Search with Google

Tips for Queensland Research (2008 edition)

This book gives information about sources, research strategies and problem solving techniques for family history research, with helpful hints and money-saving tips. The book describes various records and indexes on the Internet and at Qld State Archives, National Archives, Educational History Unit, Department of Families, State and genealogical libraries etc. The previous edition has been significantly updated and expanded, and new topics have been added. More details are given after the book reviews below.

Book Review by Nola Fulwood (archivist, Qld State Archives): I've really enjoyed reading the newest (2008) version of Judy's Tips. It is a joy to see what a researcher can do with determination and the right approach to locating material in a repository. Judy, as always, is very generous in sharing her work, and opening up new avenues for everyone to use. Although the book purports to be for Queensland research, do consider that all libraries and archives work in similar ways, and although records vary from place to place, it would be well worthwhile to apply these suggestions to your particular area of research. Just as important as what can be located, are the many cautionary words about referencing, always checking the original source, and of course, rechecking indexes and catalogues. Archives routinely add thousands of names to their databases. I notice in this edition many more references to Web sources. The Internet has changed the way we search, but this book underlines that for most quality research, we still need to go to the repositories that hold the records. Judy's meticulous approach has found countless 'lost' relatives. She shows that research in libraries and archives never finishes - there is always another treasure to be found. My advice is to read page one frequently. These are the words of experience that could save you countless hours and all your precious work. I've always admired Judy's knowledge and application of the issues of privacy, copyright and ethics. Do yourself a favour and read this new version of Tips for Queensland Research. It may well lead you to your 'lost' ancestors, and will certainly add to your knowledge, and improve your research techniques.

NEW! Book review by Loreley Morling (professional genealogist): The new updated edition of Tips for Queensland Research follows the same formula as previous editions but includes a wealth of new information. It is set out in an easy-to-follow style with an index of subjects at the front. There is general advice on research techniques, invaluable for the beginner and a great reminder for the more experienced researcher. Such comments as 'never rely on indexes' and 'always inspect the original source' can't be emphasized too often. Judy gives some useful tips for deciphering old handwriting, and reasons names might be mis-transcribed in indexes. There are also hints about using archives and libraries to the best advantage. Family historians are often so intent on finding dates and places of birth, death, marriage and emigration that they forget the less well-known sources, and Judy has done a great job bringing these to our attention. Records of benevolent asylums, mental institutions, school admissions and many other more obscure sources are discussed. These may be just the clue we are looking for to a person's residence, age or date of arrival in a certain area. Tips for Queensland Research is an invaluable resource for anyone researching Queensland ancestors. Many of the records discussed and handy hints provided apply to research in all areas. How wonderful it would be if we had similar publications for each state.

Tips for Queensland Research (2008 edition) gives information about sources, research strategies and problem solving techniques for family history research in Qld, with helpful hints and money-saving tips. The book describes various records and indexes on the Internet and at Qld State Archives, National Archives, Educational History Unit, Department of Families, State and genealogical libraries etc. The previous edition has been significantly updated and expanded, and new topics have been added including divorce, originating summonses, Pre-Separation, protection orders, undertakings (Home Secretary's Office and Premier's Department), and nurses, masseurs and shearers. It also deals with births, deaths and marriages (civil registration and alternative sources including cemetery records); identifying the father of an illegitimate child; orphans; adoption records; maintenance payments for deserted wives/children; wills and intestacies; immigration; electoral rolls (useful for tracing people's movements); missing persons and people who 'vanished'; the 'black sheep' of the family; mental asylum and Dunwich Benevolent Asylum records; police watchhouse charge books; CPS police charge bench books; prison records; criminal depositions; murder files; Police Gazettes; Government Gazettes; inquests; preliminary enquiries and other 'no inquest' records; insolvencies; hospital admission registers and related records; old age pension applicants; equity files; hotels and publicans; miners, teachers, dentists, doctors, chemists/druggists, engineers, solicitors, police, public servants, railway employees, ship's crew; land tenure records; Wallangarra quarantine registers (1918-1919 influenza epidemic); school admission registers and school files; Qld State Archives publications, facilities and services.  Paperback, spiral bound, A4, 39 pages.  ISBN 9781875333226.  $15 including postage within Australia.   How to order

Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide (2006 Supplement to 1998 edition)

An 'index of indexes' (published & unpublished) with descriptions and contact addresses.  It tells you how to gain access to over 700 indexes (many privately held and not available in libraries) for all parts of Australia and some overseas areas.  Newspapers; local area sources; overseas records; One-Name studies; immigration; cemeteries; ships; electoral rolls; naturalisations; convicts; asylums; Masonic Lodge; occupational, military, church, school, court, council, police and undertakers' records, and a very wide variety of other sources and topics.  New and updated entries only, so you may also need the 1998 edition.  Paperback, spiral bound, A4, 73 pages.  ISBN 1875333150.  $21.45 including postage within Australia.   (See book review below)   How to order    2006 index titles

Extract from review by Dawn Montgomery in Qld Family Historian vol.28 no.1:  This index would be a worthy addition to anyone's genealogical library, and one which should be an essential acquisition for every family history / genealogical library in Australia.

Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide (1998 ed.)

Descriptions and contact addresses for about 500 entries that are not repeated in the Supplement above.  Paperback, spiral bound, A4, 119pp.  ISBN 1875333126.  Was $28, now $23.45 including postage within Australia.   (See book review below)   How to order    1998 index titles

Review by Terry Egan, Melbourne:  Judy Webster's directory of indexes is one of my most valued resources.  It has saved me an enormous amount of time searching for sources.  It should be the constant companion of researchers and indexers alike.  Worth many times more than the cover price.

Brisbane Hospital, Qld:  Index to some patients in 1887, 1900, 1901 & 1902

Index gives name and source reference.  Compiled from four surviving volumes of admission records for Brisbane Hospital, many of which give date admitted; age; birthplace; occupation; religion; ship of arrival; how long in each Australian State; last residence, and if there less than 3 months, previous residence; marital status; place of marriage, at what age, spouse's name; names/ages of children living; number/sex of children deceased; father's name, occupation and present residence if living (or 'father dead'); mother's maiden name; employment, wages, other sources of income, other wage-earners in the family, property, membership of clubs or benefit societies (or father's employment details etc.); name/address of relatives or friends; disease or reason for admission; discharge date or date/cause of death; if previously admitted, the reason.  Paperback, spiral bound, A4, 22 pages.  ISBN 1875333207.  $12.45 including postage within Australia.  How to order

Index to Old Age Pension Applications, Qld, 1908-1909

Index gives name and source reference.  Lists 9,000 old age pension applicants (successful and rejected).  Most were born in the UK, Ireland, Germany or Scandinavia but a few were born in Australia and elsewhere.  Compiled from State Government records that usually give date, town, age, years in Qld, amount of pension or reason for rejection, and country or Australian State of birth (and a few give death date, street address, spouse, or remarks about the applicant's income, character etc.)  Includes many unnaturalised immigrants not on electoral rolls.  Two microfiche.  ISBN 187533310X.  $12 including postage within Australia.  How to order

Croydon Qld: Index to Hospital Admissions 1888-1919

Index gives name and source reference for 5,000 hospital patients (many from Victorian goldfields) in this major North Qld gold mining area during and after the local gold rush.  Index compiled from original registers with provision for name;  date admitted;  age;  birthplace;  occupation;  religion;  ship of arrival;  how long in colony;  place of residence;  marital status;  place of marriage, at what age, and name of spouse;  names and ages of children living;  number and sex of children deceased;  father's name and occupation;  father's present residence if living (or 'father dead');  mother's maiden name;  disease or reason for admission;  date of discharge, or date and cause of death;  sometimes additional remarks (medical history, social circumstances etc.)  Hospital registers sometimes contain the only surviving reference to ship of arrival.  One microfiche.  ISBN 1875333045.  $7 including postage within Australia.  How to order

