Aboriginal people looking into family history
Beginning your search
You can search open classified records in our online catalogue.
We also provide copies of relevant material to Aboriginal people investigating their personal and family history.
What can I apply for?
We hold a variety of information and copies of records that relate
to the personal histories of Aboriginal people including:
- station and
mission files
- correspondence
- personal and family files
We
also have access to several external collections
that are utilised in responding to family history applications.
Why these records exist
In Western Australia, successive state government agencies controlled
the lives of Aboriginal people from 1905 until citizenship rights were
granted in the late 1960s. The State Government kept administrative
records detailing the lives of many Aboriginal
people during this period. The documents are critically important and
provide an insight into how the policies of the time impacted on
individuals and provide an insight into a miserable chapter in Western
Australian history.
Genealogy
Part of the service offered is to provide eligible Aboriginal applicants with a researched genealogy if possible.
Applying for information
To apply for a copy of all records relating to your
family, fill in the family history application form
available from and return it to the department with a
photocopy of approved ID.
Do I need to be the oldest person in my family to apply?
To apply for access to your records you must be of the oldest
generation in your family or have the consent of the oldest living
member. This means that if you have a living parent or grandparent, they
will need to sign a consent form. The policy
does not discriminate between siblings, therefore brothers and sisters
have equal right and access to the records. If you require the consent
from a family member please arrange for them to sign the consent form
that is available in the online application
and provide a photocopy of their ID.
What sort of ID is acceptable?
We accept any form of official identification, however the common ones provided are listed below:
- Driver’s license
- Passport
- Medicare card
- Centrelink card
- Health Care Card
- A letter confirming their identification from a Justice of the Peace (JP)
No records relating to my family
Our collection is not exhaustive and often external historical
collections will need to be referred to as well. There are a number of
other organisations that help Aboriginal people researching their family
history.
- <Add list of organisations>