How to influence my indexing plans

After almost 40 years as a professional genealogist, I'm now winding down towards retirement, and I need to be selective with my indexing projects.

I've created a new webpage showing the simple steps to take if you want to ask me to consider indexing Queensland records for specific towns/years. It's FREE to send such an 'expression of interest', and it doesn't commit you to anything. I may occasionally change or add to the offers on the webpage (https://www.judywebster.com.au/plans.html).

(This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2024/08/how-to-influence-my-indexing-plans.html)

Missing Queensland birth, marriage and death index entries

(Image by Danilo Rizzuti, freedigitalphotos.net)

If you were unable to find an index entry for a Queensland birth in 1921, marriage in 1946 or death in 1991, try again!

A relative sent me a certificate for which there wasn't an entry in the online index. Puzzled, I contacted the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, who responded promptly.

• Me: 'A relative sent me the attached birth certificate (Isabel Mary RIENECKER, born 4 Aug 1921). I have been unable to find this registration in the online index. Any thoughts?'


• Registry: 'Great news! The issue behind why this record wasn't appearing in the Family History Research Service has been found and resolved.'


• Me: 'Thanks very much for your prompt and efficient service. May I ask whether the same issue (whatever it was) is likely to have caused other index entries to be 'invisible'? I'm wondering how much time I should spend on repeating searches that were previously negative (which at the time I thought must be because the event was registered in the following year)?"


• Registry: 'As a result of your email, we did discover a number of other records exported on 01/01/2021 are missing and need to re-export them. So thank you VERY much!'

When I checked a few hours later, I found another 1921 birth, plus my aunt's 1946 marriage, neither of which had previously appeared in search results. Now I'm off to look for missing 1991 deaths!

(More research tips are on my main website. This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2021/07/missing-queensland-birth-marriage-and.html.)

70,000 names: 'Series/Quote' service for Document Copies

Example of file cover (list of contents)

My Web site lists more than 70,000 names from original historical records that I've indexed. The Web pages include 'Insanity and Unsound Mind index' and 'Identifying a Child's Biological Father'.

The 'Record Series and Quote' services described on those pages are designed to help clients avoid wasting money on copies that will not be relevant. Let me give you an example.

I've changed the names here to preserve client confidentiality. In my first email ('Record Series and Quote' report), I told the client which record series was involved (files for mental asylum patients) and I gave an estimate of the cost.

Client's final email:

I would like a digital copy of the record for Mary BLOGGS.

My final reply:

I retrieved our correspondence from my computer's deleted files, and it showed:

On 5 May 2021, you wrote, '...born Mary JONES in 1909, married Joe BLOGGS 1928'.

My report said: 'Mary BLOGGS... admission date in or about 1908'.

So... this file, for Mary BLOGGS admitted in about 1908, cannot be for your Mary JONES, who wasn't even born then, and didn't marry BLOGGS until 1928.

My 'Record Series and Quote' service is designed to help clients avoid wasting money on copies that will not be relevant. A less ethical researcher would have simply taken your $40 and sent the file. I chose not to do that.

I hope this example will convince you that it's worthwhile (1) following the instructions on my Web pages, (2) using my 'Record Series and Quote' service when it's available, and (3) reading my reports carefully.

(This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2021/05/70000-names-seriesquote-service-for.html.)

Beenleigh War Memorial Project (revised edition)

Society logo

Press release from Logan River and District Family History Society:

Sleep on! Australia's noble sons, we bow our heads to thee
Who fought and made the sacrifice to keep Australia free.

The dignitaries watched the cloudy skies on that afternoon of the 21st November 1925 as the good citizens of Beenleigh and environs gathered for the unveiling of the R.S.S.I.L.A. Beenleigh Sub-Branch Monument. In the crowd were the proud families and friends of those who had volunteered to serve, some of whom made the supreme sacrifice, in the Great War - the 'War to End All Wars'.

Who were these young people who had so bravely responded to the call to arms?

Many of their families live in our community today and some of their names are recorded on the monument in the heart of Beenleigh. This project was initiated prior to the centenary of WWI when several of our members, led by Kevin Egan, researched the 61 names on the Beenleigh War Memorial and published (in 2009) the first CD that contained information about the memorial and some general data about the soldiers and WW1.

Dianna Ottaway came across the CD in 2014 and decided that she would expand it to include men and women from the greater Beenleigh area who had served. Dianna, aided by Diane Schulz, has spent several years researching and recording these 236 stories. The stories tell of their daily lives rather than of battalions and battles, which have been well-covered elsewhere. This revised edition includes many more names than the original. The list of names is on the Society's Web site, www.loganriverfamilyhistorysociety.com.au.

