Genealogy
with David W Weatherill

AGCI records

An article in the latest Society of Australian Genealogists in Sydney (SAG) electronic newsletter noted that this Sydney genealogical society will be bringing out on CD the existing AGCI records currently on microfiche in the near future. This will be a great reference aid for family historians.
Just what is AGCI? AGCI stands for the Australasian Genealogical Computer Index. The Society of Australian Genealogists accepted the overall responsibility for coordinating the AGCI project after a meeting at SAG on 16 September 1984, that looked at the concept of AGCI where it was endorsed and approved by a representative group of delegates from genealogical societies and other organisations.
AGCI contains an index of records which are held by the participating organisations. These records were continually forwarded to SAG over the years following the setting up of the project with these records being added to a computer database and then published in microfiche formation. Over the years a number of upgrades were provided (and sold) with each update coming out as a specific series. Series 3 came out in 1996 and contained information from 24 societies around Australia and New Zealand. Participating organisations were provided with a set of each microfiche as a set cost, but they are available for purchase by interested groups/people. The GSV holds these series of microfiche.
AGCI contains records regarding: cemetery indexes (many previously unindexed), shipping records, newspaper records, genealogical society journals, military, early volumes of the NSW Government Gazettes, but a large proportion of the data is on cemetery records. It is arranged in name alphabetical order, so you can search mainly by specific name only via the microfiche. The new CD should allow for searching of the records on a number of fields. To quote from the AGCI introduction: "Each entry in AGCI relates to an event in connection with an individual, eg birth, death, etc. The entry for the person, to whom the event relates, is the primary entry."
The data is recorded under a number of headings:
• The surname and given name of the person to whom the entry relates.
• The place where the event occurred.
• The date of the event.
• Whether the entry is a cross-reference.
• What type of record contains the entry.
• The exact reference for the entry.
If you locate a record that is of value to you, you can check the reference, ie who holds the complete record and if needed get in touch with the group for further details. It is important when using the microfiche (and the new CD when it comes out) to read the introduction regarding AGCI. It provides detailed information on the Index. But, you must remember that AGCI is only an ‘Index’, not the full details.
Check out with the your local library, family history society, etc to see if they hold the AGCI microfiche. Remember that the GSV does hold AGCI and a number of the records that are part of the Index. The index currently costs $247.50 to purchase as microfiche. The CD is currently being offered at a cheaper pre-publication price from SAG.

Good luck with your research. If you do have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Also if you have any topics or areas that you would like me to address in future columns, please let me know. You can contact me either by email at dww@tpg.com.au or phone or write to me care of The Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc, Level 6, 179 Queen Street, Melbourne 3000, phone 9670 7033.