Getting started
Prepare
The best way to start researching archival records is to prepare for your research.
On this page
Before you begin
Gather information to help your research
If you’re searching for a person, gather as much information as you can about them, such as their:
- full name
- date of birth
- nationality or country of origin
- date of arrival in Australia
- places they may have lived, for example their town, county, or parish.
Read more tips for doing your family history at Queensland State Archives.
Work out the connection with a government agency
Make sure QSA is the right place for you to search. We hold permanent records for the Queensland Government and local governments.
This means, to find a record you need to work out whether a government agency would have created or received a record about the person or topic you’re researching. Try asking these types of questions:
If you’re looking for a person:
- Did the person attend a state school?
- Was the person ever in court or jail?
- Read more about researching family history at QSA .
If you’re looking for a house or building:
- Was the house a housing commission home?
- Read the history of your house research guide.
The answers to these questions will help direct your research.
- Find out more about what records we have.
- See all our Research Guides here.
- Find other archive resources.
How archival records are arranged
Understanding how archival records are arranged can help you find what you need.
Archival records are preserved in the original order the government agency put them in. In general, records are not arranged by name, geographical location or very specific subjects.
Records are arranged into items which can be, for example, bundles of correspondence an architectural drawing or a 500-page book.
Items are arranged into series, which are groups of items created, received or used in the same activity of the given government agency.
Series are then grouped by the government agency that created the records.
Read the Research Guide to Queensland State Archives’ record systems for more information.
Start your research
Research online
You can do preliminary research online by:
- exploring the collection—read overviews of various subjects, brief guides on the records we hold, and the indexes we have created
- searching our indexes—collections of information from our most popular records (usually peoples’ names) that link to ArchivesSearch catalogue
- searching ArchivesSearch—our online catalogue of records.
Most of the records are not viewable online. So while you can do preliminary research online, to view an archival record you will most likely need to order a copy or visit us in person.
Archival research can be time consuming and often involves searching through many records with no certainty that you will find the specific information you’re looking for. While this can be frustrating, it can also be exciting to find information you didn’t know existed.
Record what you find
Always record what you have researched, even if you didn’t find the information you were looking for, as it may save you time later. Establish a system of recording your information. The biggest mistake made by most researchers is not keeping accurate records.
Accessing what you find
Ordering copies of records
We can provide a digitised copy of our records for a fee. You can order a copy of a record listed in an index or ArchivesSearch.
- Find out more about copying services.
Restricted records
Some of the records we hold are restricted and closed to the public.
The length of time a record is closed is listed under ‘Access Category’ in ArchivesSearch. The closure period begins from the end date of the record. For example, an item closed for 100 years, with an end date of 4 October 1946, will be open on 5 October 2046.
In some cases you can access closed records. Contact us for help requesting access from the Government agency that is responsible for the record.
Why can’t I find what I’m looking for?
There are several reasons why you may not find a record at QSA.
- Some records have not survived.
- Some records are restricted.
- The name may have been written in the record phonetically as the clerks wrote the names as they heard them. Think about how it could be spelt as it was heard.
- Spelling of all names was not as consistent as it is today. Check alternatives e.g. Thompson and Thomson.
- The name may have been incorrectly indexed as the handwriting is sometimes difficult to read or the ink has faded. The capital letters L, T, F and S are often confused as are lower case letters n, m, u and w. Also, the use of double ‘s’ (ss) often looks like fs, so Ross will be indexed as Ross but may appear in the record as Rofs.
- A blank cell indicates that there is no information recorded in the original.
Citing archival records
Whenever you reference records from QSA, the accepted citation should be included. Citations for archival records are important for the attribution and acknowledgment of the creator of the record, and to link to the origin or provenance of the record. Citation also enables other researchers to find and use the records.
- Read the Research Guide to citing archival records at Queensland State Archives .
Contact us
Contact us for more help.