The project has been published as a collection of stories, plus other information, on a USB drive which can be purchased, for $30, from Logan River and District Family History Society. The vast collection of research behind the stories is a useful resource for anyone researching the families of these volunteers. This is being kept in digital form at our research rooms. Anyone wishing to access it should contact the society (non-members pay a research fee).
---
Enquiries: contact Logan River and District Family History Society, PO Box 601, Waterford QLD 4133, or email loganriverfhs@hotmail.com.

(I don't usually publish press releases, but in this case I did so in response to a request from a very dear friend. This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2021/03/beenleigh-war-memorial-project-revised.html.)

'Insanity and Unsound Mind' Index for Family Historians

A file from one of the 53 record series. The pencil shows how huge it is.

Does your family history have someone who 'vanished'? If you cannot find a death certificate, or if children were raised by someone other than a parent, check mental asylum records. Reasons for admission include epilepsy, head injury, alcoholism, congenital defects, depression (including post-natal depression), etc. Many patients (adults and children) spent only days or weeks in an asylum before being discharged, and descendants would be unaware of that. I've spent many years creating indexes that make the information more accessible.

In response to requests from users of my Web site, I've combined all of my separate 'insanity indexes' for various sources, and I've added thousands more names, to create a huge 'Insanity and Unsound Mind' index. In addition to asylum patients, it includes many people 'of unsound mind' who were *not* in an asylum. The new list (which will continue to grow as indexing progresses) already has 19,000 names extracted from 53 separate series of original records (yes, fifty-three). Those names include some interstate and overseas asylum patients, but most were in Queensland.

The steps involved were:

1. Finish several 'indexes in progress'.
2. Index an important source that I'd previously neglected. For about 1,000 people it refers to circumstances prior to their admission to a mental asylum (information that is often difficult to find).
3. Change the layout (data fields) of each index, to enable merging.
4. Merge all of the indexes into one.
5. Check for formatting errors (eg, leading or trailing spaces that cause incorrect sorting).
6. Check for formatting inconsistencies (eg, how to list names with no surname, such as 'Billy (Aboriginal)'.
7. Check for obvious duplicate entries.
8. Check the use of 'see' cross references.
9. Write the HTML code for the combined list of names.
10. Write the text and HTML code for the explanation on new Web pages with those names.
11. Change the HTML code on Web pages that had previously listed some of the names (and make a link to the new combined index).
12. Change the description on my 'Indexes' Web page.
13. Decide upon a new fee structure for dealing with requests. (Genealogy is my business, not just a hobby, so I charge fees for my time.)
14. Create a new request form for my research/copying service.
15. Re-write my mini-guide Researching Mental Asylum Patients.

The decision to create a huge combined index was not taken lightly. I'm not convinced that it was worth the effort, but because so many people requested it, I finally agreed. The new arrangement has both pros and cons. Obviously it's easier for you to check a single list of names; but the new format cannot show (free of charge) a description of the source in which a particular name appears.

I know there will be a few complaints (there always are), but if you don't like the options available to you (see the link at the bottom of the Web pages with names), you can learn about all of those original records, then attempt to find the information yourself. But be warned... I've spent 35 years learning about the records! If you want to go it alone, you'll find it helpful to read my mini-guide 'Researching Mental Asylum Patients'.

To access the new list, start at the introductory page for Insanity and Unsound Mind.

