Family history
The records we hold were created and received by government agencies such as courts, government departments and schools. It’s these records that you search when you do your family history at QSA.
Birth, death and marriage records
Birth, death and marriage certificates cannot be searched or viewed at QSA – you can find them at the Registry of Birth, Deaths and Marriages. The State Library of Queensland also hold some early church records of baptisms, marriages and burials.
Where do I start?
To start your family history, gather as much information as you can from other sources, including full names, dates of birth, and place of residence.
Read Start your research for more information about researching at QSA.
How do I find the records?
Explore the collection
In Explore the collection you will find information about records on:
Immigration
Including ship passenger lists; land orders (land issued to immigrants); passports; naturalisations
Schools, hospitals and orphanages
Including admission registers for many state schools; health and healthcare records; admission and other records for orphanages and reformatories
Courts
Including wills; divorces; inquests; insolvency; police gazettes
Lands
Including registers of lands; pastoral holdings; leases; maps
Government
Including state electoral rolls; civil servants; imperial pensions
Search the archives
ArchivesSearch provides access to QSA’s collection of records, including documents, letters, land orders, maps, plans and images. For help searching, read the ArchivesSearch help guide.
More information
Also read our brief guides on:
Where else can I look?
- Your local library
- Queensland Family History Society or the Genealogical Society of Queensland
- Other archives or libraries listed in our Start your research guide
Contact us
Contact us if you if need more help.