Family History Month at AIATSIS

The Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) holds the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

Their Family History Unit supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, families and communities doing family history research, and can help when you get stuck or direct you to the best sources to search.

One of those is the AIATSIS Finding Your Family website which provides information on how to do Indigenous family history research.

AIATSIS maintains the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Biographical Index (ABI) which includes over 80,000 names that feature in records in the AIATSIS collection. The ABI can be searched through their online catalogue Mura which is a great way to check if there is any material relating to country, language groups and family.

Information published in the past may include personal stories about family members.

In 2019 the Family History Unit saw an increase of 20% for requests for help from the general public. The ABC recently shared this story during Reconciliation Week.

Leonard Hill is the AIATSIS Executive Director of Collections.

‘In the 2019 calendar year, we had a little over 1100 requests to the family history unit,’ Leonard said.

‘Increasingly, people are wanting to investigate and connect with their Indigenous history. The biggest challenge is people who have just become disconnected from their family and community… and especially those from the Stolen Generations.’

You can contact The Family History Unit on 1800 352 553 or via their enquiry request form. They would love to hear from anyone interested in finding out more!

To celebrate Family History Month this August, AIATSIS is hosting two free online events featuring special guest, Imarnte woman Kath Travis, author of her self-published ‘her-storical biography ‘ Minnie, Mum and Me: The Black Headed Snake.

Get all the details at Family History Month 2020.