(This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2018/11/insanity-and-unsound-mind-index-for.html.)
~~~

New copying costs at Queensland State Archives

Public Search Room at Queensland State Archives
(photo by Judy Webster)

Since 1 Sep 2017, copying fees charged by Queensland State Archives have increased as follows.

Up to A3, on paper

• Black & white up to 10 pages: $1.75 per page
• Colour up to 10 pages: $2.90 per page
• Photos on photo quality paper: $3.35
• Certified (per item up to 8 pages): $45

Bulk discount for scanning standard resolution

• Per item 11-20 pages: $24.75
• Per item 21-50 pages: $57.75
• Per item 51-100 pages: $123.75
• Per item 101-200 pages: $247.50

High resolution reproduction (over 300dpi), on paper, CD* or USB*

• A4 and A3: $6.70
• Larger than A3 CD/USB* only: $13.40 per metre
• Photographs on photo quality paper: $6.70

Postage

• Category 1 up to 100 pages: $3.35
• Category 2 over 100 pages: $5.50
• Overseas: Price on application
• Registered mail: $6.70
• CD / USB: $8

Consumables

• *CD: $0.55
• *USB: $8

Indexes

• Category 1 Digital emailed: $6.90
• Category 1 Paper posted: $10.65
• Category 2 Digital emailed: $18.55
• Category 2 Paper posted: $21.90

For some records, my fees for digital copies are lower than those charged by the Archives. My Web site has details of my services.

(This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2017/10/new-copying-costs-at-queensland-state.html.)

Mental Patients - One List or Separate Lists?

I've used 25 different series of historical records to create various indexes to mental asylum patients and people who were suspected of being of unsound mind. Names from some of the indexes are already on my Web site, but many more will be added soon.

QUESTION (it only applies to those series, not my other indexes):

Would you like me to put those names on my Web site in one alphabetical list, with separate Web pages for names beginning with each letter of the alphabet?

Or should I leave things as they are, with separate indexes for different 'mental' series, and (on my Web site) separate lists of names?

(Comments are now closed. This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2017/10/mental-patients-one-list-or-separate.html.)

What the Archives did with my index

One of five volumes of pension records  that I indexed

When I published my index to Queensland's old age pension records, I donated a copy to the Public Search Room at Queensland State Archives. I recently discovered that it was no longer there. I also found out why - and I was not happy!

The Archives said that they took it away to create an electronic version (which will undoubtedly end up on the Archives Web site). I was told that my indexes 'cause trouble' because people see the names on Findmypast, but don't quote the source reference shown there when they order document copies from the Archives. I don't know how many such orders they get, but it is apparently too much trouble for staff to consult my printed index.

I pointed out that I donated my index for the benefit of family historians who visit the Public Search Room. The archivist agreed to put it back there, but (get this!) she said that they may have already removed the binding and started scanning the pages of my index, in which case it will take a while to get them bound into book form again.

I should mention that I'd previously been asked whether I would give the Archives an electronic copy, and I said NO (along the lines of, 'If you want to waste time reinventing the wheel create an index, knock yourselves out, but don't take advantage of all my hard work').

Genealogy is my business, and I've spent thousands of hours indexing original records!

My indexes to hospital records have also disappeared from the Public Search Room. The Archives may try to tell you that they removed them because the records are no longer open to the public. The Croydon Hospital index 1888-1919 includes some pages that are currently less than one hundred years old, but most are accessible now, as are all of the Brisbane Hospital and pension records that I indexed.

For more information about the records, 70,000 names from my indexes, and details of my research and copying services, follow links on 'indexes to historical records and other sources for genealogy'.

(This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2017/08/what-archives-did-with-my-index.html.)

Queensland's Missing Births and Deaths

The Queensland Pioneers Index 1829-1889 is an excellent genealogy resource that was published on CD-ROM by the Queensland Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages.

Listed below are fourteen entries that are on the CD but not in the online historical indexes.

Baptisms with details shown on the CD:

• BAINBRIGGE Philip Parker, father Thomas, mother Sarah, 30 Jul 1828
• CLARK Emmeline Cameron, father Thomas, mother Emmeline SANDERS, 28 Oct 1828
• FERRIS Thomas, father John, mother Catharine, 15 Dec 1828
• GUERD Mary Anne, father Thomas, mother Mary, 18 Apr 1828
• ROBERTS William Henry, father Charles, mother Esther, 15 Sep 1828
• STACE Robert Austen, father Austen, mother Susanna, 5 May 1820

Burials (these undated burials had '1800' in the 'year' field on the CD-ROM):

• ARMS John
• BELL
• BELL (Mrs)
• BRETT
• BURNS
• HARVEY Elizabeth Ann
• MACARTHUR
• YATES

Searches on the Registry's Web site require a date of 1829 or later. Perhaps that's why these entries no longer appear in search results. If the Registry replies to my enquiry about this problem, I will add a comment here.

(This post first appeared on http://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2016/06/queenslands-missing-births-and-deaths.html.)

Queensland Births Index up to 1919

Image by 'africa', FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Despite the fact that Queensland's Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages currently (in 2016) only lets you search for births up to early 1916 (due to its 100-year access restriction), there is now another way to find births up to 1919!

To the delight of those with family history research here, indexes to Queensland births registered up to and including *1919* can now be searched online at Findmypast (that link takes you to the search page).

View the transcription there to get the exact date of birth plus parents' names including mother's maiden surname.

(This post first appeared on http://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com/2016/04/queensland-births-index-up-to-1919.html.)

Passport Records

It's great to see more Queensland records being added to Findmypast - for example, the indexes to passport registers 1915-1925 and passport registers and receipts 1926-1939. Most applicants lived in Queensland but some gave an interstate or overseas address including England, Canada, Papua, Ceylon, Fiji and China.

The National Archives of Australia and Queensland State Archives hold various series of passport records. They include:

• Immigration Department: passport clearance register 1926-1935 (Qld State Archives series 7149; one item). This register gives the passenger's name, ship and date of arrival, State of disembarkation, ship and date of departure, passenger's reason for returning overseas, and whether he/she was planning to return to Australia.


• Immigration Department: passport receipts 1930-1939 (Qld State Archives series 10222; thirteen items). These are duplicates of passport clearances issued to assisted immigrants. They give the passenger's name, ship and date of arrival in Australia. Some also give the ship and date of departure and how long the person expected to be away.


• Passport registers 1915-1974 (National Archives of Australia, Brisbane Office). After the Passports Act 1920, Australian residents over sixteen years of age needed a passport if they left the country. This did not apply to those going to New Zealand, Papua or Norfolk Island. Others who were exempt included merchant seamen and defence force personnel on duty. The National Archives Brisbane Office holds passport registers 1915-1974 and various other records of people departing Australia. Some of those passport registers have been indexed in the Queensland Passports Index 1915-1925.

If a person 'vanished' (either temporarily or permanently), passport records are definitely worth a look. They can also reveal interesting information about overseas holidays or trips to visit relatives.

NOTE!  The transcription on Findmypast is a useful finding aid, but it does not include all details, so it is essential to get a copy of the original document. If you can't go to the Archives yourself, ask about my copying service.

For other countries, these links take you to lists of passport records on:

• Findmypast (including the British Index to Register of Passport Applications 1851-1903)


• Ancestry (including records for the USA, France, Portugal, Latvia and other countries).

(This post first appeared on https://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/queensland-passport-registers-1926-1939.html.)

Queensland Customs House Shipping Index 1852-1885

"Queensland Customs House Shipping 1852-1885 Passengers and Crew" is an exciting new index compiled from Brisbane Customs House records (Shipping Inwards Series J715) held at the Brisbane Office of the National Archives of Australia. It is a vital resource for genealogists and others who are researching merchant mariners or passengers from Europe to Queensland.

Note that this index includes over 90 voyages that are not in the Queensland State Archives online index.

Most voyages were to Brisbane, but there are a few from Brisbane to an overseas port. The ships sailed from Batavia, Boston, Dundee, Glasgow, Greenock, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Liverpool, London, New York, Newcastle on Tyne, Plymouth, Queenstown, Singapore, San Francisco, Sydney, the South Sea Islands and Southampton. (Queenstown is the old name for Cobh, the port for Cork, Ireland.)

For some ships there are two lists, one prepared at the time of departure and another on arrival. Some of the records are for ships that carried passengers but were not specifically migrant vessels.

Each person's entry may include name, title, age, sex, marital status, occupation, nationality, whether passenger or crew, comments, ship, year and port of departure/arrival, etc.

The index is available on CD-ROM from the Queensland Family History Society. It is also online at FindMyPast. Some given names are abbreviated in the records, so you may need to search for an initial or an abbreviation (eg, 'Chas' for Charles). Searching is free at FindMyPast. To see transcriptions you need either pay-as-you-go credits or a one-month or twelve-month subscription.

(This post first appeared on http://qld-genealogy.blogspot.com.au/.)

Hospital Admission Registers as a Source for Family History

A typical hospital admission register

Hospital admission registers provide a solution to many genealogical dead ends and brick walls!

People born in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, America, Canada and other parts of the world appear in Queensland hospital admission registers. Biographical details supplied by the patient are often more complete and more accurate than those on certificates. A hospital register is sometimes the only surviving source of information about the ship on which a person arrived.

Many people spent time in a hospital far from their home. This applies especially to Brisbane (a large hospital capable of handling difficult cases), Cooktown (with many miners and sailors from ships in port) and Croydon (people came here from everywhere during the local gold rush).

The registers for Brisbane General Hospital, Brisbane Prison Hospital, and hospitals at Burketown, Cooktown, Croydon, Ingham, Muttaburra and Roma, are printed volumes with space for these details:

• name
