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Family History
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Before you start Read about what you should know before you begin.
- Research step-by-step Follow our steps for doing family history research.
- Family history sources Learn about the different sources of family history information.
- Where to get help Access assistance in your state and territory.
Collection
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Search the Collection Search and explore the AIATSIS Collection of more than 1 million items related to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Featured collections Browse some of our featured collections which have been digitised as part of our ongoing preservation work.
- Using the Collection You can search the Collection online or visit the Stanner Reading Room to view or listen to collection items and conduct research.
- Caring for the Collection We have the largest and best contextualised collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage in the world, and it continues to grow.
- Donate to the Collection We welcome donations of unpublished materials relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, culture, knowledge, and experience.
Research
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Current projects Our research contributes to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and has a direct benefit to the communities we work with.
- Ethical research We provide leadership in ethics and protocols for research related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and collections.
- Indigenous Research Exchange We offer research grants for high quality, impactful Indigenous led research.
- Native title research and access service The Native Title Research and Access Service is your first stop for information about the native title resources in the AIATSIS collection.
- Research publications We produce a range of publications and other resources derived from our research.
- Guides and resources We have produced a range of resources, databases and indexes to help you with your research and to find information in our collection.
Education
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Curriculum resources Our world leading curriculum resources are keyed to national curriculum requirements. We also have a range of useful teacher resources within our collection.
- Professional development We will be developing online culturally responsive and racially literate teacher professional development.
- Schools program We will be creating a transformative learning experience for all Australian students and teachers, when visiting Canberra or through on-line training.
What's new
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- News Read all our latest news and media releases.
- Events Find out about all of our upcoming events and conferences.
About
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Connect with us We invite you to connect with us on social media. Join our strong and growing membership and support our foundation.
- What we do We tell the story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and create opportunities for people to encounter, engage and be transformed by that story.
- Who we are We are Australia's only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia.
- Work with us We recognise that our staff and volunteers are our most valuable asset.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains images, voices and names of deceased persons.

Family history worksheets and checklists

Family History Kit

Download (PDF, 1.5MB)

Worksheets and checklists

We have developed a range of worksheets and checklist to help you organise your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family history research. Except for the family trees, all of the worksheets and checklists are available as Word and PDF documents. You can change the Word versions to suit your own needs.

Research plan this worksheet will help you think through what you want to do and how (DOCX, 922.51 KB)
Sources at home this checklist will help you to find information at home and the homes of family members (DOCX, 922.5 KB)
Family member information this worksheet will help you gather and record information about a person in your family tree (DOCX, 922.52 KB)
Biographical outline this worksheet will help you think through what you want to do and how to do it. (DOCX, 921.25 KB)
Family tree two examples of a a family tree that you can enlarge and print (PDF, 322.03 KB)
Records this checklist will help you plan your research and think about the places to find information (DOCX, 921.67 KB)
Contacts log this worksheet will help you keep track of who you have asked for information (DOCX, 921.5 KB)
Research log this worksheet will help you keep track of what you are doing (DOCX, 920.72 KB)
Planning a visit this checklist will help you plan a physical visit to an organisation like AIATSIS (DOCX, 922 KB)

Social and emotional wellbeing information sheets

Sometimes words or images in material can cause sadness or distress, or trigger traumatic memories for people, particularly survivors of past abuse, violence or childhood trauma. There are organisations in each state and territory that offer social and emotional wellbeing support to individuals and families.

New South Wales (PDF, 379KB)
Northern Territory - Alice Springs region (PDF, 376KB)
Northern Territory - Darwin region (PDF, 374KB)
Northern Territory - Katherine region (PDF, 371KB)
Queensland (PDF, 265.89 KB)
South Australia (PDF, 384KB)
Tasmania (PDF, 345KB)
Victoria (PDF, 390KB)
Western Australia - Gascoyne region (PDF, 382KB)
Western Australia - Perth region (PDF, 356KB)