Burketown, Ingham & Muttaburra:  Indexes to Hospital Admissions

Three indexes (one for each town) in one volume.  Burketown 1909-1923;  Ingham Aug 1889 - May 1890;  Muttaburra:  part of 1887, 1892-1894, 1921-1928.  Indexes gives name and source reference.  Compiled from original records that are in the same format as those for Croydon (see above).  Paperback, A5.  ISBN 1875333142.  $6.20 including postage within Australia.  How to order

Index to Eventide (Sandgate, Qld) Registers of Deaths 1954-1959

Eventide provided for poor people who because of age, infirmity or otherwise, were unable to care for themselves.  The index to the Eventide death registers gives name, maiden surname for women, year of death, and source reference.  You need this information to apply for Freedom of Information access to the records, which show name, signature, date admitted, from where, cause of admission, age (often exact birth date), birthplace, religion, marital status (married, single, widowed, apart), occupation, pension, father's name and occupation, mother's maiden name, husband's name or wife's maiden name, where married, at what age, children (often name, age, exact address), other relatives (siblings, cousins, grandchildren etc., often with exact address), person to be contacted in emergency, height, weight, eye colour, hair colour, history, clinical record and conduct, leave of absence, transfers, discharges.  Paperback, A5.  ISBN 1875333169.  $6.20 including postage within Australia.  How to order

Index to Persons Arrested & Victims of Crime, Qld.  Vol.1:  South-West Qld 1889-1904

Index gives name, year, place, and source reference.  Compiled from three Police Department, Charleville Station, sources:  alphabetical register of persons received in the lockup, Jan 1889 - Jan 1893 [gives number, date of arrest, name, age, level of education, religion, occupation, country or Australian State, offence, how disposed of, remarks];  physical description of certain prisoners, Dec 1890 - circa Oct 1892;  register of persons arrested at Charleville, Adavale, Augathella, Cunnamulla, Eromanga, Eulo, Hungerford, Morven, Nocundra, Wooroorooka, Wyandra, Thargomindah and Upper Warrego, Jan 1901 - Feb 1904 [gives number, name, date of arrest, calling, religion, offence, how disposed of, rations issued code].  Paperback, A5.  ISBN 1875333177.  $6.20 including postage within Australia.  How to order

Index to Persons Arrested & Victims of Crime, Qld.  Vol.2:  Charters Towers & Cloncurry pre-1900

Two separate indexes in one volume:  Charters Towers watchhouse charge books for part of 1895-1896 and 1899;  and Cloncurry watchhouse charge books for part of 1874-1875 and 1887-1891.  Indexes give name, year, place, and source reference.  Compiled from original sources that usually give most of these details: date, town, prisoner's name, aliases, age, occupation, religion, state or country of origin, education level, offence, how case disposed of (fine or term of imprisonment, or discharged, cautioned, committed for trial at which court and when, or sent to a reformatory or other institution).  Some registers also give details of previous convictions.  Paperback, A5.  ISBN 1875333185.  $6.20 including postage within Australia.  How to order

Email me at (note spelling - type this into an email) to ask about the cost.  Tell me where you live so that I can calculate postage.

BOOKS: (Updated)

• Emigrants from Hamburg to Australia: 1862 (Kopittke).

MICROFICHE:

