CD. The version contained herein has been updated to 1 Apr 2007. Entries marked N (new) or U (updated) can only be accessed by contacting Adelaide Proformat. To secure a details about other listed deaths complete the form.
CD's
The following CD's are well worth purchasing if you have the funds.
Biographical Index of South Australians The South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society, decided in 1980 to publish a permanent record of people who lived in South Australia during the first 50 years of colonisation (1836-1885) to coincide with the State’s Jubilee 150 year - 1986.
The result was the 4 volume set - Biographical Index of South Australians 1836-1885 edited by Jill Statton. A further 4 years of work resulted in the publication in 1990 of 2 more volumes of biographical information - as South Australians 1836-1885, edited by Jan Thomas. Both have been long out of print and now command high prices if they ever come onto the second hand market.
Now Archive CD Books Australia, in partnership with the South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society Inc, has reissued both these sets - six volumes in all - as a facsimile of the original on a 2 CD set.
Cyclopedia of South Australians The Cyclopedias that were published for most states of Australia around the beginning of the 20th Century are a vast resource of historical and biographical information on the state concerned - the people, towns, industries, professional, commercial and social institutions and much more.
They include thousands of illustrations, the larger number of these being portraits of those whose biographies are included. These are not just the rich and famous, but include a high percentage of the ordinary citizens in each community.
This CD includes facsimile images of the entire two volumes of the original 1907-1909 edition.
Download the index and view sample pages
Aldine History of South Australians Following on from the success of both the Aldine History of Queensland and the Aldine History of New South Wales, South Australia was next for W. Frederic Morrison. Published in 1890 in two volumes which total over 1000 pages, these rare volumes contain a comprehensive and well illustrated record of South Australia at the time. The first volume is divided into thirty-two chapters and covers topics including the early explorers, geography, aborigines, flora and fauna, education, religion, recreations, as well as primary and secondary resources, governors of South Australia and the Constitution. Volume two has one more chapter which concludes the history section. This is then followed by about 400 pages of biographies of early South Australians.
These include biographies of many in Adelaide as well as 71 country regions around the state. There are 143 illustrations, many in colour of people and scenes around South Australia. The biographies often include information such as name, year born, place born, when they emigrated, and usually their working life, and other interesting tidbits.
This valuable resource of South Australian history and biographies is a must for all with an interest in the early history of this colony and the families represented.
Loyaus South Australian Biographies 'Representative Men of South Australia' and 'Notable South Australians' are a pair of books containing brief biographies of great South Australian colonialists, written by George E. Loyau in 1883 and 1885 respectively.
A total of five hundred and fifty-four biographies of founders and pioneers of South Australia are included in these two books. They cover people in numerous different walks of life and range in length and detail. The books include information on their early life, their career, their role in South Australia's development and their families as well as other relevant information. Some biographies are accompanied by portrait drawings.
These books are useful for anyone interested in early South Australia and its most influential people.
Notable South Australians Published in 1885, 'Notable South Australians' is the second of a pair of books containing brief biographies of great South Australian colonialists, written by George E. Loyau.
Two hundred and eighty-seven biographies of founders and pioneers of South Australia are included in this book. They cover people in several different walks of life and range in length and detail. The book includes information on their early life, their career, their role in South Australia's development and their families as well as other relevant information. Some biographies are accompanied by portrait drawings.
This book is useful for anyone interested in early South Australia and its most influential people.
This Book is also available as a set with 'Representative Men of South Australia'. Click here for further details.
Download Index and free sample
Pastoral Pioneers of South Australia Compiled over a number of years, the 'Pastoral Pioneers of South Australia' is a compilation of articles that were first produced by The Adelaide Stock and Station Journal as as series of biographical sketches from 1923 to 1927.
This two volume set contains approximately 300 biographies of South Australia's Pastoral Pioneers and Old Colonists. The Foreword claims that '... this is the most comprehensive collection of biographies ever produced in relation to the pastoral industry of any state'.
A photograph accompanies each entry, as well as extensive biographical details. This publication follows the guideline of regarding persons who arrived in South Australia prior to December 28, 1846 (the tenth anniversary of the proclamation of the Province) as "Pioneers," while those who arrived subsequently to that date and prior to December 28, 1856, were termed "Old Colonists."
A large percentage of the entries in these volumes contain previously unpublished information. Much of this was supplied by descendants and old friends of those listed, including details and stories that would have otherwise gone unknown.
A significant and valuable record of the early pioneers and pastoralists who helped make South Australia what it is today.