Local and family history services

Content components

Old photos in a box resting on a background of vintage postcards

Every family has a story and every street has history — just waiting to be discovered! That's where your library membership comes in, giving you free access to specialist resources that can help you uncover the past.

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Research guides

Whether you're researching your family's origins, learning more about the local area or just curious about who lived in your home before you, these guides are the perfect place to start — complete with research tips and recommended reading:

You can also explore our online family history resources for more tools and guidance.

Online local and family history

Most of these online resources are only available when using a library computer or when logged in to library Wi-Fi.

Ancestry

Ancestry is the world’s largest online family history resource, providing access to more than 200 billion images and 7,000 unique databases.

This is for use in the library only.

Findmypast

Findmypast is a subscription-based, family history database that has unique Australian records and partnerships with the British Library and the UK National Archives.

This is for use in the library only.

The British Newspaper Archive

The British Library's collection of digitised, historical newspapers from Britain, Ireland and beyond spans the 1600s to the present day.

First-time users must sign up for a free account.

This is for use in the library only.

Photographs of the past

A picture's worth a thousand words — and we've got thousands of pictures.

Our collection includes historical photographs of people, events, buildings, streetscapes and the natural environment across Boroondara, from the mid-1800s to the present day. Some are printed, some are digital — all are waiting to be explored.

Search the collection

Search tip: Start with broad search terms — for example, just the street name, without the house number. You can then refine your results using the filters along the left-hand side of the screen.

Want to use a photograph?

Our photograph collection is always available to browse online. However, many of the items are protected by copyright, so you'll need permission before you can reproduce, use or publish them.

Simply fill out our online form to request permission or to order a free, high-quality copy — we'll take care of the rest.

Order or reproduce a photograph

Donate a photograph

We're always looking to add new treasures to our photograph collection — and yours could be one of them. Donate copies of printed or digital photographs of people and places across Boroondara and help build a fuller picture of our city's history.

To donate a photo, call (03) 9278 4666 or email [email protected].

Requesting rare or fragile items

Some of our local history material is rare, fragile and irreplaceable if lost or damaged, so you'll need permission from our Local and Family History team before you can view it.

You can request access in person at one of our libraries or by filling out our online form — we'll get back to you within a week.

Request access