Start Your Family Tree Week - 26 December - 1 January

Day 5 - 30 December

Do you have people in your tree born before 1911? Look them up in the 1911 census. Findmypast is the only place you can search the official, complete 1911 census.

Were your ancestors living with their parents in 1911? If so, add these names to your tree. You’ll be able to work out rough birth dates from their ages in 1911. Use our handy date calculator to help you.

The 1911 census for England and Wales was taken on the night of Sunday 2 April, 1911. The count included all individual households, plus institutions such as prisons, workhouses, naval vessels and merchant vessels, and it also attempted to make an approximate count of the homeless.

Discover vital information about your ancestors such as where they lived, age at the time of the census, Who they were living with, place of birth, occupation and more.

For the first time ever, we’ve made the infirmity column of the 1911 census available for you to view. See how your ancestors reported your family’s illnesses and conditions and the age at which these began. This can provide a revealing insight into the previously censored health of your family in 1911, as well as your ancestors’ views of their relations’ wellbeing.

On the 1911 census transcriptions, you’ll also be able to see any recorded details of children born to women in prison who were aged three or under at the time of the census.

Great news!

We recently reduced the price of viewing our 1911 census records! You can now view an original image for 5 credits (previously 30) and 1911 census transcript for 5 credits (previously 10).

Start Your Family Tree Week 26 December - 1 January

Day One - Boxing Day

Boxing Day is the perfect day to catch up with your family. Make the most of seeing your relatives, especially the older members, and ask them about themselves and other relatives they remember. Discover what life was like for them when they were growing up.

We have created this Family Tree Chart (PDF) for you as great resource. Fill in as much of it as you can, while you’re with your family. It will help guide you through starting your family tree. Once you have filled in this chart, transfer your findings to our free family tree to create a secure online version.

Use our handy Interview Guide (PDF) to guide you and find out as much as you can.

If you’re new to family history then use our Getting Started Guide to help you on your way.

This will be a great day to experience some really informative talks, product demonstrations and the opportunity to talk to others about family history. The event will be held on Wednesday 10 October 2012, 12.30pm - 8.00pm in the Dubbo RSL, cnr Brisbane & Wingewarra Streets, Dubbo.

Experienced genealogist, Rosemary Kopittke will be presenting “Findmypast.com.au: gateway to the world collection”. Rosemary will talk about the great range of unique records available on findmypast.com.au. You will also learn how to best search these records when researching family and local history.

Try findmypast.com.au for free with our free lookups available on the day. This will give you the chance to experience findmypast.com.au and ask questions. You will have the opportunity to win many prizes on the day. Don’t miss out on your chance to WIN a 12-month subscription to the Australia / New Zealand Collection on findmypast.com.au worth $69.95.

At just $20 for the day or $10 for the evening, this event is so valuable. Learn great skills and useful tips to really accelerate you along your family history journey. Bookings may be made with the Dubbo and District Family History Society or by clicking the link below. Simply pre-book by Sunday 7 October to be sure of a place and entry into the first of two prize draws.

Come along and enjoy a day of informative talks, product demonstrations and the opportunity to talk to others about family history. This seminar is on Saturday 29 September 2012, 9.00am - 4.30pm and will take place in Townsville RSL, 139 Charters Towers Road, Hermit Park.

Attend a talk by experienced genealogist, Rosemary Kopittke and learn how to get the most out of findmypast.com.au and the new World Collection. This useful presentation is sure to provide you with great information and some essential skills when researching your family history with findmypast.com.au!

You will also get the chance to try findmypast.com.au for free with our free lookups available on the day. This will give you the chance to experience findmypast.com.au and ask questions.

For just $35 pre-booked by Sunday 23 September or $40 on the day, this event really is so worthwhile. Learn great skills and useful tips to really accelerate you along your family history journey.

You will have opportunity to win many prizes on the day. Don’t miss out on your chance to WIN a 12 month subscription to the Australia / New Zealand Collection on findmypast.com.au worth $69.95.

