Family and Local History
Community Collections Program
Do you have a collection of something with historical significance? We'd love to hear from you.
We are always on the lookout for people and organisations to donate objects for temporary display at Melton Library & Learning Hub. We are particularly interested in objects with historical or cultural significance to the City of Melton. We welcome applications from collectors with a strong knowledge of their subject area, and who have a wide range of high-quality objects that are suitable for display. This is an opportunity to display collections in a prominent location, with no hire fee, and with support and advice from the Melton City Libraries team.
Submit your expression of interest online and tell us about your collection.
Partners of Vietnam Veterans Association: Love, Peace and Unity Quilt
In 2006, The Love, Peace and Unity Quilt was created by a close group of friends whose partners were Vietnam Veterans. The project was critical to the formation of the Melton branch of the Partners of Veterans Association. Each individual created a square that represented their personal thoughts and feelings on Love, Peace and Unity and living with a veteran.
The quilt finds its new home at the Melton Library and Learning Hub where it can be viewed and enjoyed by the broader community.
Learn more about the Love, Peace and Unity Quilt.
City of Melton 150th anniversary exhibition
On behalf of the Mayor and Councillors of Melton City Council, we invite our community to view this special online exhibition celebrating 150 years of our city.
Houdini in the City of Melton
American magician and escape artist Harry Houdini took to the skies on 18 March 1910, in what is generally considered to be the first controlled, powered aircraft flight in Australia. Houdini made three successful flights over paddocks owned by local farmer Mr Cook, reaching an altitude of 30 metres and lasting between one minute and three and a half minutes in the air.
The Age reported: ''In his first attempt, Houdini...
Growth Progress and Community Spirit: a history of the Melton district
Growth, Progress and Community Spirit traces the history of the Melton district from Dreamtime to today. Beginning with the formation of the land, it covers tens of thousands of years of habitation by First Nations people,
the arrival of European...
Genealogy databases
These sites often offer unique collections of records, powerful tools, and a lot of convenience. Each one of these sites offers different records and tools so they are all worth exploring individually.
Ancestry.com (Library Edition)
Access is available at the library.
Ancestry Library Edition brings the world’s most popular consumer online genealogy resource to your library If you haven’t used Ancestry before you’ll be surprised at how many original records are available for you to print and save. Here, you can unlock the story of you with sources like censuses, immigration records, military records, court and legal documents, directories and more.
Ancestry Library Edition is different to the Home Edition of Ancestry. You can't access the family tree builder software but there more international records on Ancestry Library Edition than in the standard Australia UK package in the Home Edition including records from: Asia, Africa, Europe and New Zealand.
For tutorials see the Ancestry Library Edition youtube channel.
Find My Past.com.au
Access is available at the library.
Through the library you can access the entire Find My Past collection which includes access to records from Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland and United State. Findmypast specializes in providing records for the UK and Ireland. While you will find a very good number of records from the US and Canada, you will benefit most from using this site if some of your ancestors come from England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland.
Among the useful records sets are the England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1837-2005.
For tutorials see the Find My Past youtube channel.
British Newspaper Archive
Access is available at the library.
Perhaps your ancestors wrote an enraged letter to the editor or where involved in a scandalous court cases. The British Newspaper Archive can help you trace the lives of your United Kingdom and Irish ancestors. This valuable resource has helped me to break down many brick walls. It contains newspapers from 1603 to the present day and you can search articles by keyword, name, location, date or title.
Please note: While the library provides access to BNA (British Newspaper Archive), you will need to register with an email address and password, and to sign in to view search results. You will be able to save personal searches, bookmark and print articles
For tutorials see the British Newspaper Archive youtube channel.
Local Newspapers
Local newspapers
The
Melton Express (1915-1954) and
Sunbury News and Bulla and Melton Advertiser (1892-1900) are available to
search online.
Community Heritage Collection
Community Heritage Collection
First steps in researching your family history
Family Search
State Library of Victoria research guides
National Archives of Australia
Australian War Memorial
Family history help
Volunteers from the Melton Family History Group are providing family history help every Wednesday from 10am at Melton Library and Learning Hub. Drop in or make a booking via the Melton City Libraries events calendar.
To get the most out of your session we recommend filling out and returning the where to start form.
Oral History Collection
Here local stories from our past and present from our oral history collection files. This collection includes the video I came into the library looking to find my brother. Melton local Bev Price came to the the weekly Genealogy Help sessions at Melton Library, hoping to locate the brother she had never met. What happens next is a tribute to the skills of the Melton Family History Group, and the resources available at Melton City Libraries. Watch the video.
Family history - Going a little further
Adoption
Information about adopted persons in Australia and overseas.
Australia
Overseas
Birth, deaths & marriages
Birth, deaths & marriages - Australia
Birth, deaths & marriages - Overseas
General Register Offices
Other UK Links
New Zealand
India
Parish Records Collections
Irish Church Records
Societies
National
Victoria
Tasmania
New South Wales
Australian Capital Territory
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia