Family history
We hold records that 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 Queensland State Archives (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.
Getting started
To start your family history research, gather as much information as you can from other sources, including full names, dates of birth, and place of residence.
- Read more about getting started researching at QSA.
Finding records
Explore the collection
Find information about records on:
- Immigration—including ship passenger lists, land orders (land issued to immigrants), passports and naturalisations.
- Schools, hospitals and orphanages—including admission registers for many state schools, health and healthcare records, and admission and other records for orphanages and reformatories.
- Courts—including wills, divorces, inquests, insolvency and police gazettes.
- Lands—including registers of lands, pastoral holdings, leases and maps.
- Government—including state electoral rolls, civil servants and 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.
Research guides
Read our research guides on:
Where else can I look?
- Your local library
- Queensland Family History Society
- Genealogical Society of Queensland
- Other archives or libraries
Contact us
Contact us if you if need more help.