Basic Research Fee: $25.00*

*Fee includes: 2 hours’ research time plus a reasonable amount of photocopying if/as necessary.

Payment options:

Mail cheque to PO Box 466, Kyneton VIC 3444 OR

Direct Deposit online transfer to:

CBA, Kyneton | BSB: 06 3517 | Acc. No: 10032044 | Acc. Name: Kyneton Historical Society Inc.

Please mark ‘Research’ and your name in the memo/reference field.

How local histories can help your family history research.

When looking for your ancestors, the more local you can go, often the better the information you can retrieve. It might surprise you to know that despite the digital age we live in family history information is often not readily found online.

Local history groups and the local histories they have access to are a great place to start your search for information on your family history. Local histories and history groups can give you an idea of the area or town as it was ‘back in the day’.

Some helpful questions to ask when researching your Family History.

Below are some helpful questions to get you started:

1. Did the town have a church or two, a hospital, a school? Do records exist?

2. What sporting clubs were there? Are records kept? Old newspapers?

3. What businesses were there?

4. What was the town (or region) best known for … agriculture, shipping, mining, manufacturing etc.?

5. Who were the pioneers of the town?

Sometimes, in local history publications you'll find biographies of the pioneers, which are a valuable resource for historians. Sometimes, there are even advertisements of local businesses from the town. Many such publications and advertisements include photos that show the town as it was in the early days, which is always great to see!

Some societies hold the old local newspapers and these can be a wealth of information, i.e. births, deaths, marriages and obituaries, along with business advertisements, building tenders, sporting write-ups and lots of general ‘chit chat’ that can provide a clue to what your family was involved in or how they lived within the community.

Remember, historical societies, like ours, are entirely run by volunteers and most do not receive any funding, so modest fees-for-research and donations are the only source of income to cover all running costs.

Please be generous when you visit us, our volunteers will appreciate it. And be sure to enjoy the journey to finding out about your ancestors!