Fifty-Plus News - Genealogy

Genealogy
with David W Weatherill

Genealogical Research Kit

The Genealogical Research Kit (GRK) is probably one of the least-known and under-used resources by researchers, and material from it can be found in the Genealogical Society of Victoria, the State Library of Victoria, and other family history groups. The following information is not the complete list of material available in the GRK, but a sample to provide an indication of the types of records.

What is the GRK?
The old Archives Office of NSW (AONSW), now the State Archives New South Wales holds the records of the NSW colony and government since the time of the First Fleet. Many of these records can be of great value to both family and local history research. The GRK is a collection of the most popular and most heavily used records from the old Archives Office of NSW.
The GRK contains microform – microfilm and microfiche – and printed records to some of this material. It is based on the records documenting:
• The arrival of convicts,
• Arrivals in the Colonies of New South Wales, Moreton Bay and Port Phillip.
• Departures from the Colony of NSW, 1816-1825
• Assisted and unassisted immigrants,
• Births, death and marriages records,
• Publican licences, naturalisation, land grants,
• Orphans,
• Public servants in NSW,
• 1828 Census Householders’ Returns,
• Electoral rolls.
The GRK was made available in four stages. Each stage contained microform material and printed material. Researchers planning to use the material should read the information booklet provided with the Kit. This booklet is titled: Information Leaflet 37. How to use the Genealogical Research Kit, State Records NSW, 76 pages.
Registers of B D & M:
One of the best resources in Stage 1 of the kit is the Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages, 1787-1856. This resource is found on 48 rolls of 35mm microfilm. These are the actual certificates of the events.
The registers contain details of baptisms, burials and marriages. Although referred to a the ‘Pre-1856’ or ‘Old Records’, some entries relating to baptisms, burials or marriages up to 1901 are also included. These registers are arranged primarily by Registry Volume Number, Nos. 1-123, using the following breakdown:
Vols 1-44 Church of England
Vols 45-72 Baptisms – all other denominations
Vols 73-101 Marriages – all other denominations
Vols 102-120 Burials – all other denominations
Vols 121-123 Supplementary Registers – baptisms, burials and marriages 1827-1901
In addition, the following microform also contain the following not found in the above:
• Application for marriage licences, 1836–1844
• Church of England baptisms and burials, 1850-1853
• Church Of England baptisms and burials, 1833-1837
Convict records:
The other large area of information within the GRK is the convict records. Some of these records are on microfiche, others on microfilm. The material consists of, but not the full listing, of:
• Convict arrivals, 1788-1842 (also known as Convict Indents)
• Register of Tickets of Leave 29 July 1824 to 8 March, 1827
• Ticket of Leave Butts, 31 March, 1827 to 20 August, 1867.
• Musters and other papers relating to convict ships, 1790-1849
• Convict death register, 1828– 1879
• Wives and families of convicts on bounty ships, 1849-1855.
• Registers of convicts’ application to marry, 1825-1851
• Register of Conditional Pardons, 16 December 1791 – 6 December, 1825
• Registers of Convicts recommended for Conditional Pardons, 6 May 1826 –30 June 1856

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.