Search our Australian immigration records for free this Easter long weekend. Start with a name you know, like a grandparent or great-grandparent
To view these records you will need to register for free with Ancestry.com.au with your name and email address. We will then send you a username and password to access the records. No Credit card required on registration.
To see a full list of the records in the featured collections please click here
Don't get me wrong I'm not knocking this deal, I'm just wanting to know if this ancestral documentation stuff is really the duck's nuts or not…
C'mon dude stop speculating.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a single reference to my own Kryptonian ancestry…
@TheOneWhoKnocks: we need a sarcasm emoticon, just to spell it out for those with a low emotional IQ.
Read your sentence too fast and was like what a racist! Thought there was an "i" in your first word…
The Checkout did a segment on it, basically, it's a waste of time to pay for. For free though? Probably not either.
Wow, everyone should watch that "Checkout" vid before trying this "free" trial… I won't be trying it!
"So, to know my family history I have to do more than just Expensive-Google them?!" ;)
@KaptnKaos, ancestry.com advertises a lot, but they are very legit. I've subscribed to them in the past. If you are doing genealogical research they're a must really unless you've got access to some other similar subscription service.
My wife has found hundreds of people through ancestry.com.au, it's one of the top 4 ancestry sites. Helpful if you have UK heritage. Not sure how much help it would be for Asian backgrounds.
They Wants to link u up to their database.
Does they now…
Perhaps you may be a descendant fom Middle Earth and related directly to Gollum
Perhaps you may be a descendant fom Middle Earth and related directly to
Gollumjv
FTFY :)
Last year I could search more recent collections (1965 +) but not this year it seems.
Could you add registration required in the title?
It's always free to join
The bargain is free access to the records database for the weekend. Ancestry do these 'deals' on a regular basis ie Anzac Day , Australia Day etc
This is such a white person thing
Yeah you're right… Records of ancestors would have been really useful for the Egyptians, Chinese, Hebrews and other major civilisations… Pity they didn't figure this one out.
Wait?
This offer doesn't include data from after 1965.
Australia's White Australia Policies, which meant that only immigrants from the UK and other English-speaking countries were accepted into the country were abolished starting from 1966. It was only in 1975 that the Racial Discrimination Act made discrimination based on race illegal.
Australia has had a long and storied history of preventing non-White immigration, and discriminating non-White migrants once they get here. Let's not forget that.
So no, this would be pretty bloody useless to almost anyone who isn't white.
For your edification:
1947 The Chifley Labor Government relaxed the Immigration Restriction Act allowing non-Europeans the right to settle permanently in Australia for business reasons.
1949 Immigration Minister Harold Holt permitted 800 non-European refugees to stay, and Japanese war brides to be admitted.[32]
1950 External Affairs Minister Percy Spender instigated the Colombo Plan, under which students from Asian countries were admitted to study at Australian universities.
1957 Non-Europeans with 15 years' residence in Australia were allowed to become citizens.
1958 Revised Migration Act, 1958 abolished the dictation test and introduced a simpler system for entry. Immigration Minister, Sir Alexander Downer, announced that 'distinguished and highly qualified Asians' might immigrate.
1959 Australians were permitted to sponsor Asian spouses for citizenship.
1964 Conditions of entry for people of non-European stock were relaxed.
Despite your factually inaccurate racist troll, the WAP was actually dismantled over a longer period beginning earlier than you have indicated, meaning that it is clearly of use to the family of some migrants of non-Anglo descent…not to mention those migrants who settled before WAP…but I suppose that fact doesn't really suit your pathetic agenda.
My mistake. Looking at the available data sources for this service though, I still maintain that the service would be useless for the majority of non-White Australians. Indeed I can't find a single data source that would be of use to your typical Asian-Australian, Middle-Eastern Australian, African-Australian, and obviously not Indigenous Australians.
19-Century Emigration of 'Old Lutherans' from Eastern Germany to Australia, Canada, and the United States
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Other Fleets & Ships, 1791-1868
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – First Fleet, 1787-1788 FREE
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Second Fleet, 1789-1790
Australian Convict Transportation Registers – Third Fleet, 1791
England, Alien Arrivals, 1810-1811, 1826-1869
Fremantle, Western Australia, Passenger Lists, 1897-1963
Maryborough, Queensland Australia Immigrants from the British Isles & Germany 1861-91 FREE
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849
New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia, Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1859
New South Wales, Australia 1828 - 1842: Bounty Immigrants List FREE
New South Wales, Australia Convict Ship Muster Rolls and Related Records, 1790-1849
New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896
New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Naturalization, 1849-1903
New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1856 FREE
New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 FREE INDEX
New South Wales, Australia, Departing Crew and Passenger Lists, 1816-1825, 1898-1911
New South Wales, Australia, Immigration Deposit Journals, 1853-1900
New South Wales, Australia, Passengers Arriving at Port Phillip, 1846
New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Land Grants and Leases, 1792-1867
New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Seamen, 1859-1936
New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists, 1787-1834
New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922
New South Wales, Australia, Wives & Children of Irish Convicts, 1825-1840
New Zealand, Naturalisations, 1843-1981
Queensland, Australia, Passenger Lists, 1848-1912
Tasmania, Australia, Convict Court and Selected Records, 1800-1899
Tasmania, Australia, Immigrant Applications and Bounty Tickets, 1854-1887
Tasmania, Australia, Immigrant Lists, 1841-1884
Tasmania, Australia, Land Applications and Warrants, 1868-1887
Tasmania, Australia, Passenger Arrivals, 1829-1957
UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960
Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923
Victoria, Australia, Deserter, Discharged, and Prisoner Crew Lists, 1852-1925
Victoria, Australia, Index to Naturalisation Certificates, 1851-1928
Western Australia, Australia, Convict Records, 1846-1930
Western Australia, Australia, Crew and Passenger Lists, 1852-1930
My mistake.
This indeed. Perhaps you should stop posting divisive trolls & let people judge the service ipso-facto, rather than your biased view of it.
So please judge the service based on the available data sources? This deal from Ancestry.com.au deal still looks like it doesn't cater at all for Autsralians who aren't white.
Everyday the WAP is becoming less ridiculous than it sounds.
Would it racist to say "bring back the WAP"?
Would it racist to say "bring back the WAP"?
One of my Maori mates actually suggested the same thing…I shit you not!!!
I've always found this site useless for me, guess it doesn't do too well with migrants and such
I know quite a few migrants, but I don't know many 'suches'…what can you tell me of this proud people's history, culture, language and customs? ;)
Just migrants, probably from countries where record keeping wasn't up to standard or never digitised.
He may be alluding to people brought here against there will… ?
No, but some people get homesick
"No Credit card required on registration."
How do you do it? I can't see any mention of free access over Easter weekend on site, then when I go to free 14 day trial they want payment details.
Hang on- the free weekend popup has suddenly appeared after ten minutes on site.
Which immediately loops to start free trial, give us your payment details. BOO
So unless I'm doing something wrong, this deal is a big fat nothing.
Oh, I get it. Only Australian records available, which is not much of a geneological tool.
Thanks. Yeah I found that. But it only gives AU records. Which means even if your ancestor came out with Arthur Phillip you can anly go back to 1788.
Its not free…. they took $1.01 out of my account!
That's because you signed up for a trial account. Its a pre-authorization charge,
You have to sign up via this link http://www.ancestry.com.au/cs/immigration2016?o_iid=70175&o_…
My local library offers this all of the time, most libraries probably do the same. I haven't made use of it.
"Access is available at each of the Port Macquarie-Hastings
ibraries to the following subscription databases.
Ancestry.com ~ Library edition
Find My Past U.K.
Find My Past Ireland
Find My past Australia
British Newspaper Archive"
You have to be in the library to access it.
Thanks EC
Happy Easter
Every time Ancestry offers a free weekend, we go through this endless palaver about the rights and wrongs of Ancestry, can't get the free account, and today, the White Australia Policy gets a guernsey. WTF. Too many people here with too much time on their hands methinks. Whatever. It has now become as boring as batsxxt.
To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a problem signing up free of charge. You can do that anytime. I have been a free member for at least the last 15 years or so. Except on the "free weekends", you can only look at indexes, not the actual records, as a free member. So unless you have an unusual name, it may be difficult to find your exact ancestor.
Ancestry offers "free weekends" around the world for various countries, at different times of the year. On this Easter Weekend, you have free access to UK records, some Australian records, and German records. There may be other countries as well that I am not aware of. You may have to sign up for those individual country's Ancestry sites, though I was able to use my aussie Ancestry sign in to get to the German records this morning. I regularly use the UK records when they have free weekends.
Ancestry is not one of my favourite sites, but it does have records I need access to. I am a member of 2 other paid sites, so I don't have a great dependency on Ancestry. There are lots of problems with it. Chat sites are full of complaints about Ancestry. Some of us manage to get on with our lives and not let it bother us.
FREE ACCESS to ANCESTRY is always available. Check your local library. Ancestry makes available what they call Ancestry Library edition. It is available in Mormon Family History Libraries, which are free for anyone to use. Your local municipal library may have it available. I use it at the State Library of Victoria. But I also have access on my home computer thru a recent Ozbargain deal where I am doing some free family history study with Uni of Tasmania. However, be aware the Library edition is not the full box and dice. Some things like user generated trees etc, are not included.
A lot of stuff that is on Ancestry, is also available FREE on the familysearch.org website (which is owned by the Mormons)
The Mormon's have done a lot of work in various countries microfilming records, and transcribing them. However, some countries will not allow them to do this. If your country is not there, that maybe the reason. In regards to Asian countries, there may be more difficulties because of translating the records. I don't know. But I think we could be pretty sure the Chinese government would not allow anyone in to copy records under any circumstances. That's a given. Also I suspect in some countries, there are simply no records. Information gets passed down the generations by word of mouth perhaps.
If you are GENUINELY interested in doing some family history research, and not wanting to pay up for subscriptions, these free weekends are a godsend. If you aren't interested then move on to other deals for things you are interested in. The title clearly explains what it is. Why waste your time commenting on something you know nothing about and have no interest??
I actually find it offensive & shameful that the mods have no interest in curbing the anti-Aussie/anti-White sentiment in these forums…they don't even do you the common courtesy of responding to reports of trolling…disgusting.
When similar comments were made about any other minority, we've seen gratuitous sin-binning & kickbans in the past (just ask Broden)…but badmouthing white Aussies is apparently just fine by the mods here.
Personally, I don't see significant anti- sentiment here. It's not attacking to say that the WAP existed, nor to express a feeling that its basic effect means that the current "giveaway" is watered down for anyone affected by the WAP.
In fact, is it so wise to call someone a "factually inaccurate racist troll". Wasn't "inaccurate" just a snarky way to say that even though the general idea of what they said was completely true but the specific date was off by less than two decades. Calling someone a racist after they posted two comments that didn't attack any race? Then complaining that they weren't banned?
Your poor comprehension is not my issue…
@StewBalls: Please don't personally attack me. I have no desire to quibble, but you accuse me of poor comprehension?
Thanks, would love to be able to use this. My family heritage is Greek, but from Egypt. Unfortunately that means, no records. The Egyptian govt at the time (WW2-ish) wouldn't give Greek people born in Egypt any birth certificates on anything.
Came for the free access, stayed for the comments
Thing is pretty useless, works better if your white or even European. I guess all of my family records were gone when Saigon fell to the commies…
I fear most links to my Inuit ancestors heritage was lost when many records were lost in the great igloo fires of 1892
The "free access" to ancestry.com.au is largely a con to reel in new members who are expected to provide credit card details and pay for continued access after the trial period ends. This is true regardless of what johninmelb has to say about having been a free member for 15 years, this might be true for Mormons only. I am unable to take the website seriously as my own year of birth is recorded on the website as 1949, whereas my driver's licence, birth certificate and passport show 1948. Also my mother's year of birth is 1927, yet on ancestry.com.au her year of birth is 1919. To the people obsessed with the White Australia Policy, I would like to point out that the first complete shipload of Lebanese Christians arrived in 1895/6 depending upon the port.
Some of them were quite dark, most were fair skinned. I had to cancel my ancestry.com.au membership to avoid having my credit card billed, as I could see no value in paying them money and then jumping through hoops in order for incorrect data to be corrected. It can take years for wrong information on Wikipedia to be corrected, and I would expect ancestry.com.au to be worse. Ancestry.com.au was not able to help with accurate information on the English/Scottish side of my family or the Lebanese side. The obsession of Mormons with ancestry data sites is due to the fact that they believe that their ancestors can be baptised as Mormons, probably for a donation.
You forgot to mention the con is that they bill you for the whole year after your trial period expires not the $29 per month or so they advertise it more like $300+. I think the free membership is that you can login but cant do anything…cant send messages etc. I think I've had that for 15 years too. The Mormon data is pretty poor because they use church volunteers in various countries to transcribe written records. There is a copy of Australian births deaths and marriages from 1950 or so back to the start of records here and its free from the Mormons if you are outside Australia. Unfortunately it's pretty poor quality and full of errors….buuut it's free
Just to be clear, I am NOT a Mormon, and never ever will be. I have nothing to do with religion of any brand, but don't get me started on that. In any case, I have form when it comes to hassling their missionaries when they come knocking on my door:-)
I have had free membership of both the UK and Australian Ancestry sites for many years, though the Aussie site has only been around in more recent times.
Since I use the Library Edition most weeks, I rarely bother with the normal website now.
As for the errors, well Ancestry is well known for transcription errors, so nothing new there. As for your examples, it would depend where they got the information from, it may have been transcribed inaccurately by someone else first. In my case, I have mostly found inaccuracies in spelling names and places more than anything else.
Doesn't work for most Asians, waste of time. The best way would be asking grand parents if they aren't dead yet.
But then what's the point in knowing family history anyway, it's more important to build my own new history.
The best way would be asking grand parents if they aren't dead yet.
Better than holding a mirror up to their face I guess… ;)
I know mine keep saying they're not dead yet…
Update to my post above.
Ancestry Free Weekend includes United Kingdom AND the Commonwealth, so Canada, New Zealand etc are included.
How legit is this thing? The ads on TV are endless…