- 02/06/26It's here for you to read - your Western Ancestor has arrived
- 02/03/26Baandee. Kurnalpi. Niagara
- 28/02/26Library Opportunities
- 04/01/26From Cologne to Cossack
- 15/12/25Focus on podcasts
- More ...
What's on in the library this May
Women in your family tree are notoriously difficult to research, but with a little bit of persistence and help, you will find them.
Just take a look at this rich collection of books in our own FHWA library to start with.
And a simple search of the catalogue for 'women' will deliver you over 200 entries covering everything from How to books to convicts and biographies.
Kurnalpi. Niagara. Baandee
Ghost towns Phase 6 is up and running
Twenty new places have been added, including Kurnalpi, Niagara and Baandee: From the Pilbara to the far South West. Mining towns, timber mills, railway sidings, wells and a port. Not to mention a secret airfield.
Did you know that Baandee was the site of the first Country Women's Rest Room? Or that Kurnalpi was known as the home of slugs? The Niagara gold mining settlement, on the other hand, bears no resemblance to the magnificent falls of the same name.
You can now explore the fascinating world of these towns while we start indexing records about the people who lived in them, Just go to the Alphabetical list of towns to find out more: https://ghostswa.au/alphalist/
Find out more about these and all the new places at the People of Western Australia's Ghost Towns. Support the Project by donating here and joining our Facebook page.
Gypsies or Romani
are the focus of June in the library.
It is not known how many Romani people live in Australia, but they first arrived on the First Fleet in 1788. The current population is thought to be more than 20,000 with many emigrating here from Europe after WW 2.. They are not commonly acknowledged as an ethnic group, and often referred to as the 'invisible' community.
The FHWA resources are mostly about the Romany people (or Gypsy or Travellers) of Great Britain. The library guide 'Researching Gypsy Ancestors" has a range of journal articles about this community around the world.
Search our catalogue for gypsies, romaines, tinkers and 'travellers'.
