Media Release 24 Jul 2012
Raising the dead at the State Library of Western Australia
Skeletons will be streaming out of the closet this National Family History Week from 1 - 3 August, with the State Library promoting its Family History Service and free access to a cache of online resources that a general internet search won’t find!“The State Library of Western Australia has created an easier way to discover lost family stories of the past with its eresources, providing direct 24 hour access to a wealth of historical content including overseas and local newspapers, historical articles and local and international family history links,” says family history specialist Leonie Hayes.
Every WA resident with a State Library membership card can tap into a multitude of free eresources via the Library’s website and, by selecting Family History, be directed to hundreds of years of relevant records. For example, users can access every issue of London’s The Times from 1785 to 2006.
Visitors to the State Library can also enjoy free access to popular subscription databases such as ancestry.com and findmypast.
For the budding family detective there is a free 3-day series of events being run from Wednesday 1 to Friday 3 August. Plus, expert advice and assistance is available onsite from experienced volunteers from the Western Australian Genealogical Society.
According to Leonie Hayes, one of the State Library’s family history specialists: “Unearthing your family history is like putting the flesh on the bones of your ancestors; it can reveal surprising and sometimes moving lost stories that add to an individual’s understanding of who they are.
One client surprised me with the story she had discovered of her 25 year old schoolteacher ancestor in Western Australia who had successfully masqueraded as a man and found employment in the city while her friends and police searched fruitlessly for her and feared she had been murdered.
Using eresources, she discovered that the young woman worked as a steward, cellarman and clerk, and was only discovered when the detective investigating her disappearance was tipped off regarding a ‘decidedly effeminate young man’ who had been conducting an art business in Fremantle.”
National Family History Week at the State Library of Western Australia runs from Wednesday 1 to Friday 3 August, 9.30am – 4.30pm. This is a free event but bookings are essential: (08) 9427 3111.
For a full program go to: www.slwa.wa.gov.au/whats_on/national_family_history_week
For more information, photographs or interviews, please contact Doug George, Manager Public Programs. Tel. (08) 9427 3150 email: doug.george@slwa.wa.gov.au
