Family History

Clarence Regional Library offer a range of free services to support you with your family history and genealogy research.

This collection covers a broad range of materials including:

  • locally published items
  • local historic newspapers on microfilm - available Grafton, Bellingen and Yamba libraries
  • early electoral rolls
  • parish maps
  • indexes
  • oral histories (including Amplify)
  • NSW State Archives Resource Kit (ARK) - available Grafton Library

Online Resources

Ancestry Library Edition  Ancestry-library-logo.png

Ancestry is an online research database providing a comprehensive collection of genealogical information including Census, Church, Court and Immigration records. Some resources from Australia and the UK are included.

Access Ancestry in the library

View Tutorial on how to use Ancestry Library Edition

Find My Past  Findmypast-logo-coral.png

Trace your ancestry and build a family tree by researching extensive birth records, census data, obituaries and more.  Access Find My Past in the library

View Tutorial on how to use Find My Past

Get started on your family history research

Mackey Archives

The Mackey Archives collection and reading room is located in the Grafton Library is available Monday to Thursday 10:00am-3.00pm (by appointment only). To visit please book at least one working day in advance by calling (02) 6641 0111.

This collection has been donated by local Historian and genealogist Nola Mackey and is one of the largest collection of north coast NSW local history resources.

NSW Birth, Deaths & Marriage

Allows searches of the indexes and online ordering of certificates.

Search BDM

Ryerson Index

The Ryerson Index is a free index to death notices appearing in Australian newspapers. The date range covered extends from the Sydney Gazette of 1803 up to newspapers published within the last week or so. The Index also includes many funeral notices, and some probate notices and obituaries.

Search Ryerson Index

IHR NSW Family History Documents Service

This website provides you with images of historical documents which contain information which can help you trace people who lived and worked in New South Wales during the period 1850 - 1930.

The service provides records in the following categories - Directories, Electoral Rolls, Miners and Mining Leases, Land Purchasers and Lessees, Farmers, Graziers, Shearers and Station Hands, Other Occupations Including Civil Servants, Teachers etc., Voters, Petitioners, Friendly Society Members etc.

Over 30,000 pages of online records for family history research in New South Wales, Australia.

Click to access

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