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The Family History Unit
Changes to our services
The Family History Team. Photo: AIATSIS
The AIATSIS Family History Unit is now funded to provide services to Link-Up staff only.
The effect of this is that the AIATSIS Family History Unit is no longer able to conduct family history research for the public.
Knowledge of family is so important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people we deeply regret that the unit is now unable to help you with your family history research.
We will, however, be answering our backlog of requests over the next six months. If you have already submitted a request to have your family history researched, you will receive a response.
While the Family History Unit is no longer able to complete a family history search for you, there are still some ways that we can assist you to find out about your mob.
Our website is a good starting point. The Family History kit will give you some tips for starting your search and contact details for other organisations that can help.
The ABI (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Biographical Index) is a personal name index to published materials held in the AIATSIS Library see and is available online here. See Fact Sheet 7 for more information about the ABI.
If you are a member of the Stolen Generations your nearest Link-Up office should be able to assist you. You can find their contact details here.
If you require assistance with Proof or Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage please see Fact sheet 11 and contact your local Aboriginal Land Council.
You may like to also check our website in coming months for more self-help guides to tracing your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
The AIATSIS Library can assist you with searches of the AIATSIS collections. For assistance with searching the AIATSIS catalogue or accessing an item in the collection please email library@aiatsis.gov.au .
We apologise that the Family History Unit is unable to assist you and regret any distress that this might cause.
Should you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact AIATSIS Library Director Rod Stroud on 02 6246 1197.
About the Family History Unit
The AIATSIS Family History Unit (FHU) commenced in the late 1970s, beginning as the an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Biographical Index (ABI), which provided a brief biographical entry for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people referred to, or depicted in, published and unpublished material held in the Institute’s collections.
You may also like to search the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Biographical Index (ABI) for information on you family. You can read about the ABI or do some searching of your own. To search the ABI click here.