State Archives Collection
Making history every day
Subjects A-Z
Browse the alphabetical list of research topics. This list includes guides, indexes and articles.
Filter by
A
Aboriginal People
Access to the records
This covers a variety of topics including information on open and closed periods and where copies of our records are held in our community access points and regional archives centres
Accountants
Adoption
ANZACS
The NSW Anzac Centenary website highlights records from the State archives relating to key events and historical themes associated with NSW and World War I
Architecture & design
Records from the Colonial (Government) Architect; photos of public buildings in NSW, hospital buildings records relating to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House
Assisted immigrants
Asylums
Inmate records for the Infirm and Destitute Asylums and where to find them
B
Bankruptcy & insolvency
Insolvency - inability to satisfy creditors or discharge liabilities Bankruptcy - similar but also involves the sequestration of a person's assets when they are unable to meet the demands of creditors
Bench of Magistrates
Births, deaths & marriages
Please visit the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages website for copies of birth, death and marriage certificates registered in NSW and NSW historical BDM indexes.
Blue Books
Population statistics and returns
Bubonic plague
A record of the Bubonic Plague that hit in Sydney of the early 20th century
C
Cabinet documents
Public release of NSW cabinet papers
Care leavers
Records relating to orphans, foster care, State wards, adoption and other out-of-home care
Cemeteries & burials
At the first establishment of the colony for a long time no piece of ground was set apart for a Burial place
Census & musters
Population muster and census records, 1788-1901
Chemists & pharmacists
Child care & protection
Records and indexes relating to child care and protection; child / youth migration from the UK; Randwick Asylum; Scheyville Training Farm
Citing & publishing
Information on how to request permission to publish and how to cite records accurately
Colonial Secretary
The correspondence of the Colonial Secretary is one of the most valuable sources of information on all aspects of the history of the Colony and the State of NSW
Community access points
Conditional purchase
The Conditional Purchase scheme, also known as 'free selection before survey', ran from 1862 to 1951
Conservation & preservation
Conservation treatments and tips, including caring for your family photos
Convicts
How do you know if there was a convict in your family? Find out where to start and how to research our vast selection of convict resources including transportation records, assignment, tickets of leave, pardons & more
Copyright
Find out how copyright affects your use of State archives
Courts (Higher)
Court of Quarter Sessions, the District Court and Supreme Court
Courts (Lower)
Bench of Magistrates, Court of Claims, Governors Court, Justices of the Peace, Vice Admiralty Court
Crime
D
Divorce
Sources in our collection that relate to divorce and procedures for accessing Divorce Case Papers
Doctors
E
F
Family history
It is always easier to work from the present to the past when tracing your family history. Find out more in our Guide for Family Historians
Federation
The federation of the six Australian colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia took over fifty years from its beginnings in the 1840s
Female factory
A brief historical overview of the Female Factory and a list of the main record series
First fleet
First Nations
Resources to help you access archives relating to First Nations people
G
Getting started
Find out where to start your online research using the NSW State archives and and how to prepare for a visit to the reading room.
Government publications
Including Government Gazettes and Police Gazettes
H
I
Immigration & shipping
Find the key records and indexes for passengers 1788-1922
Inquests & coronial inquiries
Inquests are conducted by coroners and are held to investigate the manner and cause of death, fires
J
Justices of the Peace
L
Local history
We have number of resources to help you trace the history of a place (rather than focusing on individuals)
M
Maps & plans
Government Architect, Surveyors, Land Grants, Crown Land, Conditional Purchase
Migration
Records of migration from China, France, Holland, India, Lebanon, Malta, Poland, Russia
N
Naturalisation & citizenship
Naturalisation records are a good source of information for tracing details of an immigrant's arrival and native place. The key records in our collection relating to naturalisation cover 1834-1903.
New Zealand
A look at the relationship between New South Wales and New Zealand from the early 1800s to Federation.
O
Optometrists
P
Physiotherapists
Includes applications for registration c.1947-1973
Primary applications
A system whereby owners could convert land granted prior to 1863 to Real Property Act title
Prison officers
Probates and wills
Records in a Probate packet include the last will and testament
Q
Quarter Sessions
R
Railways & railway workers
Access railway records, including employment, locomotives, photos, plans
Record series list
Follow this subject for item lists of selected record series
Regional Archives Centres
Responsible government
Responsible government shifted responsibility from the Imperial Parliament and its colonial representatives to local decision making
S
Services
Our guarantees of services
Special bundles
Special Bundles contain correspondence and papers on particular matters or subjects which because of their significance or the quantity of correspondence generated were usually extracted from an agency's main correspondence series and treated separately
Students & pupils
Education records in NSW 1788-c.1979 plus the main records, indexes, photos, teachers
T
Taronga zoo
A brief overview of the major sources in our collection relating to the opening and operation of Taronga Zoo at Mosman
U
Unemployment
At the direction of the Colonial Secretary, in 1866, the Inspector General of Police was asked to report on persons out of employment in Sydney
V
Van Diemen's Land
Vessels arriving
W
War records
Water Board
Detail Sheets created by the Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board (MWS&DB) c.1904-1945 and how to access them
Women in the records
Highlighting several areas, or 'gateways', for researching on women in the State archives