Piece together your family history puzzle this August

Family history buffs are in for a treat – August is Family History Month! Bendigo Library will host a wide range of events to entice beginners through to seasoned family history researchers.

Many events have a strong focus on the online tools available to assist with family history research, offering insights into popular websites like Ancestry and Trove, along with other online treasures which may not be so apparent.

Participants will also have the opportunity to unlock the secrets of Public Record Office Victoria (PROV), which holds approximately 100 kilometres of Victorian public records dating from 1830. Record types include immigration, shipping, legal, government, royal commissions, wills, probates and more*, opening up huge scope to help piece together a family history in the making.

“This is the perfect opportunity for anyone who has been thinking about embarking on their family history journey to find out the best way to get started,” said Ms Vivien Newton, Goldfields Libraries Senior Librarian.

“Experienced researchers will also find plenty to hold their interest, including ways to dig a little deeper and extend their knowledge.”

“Most of our events are at Bendigo Library, however this year we also are taking family history on the road with guided tours of online research tools at Castlemaine, Gisborne and Kyneton Libraries,” said Ms Newton.

The Goldfields Libraries eLibrary offers access to a collection of tools useful for family history researchers, including free access to Ancestry and Find My Past for library members. This can be found at: www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au/familyhistory

All Family History Month events are free and most require bookings.

For more information and bookings, visit: www.ncgrl.vic.gov.au/familyhistorymonth

* PROV information source: http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/about-us