Family history

Our libraries have a wide range of resources to discover your family history. Most of these resources are at Gordon Library, where our staff are happy to help with your research.

Find out more about our Local History Collection and historical photo galleries from our four branch areas.

Getting started

If you’re new to family history, you might feel overwhelmed by the resources available. Before you get started, consider how much you’d like to know. Are you looking for information on a specific family member? Do you want to trace your direct line back to your great grandparents’ arrival in Australia?

The library offers plenty of books and online resources showing how to plot your family tree. Write down what you already know and ask your relatives for more information. Once you’ve found the gaps in your knowledge, it’s time to delve into the records.

Online resources

Ku-ring-gai Library catalogue

State Library of NSW

State Records NSW

NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages

National Archives of Australia

Society of Australian Genealogists

Ancestry.com

Join a family history research group

Members of family history societies are all active researchers who have been around the block and are happy to point you in the right direction.

Ku-ring-gai Historical Society

Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Family History Society - 9875 2843

Arthur Phillip Chapter of the Fellowship of the First Fleeters

History of your house 

Ku-ring-gai has an outstanding number of unique, quality houses designed by many of Australia’s most distinguished architects.

Get started by downloading the guide below. It contains local tools, resources and hints to help you trace the history of your Ku-ring-gai house.

How to trace the history of your Ku-ring-gai house worksheet(PDF, 270KB)

Ku-ring-gai Library also has a vast range of resources to help you research your house.

Online resources

Search Ku-ring-gai Library catalogue

NSW Land Registry Services

State Library of NSW

State Records NSW

National Archives of Australia

Sydney Living Museums

View Housing-in-Ku-ring-gai-brochure-1986-Robert-Staas-Ku-ring-gai-Historical-Society-Ku-ring-gai-Library(PDF, 2MB)

More information 

Contact Gordon Library on 9424 0120 or localstudies@krg.nsw.gov.au.