Researching your family history is easier than you think thanks to Dee Why Library’s Family History Friday program

The popular Family History Friday program is about to return to Dee Why Library after a Covid-induced three-year hiatus.

Members of the Watts family near Narrabeen Lagoon in the 1920s. Picture Northern Beaches Library

The popular Family History Friday program is about to return to Dee Why Library after a Covid-induced three-year hiatus.

Held every Friday, the program involves experienced volunteers showing local residents how to research their family history, whether they are a beginner, an intermediate or an advanced researcher.

Working one-on-one, the volunteers show family history researchers how to navigate the various websites and databases that are available and help them organise and document their research.

Members of the Yewen family in 1919. Picture Northern Beaches Library

Part of the charm of researching your family is history is that you never know what you’ll find until you start looking.

A perfect example of the rewards of researching one’s family is Vietnam veteran Alan Wright, who knew almost nothing about his family history until an experience volunteer in the Family History Friday program showed him how to start looking.

Members of the Yewen family in 1920. Picture Northern Beaches Library

All Mr Wright had was his own birth certificate but within three months he had amassed a huge folder of historical documents about his family.

He soon found a 91-year-old cousin he never knew existed but who had in his possession Alan’s father’s marriage certificate to his first wife.

Mr Wright had idea his father has been married before but the marriage certificate gave details of his father’s address at the time and his occupation, as well as details about his father’s parents.

Members of the Chignell family on Dee Why Beach c1920. Picture Northern Beaches Library

He also learned he had two cousins who fought in World War I and has now traced records back to his great great-great grandfather, found a photo of his great-grandmother sitting with three generations of the family and found information and a photo of the clipper The Commodore Perry, on which his ancestors came to Australia as assisted immigrants.
Northern Beaches Mayor Michael Regan said: “We’re much more than a library in so many ways.”
“We have been providing family history services for over 20 years and in that time we have assisted hundreds of community members,” he said.
“Assisting our community uncover their family history is really rewarding and our staff do an amazing job.
“We sometimes even learn something new and interesting about our local history.:

The Family History Friday program is free but bookings are essential.

Go to the Northern Beaches Library website at https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/library or contact the Local Studies and Family History Team on 8495 5027 or at [e-mail]