In Association with the Royal Australian Historical Society.

Speaker: Christine Yeats

This course will offer practical guidance on how to unlock the rich resources of the NSW State Archives Collection, now part of Museums of History NSW, using a selection of case studies. This session will highlight strategies for navigating and interpreting archival records, focusing on stories of individuals, communities, and institutions. Participants will learn how to combine traditional archival research with online tools and resources such as Ancestry and Find my Past, gaining insights into records ranging from immigration and convict history to land, education, and family life.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

SUGGESTED READING

• MH NSW Immigration and Shipping Guide: https://mhnsw.au/guides/immigration-and-shipping-guide/
• MH NSW Convicts Guide: https://mhnsw.au/guides/convicts-guide/
• MH NSW Family History Guide: https://mhnsw.au/guides/family-history-guide/

COURSE OUTLINE

• Introduction to the NSW State Archives Collection (Museums of History NSW)
• Practical strategies for navigating and interpreting archival records
• Case studies illustrating research into individuals, communities, and institutions
• Combining traditional archival methods with online tools (e.g. Ancestry, Find My Past)
• Exploring key record types: immigration, convict history, land, education, and family life
• Approaches to tracing, contextualising, and telling stories from the archives

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Navigate and interpret NSW State Archives with greater confidence and apply strategies for uncovering stories of individuals, communities, and institutions.
2. Identify and use key record types, including immigration, convict, land, education, and family records and integrate traditional archival research with online tools and resources.
3. Contextualise archival material to enrich historical and family research.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Christine Yeats (FRAHS, BA, Dip Lib, Dip Arch Admin) is an archivist and historical researcher, with particular interest in women’s history. Her research interests include attempts to introduce a silk industry into the Australian colonies and the history of the Romani (Gypsies) in nineteenth century Australia. She is the Immediate Past President of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies; RAHS Councillor 2012-25 (Senior Vice President 2012-18, 2022-, President 2018-21; Convenor Events Committee 2012-); President Randwick & District Historical Society. Convenor, Assessment Sub-Committee UNESCO AMOW Committee and Chair of the Jessie Street National Women’s Library.

Please note: If you are a member of RAHS and wish to apply your RAHS Member discount to this course, please contact us to have this added to your student record before you enrol (unless added previously). To become a RAHS Member, visit their website at https://www.rahs.org.au/