• Consolidated Index to the Qld Government Gazettes 1859-1869 (QFHS).  EXCLUDES entries re Intestacy, Insolvency and Wills and Members of School Committees. Many 'Trade Mark' and 'Patent' notices refer to people living interstate and overseas.
• Consolidated Index to the Qld Government Gazettes 1870-1879 (as above).
• Consolidated Index to the Qld Government Gazettes 1880-1889 (as above).
• Consolidated Index to the Qld Government Gazettes 1890-1899 (as above).
• Emigrants from Hamburg to Australia: 1854 (Kopittke & Dieckmann).
• Personal Notices in Mansfield [VIC] Newspapers 1869-1900 (Evans).
• Qld School Pupils Index, vol.1 (Mahony/QFHS).  About 46,000 names.  Dates & sources vary (school admission registers, school histories, local histories with a pupil list).  Banana, Biloela, Blenheim, Brightview, Coorparoo, Carbrook, Calvale (Upper Callide), Clermont, Dawes, Dundee, Dundee Camp, Enoggera, Elimbah, Earlsfield, Forest Hill, Forest Hill, Goovigen, Glen Cairn, Gregor's Creek, Hemmant, Harami, Harami, Harrisville, Hillgrove, Jambin, Jooro, Jimbour, Killarney, Kingsthorpe, Kariboe Creek, Kaimkillenbun, Kilcoy, Lake Pleasant, Lawgi/Mardale, Lowood, Mount Berryman, Mount Scoria, Milora, Mary River Road, Palmwoods, Pinkenba, Perwillowen Creek, Ropeley, Rockside, Rockside, Ropeley East, Rannes, Raedon (Callide Bridge/Melton/Raewurt), Radford, Ridgewood, Sheep Station Creek, Stanley River, Templin, Terror's Creek, Thangool, Upper Don, Villeneuve, Woolein, Wowan, West Vale, Woolmar, Winya, Yarparaba, Yednia.

Buy 'Gift Certificates' for your friends through my on-line shop.  They have no expiry date, and can be used to pay me for books or microfiche or genealogical research.

Registered post is an optional extra that protects against loss in transit.  Within Australia: $8 per order.  Overseas - see below.

• If you live in Australia:
  1. Post your order and cheque, money order or cash to Judy Webster, PO Box 5043, Algester, Qld 4115.  Include your email address for an estimate of delivery date.  I may not be able to respond immediately, as I am often away.  You send cash by post at your own risk.
  
  
• If you live overseas:
  1. Contact me at (note spelling - type this into an email).  If that fails, use my alternative address.
  2. List the titles and quantities required, and your postal address and preferred currency.
  3. Ask for a quote including overseas postage (registered post or ordinary airmail).

How to order and pay via the INTERNET

• Deposit money to my Australian bank account.
  
  
• PayPal / Visa / Mastercard:  use the on-line shopping cart.  I accept credit cards via PayPal only.  I do not see your card number.

I will consider requests from societies or individual publishers wishing to obtain any of the above items in EXCHANGE for copies of their published indexes, if the retail value is roughly equivalent.  I am particularly interested in obtaining indexes for Queensland by exchange.  Contact (note spelling - type this into an email) with full details of the item/s you can offer in exchange (author, title, publisher, publication date, retail price incl. postage, description of the publication).

Index to Insanity Files c1865-1918 (Qld mental asylum patients) - contact (type this into an email) and request 'Insanity Files index notification'.

Index to certain records of Stewart's Creek Prison (Townsville, North Qld) - contact (type this into an email) and request 'Stewarts Creek Prison notification'.

Index to Persons Arrested and Victims of Crime:  Croydon, Gympie, Ravenswood  (other areas to follow)

Monumental Inscriptions of South-West Qld.  Vol. 3: Cunnamulla Lawn Cemetery - contact (type this into an email) and request 'SWQ MIs vol.3 notification'.

Monumental Inscriptions of South-West Qld.  Vol. 1: Thargomindah, Eulo and Wyandra to 1985.

Published 1994.  ISBN 1875333061.  Headstone transcriptions with indexes.  Reprint planned.  Contact (type this into an email) and request 'SWQ MIs vol.1 notification'.

Monumental Inscriptions of South-West Qld.  Vol. 2: Cunnamulla General Cemetery to 1989.

Published 1994.  ISBN 1875333088.  Headstone transcriptions with indexes.  Reprint planned.  Contact (type this into an email) and request 'SWQ MIs vol.2 notification'.

Unrelated Certificates Index (Australia).

ISSN 0819-5196.  Index to all names appearing on hundreds of donated Australian certificates (includes witnesses, doctors, relatives, maiden names etc.)  6-volume set, out of print.  Consolidated index planned.  Contact (type this into an email) and request 'Unrelated Certs Consolidated Index notification'.

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.judywebster.gil.com.au

Any comments?  Want to vote for new indexes or read my Newsletter?