How to Request Research

A carefully prepared request will save you money and increase the chances of success. If insufficient details are supplied, time will be wasted and relevant material may be missed. It is the client's responsibility to provide full particulars of what is already known, so that the work is not duplicated.

Basic Searches

Use the 'Basic Request Form' attached to this message to supply these details if known.

'Wills and Requests' - name, death date (estimated if necessary) place of residence, place of death, names of parents and/or spouse.

'Immigration' -name, year of birth, native place, occupation, ship/port/date if known, or first recorded event in Western Australia.

'Electoral Rolls' - name, year and place of birth, last known address (and the date), occupation, family members who may have been enrolled at the same address, years and districts to be searched.

'Certificates' - name, event (birth, marriage, death) place, date (or time period to search) father's name, mother's maiden name, spouse's name, client's relationship to the subject of the certificate; purpose for which certificate is required (eg family history), client's nationality and passport number (or other ID).

For Other Research Requests

For other research requests, please use our 'Genealogy Assessment Form'.

State clearly what you are trying to find out, and what you already know.

(1) Include a list of sources (and time periods) already checked (whether results were positive or negative). It is essential to cite sources fully and accurately (repository, type and title of record, location number is known, and date range searched; or author, title, publication date, page; or (for published indexes) the index entry, interpretation of index codes, and title/location of the source from which the index is compiled.

(2) For more complex research, you should also provide family data sheets for relatives of the subject of your enquiry. (Researching a spouse, siblings or children is often the only way to overcome dead ends).