Click here to book now!

Held on 14-16 September 2012 this family history event is proudly hosted by the Botany Bay Family History Society. With an exciting line-up of speakers and events to entertain and inform you, it’s set to be a great event.

A Family History Expo will be open to the general public on Friday 14 September from 10am to 3pm at the Tradies, 57 Manchester Road Gymea. Findmypast.com.au will be there offering free lookups for people to come along and try findmypast.com.au, britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk and other sites. We will be giving away a 12 month World Collection subscription worth $249.95 as a major prize as well as some other prizes. So make sure you come by our stand on Friday and enter for your chance to WIN!

This will be followed by the 28th Annual Conference of the NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 September, also held at the Tradies. The theme is Endeavour Resolution Adventure Discovery and takes its inspiration from the names of the ships associated with Captain James Cook’s Pacific Voyages. The speakers will explore both the history of the past and the challenges facing family historians as they embrace 21st century technology.

Visit www.conference2012.org.au to register today!

10am-4pm Saturday 1st September 2012
Cranbourne Public Hall, 166 High Street (Sth Gippsland Highway), Cranbourne

This event, hosted by the Narre Warren & District Family History Group will be a great day to come and learn, network and get involved! It is the only event of this kind held in the south east and Gippsland regions of Victoria. The diversity of the exhibitors will cater to a wide variety of interest for genealogists, historians and those with other specific interests. There will be hundreds of records for researching and starting your family history as well as information on historical research.

The findmypast.com.au team will be there to offer free lookups of findmypast.com.au, findmypast.ie, findmypast.co.uk, and the British Newspaper Collection so you get to try our wonderful websites for free! We will also be giving away a 12 month subscription to our World Collection worth $249.95. Just pop by our stand and fill in an entry form for your chance to win!

Take advantage of our special offer! Receive a 10% discount on all 6 and 12 month subscriptions when you purchase at the expo! Simply visit findmypast.com.au at the expo to receive the special price.

Refreshments will be available on the day as well as amenities with disabled facilities and ample parking. The venue has easy access to public transport. Cranbourne railway station is just 500 metres away and there is a bus stop at front door. The entry fee is $8.00 and children under 15 years are free. Come along and enjoy a day of history and fun!

Visit the website or Facebook page for more information.

We are so proud to be major sponsors of National Family History Week. With the success of family history just growing and growing it’s great to be involved with spreading the news of this fascinating past time of finding your family history.

National Family History Week is an initiative of AFFHO (Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations). According to the AFFHO “family history is the second biggest subject on the web with sites receiving billions of hits per year. There are over 250,000 Australians who are members of family history related organisations so the week has broad appeal across Australia.”

This week there will be a number of exciting events happening all over Australia covering genealogy, family history, heraldry, family reunions and more! Check out the range of events happening such as seminars, talks, open days, history walks, book launches, film evening and expos. Visit www.familyhistoryweek.org.au for details of events in your area.

How will you celebrate National Family History Week?

Read through some suggestions below. Comment and share with us if you have some more!

• Start your family history – Visit our Help and Advice section on tips to get you started

• Write your personal history life story – if you would like to share it with us we are always excited to read and possibly publish your story. Simply email your story to casestudies@findmypast.com.au

• Interview a relative about their life story

• Hold a family reunion

• Hold a family or local history talk, seminar or information session

• Get together with your family

• Label your family photos

We are very excited to tell you that we are a major sponsor of the Unlock the Past Expo in Jindalee, QLD on 25-27 June. We’re delighted to have Rosemary Kopittke speaking about our findmypast sites. Our team will be there to offer free look ups of our sites and heavily discounted subscriptions will also be available to attendees, so come and see us and don’t miss out!

We will be running a really exciting competition to win a new World Collection subscription valued at $249.95 which will be drawn on Wednesday 27 June. Simply come to our stand and complete an entry form to enter. If you haven’t already registered for this event, visit Unlock the Past now.

Take advantage of these great deals!

Pre-book now for significant benefits: