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Museums of History NSW

We are pleased to be working in partnership with Museums of History NSW

Established in 2022, Museums of History NSW has brought together collections previously in the care of Sydney Living Museums and the vast collection of historical records held in the NSW State Archives Collection.

If you are researching your Australian ancestry, then you can delve into a fascinating range of records on Findmypast that have been published thanks to this partnership including census records, passenger lists and employment records.

Convict records

Was your ancestor transported to Australia as a convict? Find out where your ancestor came to Australia from, their occupation, if they applied to marry and what the circumstances were behind their transportation in our fascinating collection of convict records:

Census records

New South Wales had its first census in 1828. Following the 1901 census, the census was subsequently conducted every ten years. Although the census returns have not survived completely in their original form, the records that have survived can still be a powerful aid to historians and genealogists alike in placing people at a specific moment in time. Discover your ancestors in the 1841, 1891 and 1901 census here:

Passenger Lists

Delve into this collection of passenger lists which documents millions of inward and outward passengers arriving and departing Australia. Did your ancestor brave the long, gruelling journey across the ocean to start a new life? Which ship did they travel on? In this collection, you can uncover details about your ancestor such as their date of arrival and departure, occupation, birth year and their final destination.

Search Inward, Outward & Coastal Passenger Lists 1826-1972

Wills and Probate records

You can uncover new details about your ancestor by delving into our collection of Deceased Estate Files or discover your ancestor's last will and testament among hundreds of thousands of New South Wales will books between 1800 and 1952. Uncover the particulars of their estate, trace their financial history, and learn about their beneficiaries and personal relationships:

Military records

Did your Australian ancestors or relatives lose their lives while part of the military? Discover the details of their service and death, covering all of the major conflicts of Australian history in the Military Commemorative Rolls & Rolls of Honour:

You can also uncover whether your Australian ancestors were railway workers before signing up to serve in the First World War. The following collection provides transcripts which reveal the names of some 435 railway employees who formed the 1st Railway Section of the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force:

Soldiers silhouetted against the sky

Land Settlement records

Did your New South Wales ancestor serve as a soldier in World War One? Find out if the returned serviceman on your family tree applied for financial support as part of the New South Wales soldier settlement scheme. Uncover details of their land, address and financial history in their post-war life:

Old records stacked on shelves

Employment records

Did your ancestor work for the railways and tramways in New South Wales? Delve into this collection of railway employment records which date from 1856 to 1890 and from 1909 to 1932 to discover more about their working life. Were they working as a clerk, a porter or maybe a shunter? This collection can help you uncover details such as their first position listed and when their employment commenced.

Search New South Wales, Railway Employment Records

Additional information

To learn more about Museums of History NSW and the collections they hold, please visit the website here.