• date admitted
• age
• birthplace (town, State/county and country)
• occupation
• religion
• ship of arrival
• how long in the colony
• last place of residence
• marital status
• place of marriage, at what age, and name of spouse
• names and ages of children living; number and gender of children deceased
• father's name and occupation
• father's present residence if living (or 'father dead')
• mother's maiden name
• disease or reason for admission
• date of discharge, or date and cause of death
• remarks (which may include medical history, social circumstances etc.)

Some Brisbane registers also give details of employment, wages, other sources of income, other wage-earners in the family, property, membership of clubs or benefit societies, and names and addresses of relatives or friends.

Note the provision for ship of arrival, place of residence, marital status, and father's present residence - details not found on a Queensland death certificate.

A few hospital records exist for other towns such as Mackay and Toowoomba, but they are less informative.

Dates of surviving registers and where to find them, plus thousands of names from my indexes to hospital records, are on my main Web site. Even if you don't think your family were ever in Queensland, follow this link to check the lists of names from Queensland hospital admission registers. Many people have been surprised by what they've found!

Maiden Names missing from Queensland death indexes online

I recently (Sep 2013) sent this question to the Queensland Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages:

'Since your recent changes to online historical indexes, the mother's maiden surname has disappeared from many death index entries. Why is that, and will the matter be rectified in the future?'

Their reply was (I quote):

'If the Mothers maiden name (or Parents names) had been included on a Death Certificate than it will also be included on the historical index. Any details and information included on a Death Certificate does vary and is dependent on the amount of information provided by the Informant at time of death. All details we have are included on the index.'

Umm... WRONG!

Example 1 (death of Frederick William STEVENS, 1882):

Queensland Registrar-General's Pioneers Index 1829-1889 (on CD-ROM) shows the mother's maiden surname (GIBSON), but the online index at www.bdm.qld.gov.au does not.

Example 2 (death of John PERRON, 1911):

Queensland Registrar-General's Federation Index 1890-1914 (on CD-ROM) shows the mother's maiden surname (BERBACCI), but the online index at www.bdm.qld.gov.au does not.

I sent this information to the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. Their response was:

'We are aware of this and it will be rectified in the new release which will be in October.'


My main Web site has more tips about Queensland BDM indexes and certificates.
~ ~ ~

Problem with recent Queensland death indexes

Following on from my hasty post ('More Queensland death indexes online') a couple of days ago... and before we all get too excited about the release of Queensland death indexes up to 1983...

My grandfather died in Queensland in 1967. Yesterday I noticed that his parents are not shown in the online death index entry, but their names are on his death certificate. I also noticed that in Grandad's index entry, columns for 'father' and 'mother' had blank spaces (not the dash that usually appears in the index when a death certificate does not include a parent's name).

An experiment with a common surname revealed that certain years seem to be worse than others. For example, there are 371 SMITH deaths in 1975-1976, but only 10 of them list the parents.

I don't want to waste time doing what someone has already done, so if you have asked the Queensland Registry of BDMs why they omitted parents' names from many of the later death index entries, please let us know the answer by leaving a comment here.

More Queensland death indexes online

Queensland Registrar-General's indexes to births to 1914, marriages to 1938 and deaths to 1983 are now online - but note that some indexes (births to 1919 and marriages to 1939) are available on microfiche but not online.

Once you know a year of death, it's much easier to search for a recent Supreme Court probate file - which, if it exists, will include the death certificate, thus saving you a lot of money.

There are other tips about Queensland birth, death and marriage records on my Web site and in the book Tips for Queensland Research. See also 'Free certificates in Archives files'.

J is for Jurors and Justice Department

This week's 'Family History Through the Alphabet' challenge focuses on the letter 'J'.

J is for...

• Jurors.  Yesteryear Links published an index to jurors and witnesses in cases heard at Charters Towers (Queensland), 1920-1937, in the Circuit Court, District Court, Criminal Court, Police Court, Coroner's Court etc. The index gives names, addresses and often occupations of jurors and witnesses, and it states whether the original document includes that person's signature.


• Justice Department.  Queensland State Archives hold many series of Justice Department records for which there are indexes. They include Registers of Criminal Depositions, Inquests (magisterial enquiries), and Preliminary Enquiries. For one series of Preliminary Enquiries (1931-1961) there are separate indexes to the deceased and other people mentioned. If there was also an inquest, the Preliminary Enquiries file gives extra details.

You can find out more about all of these indexes by referring to my books Specialist Indexes in Australia: a Genealogist's Guide and Tips for Queensland Research, which are held by many libraries.

More tips for family history are in my other articles in this series. If the information and advice is useful, have a look at this page.

D is for Dunwich Benevolent Asylum

Continuing to the next letter, 'D', in the 'Family History Through the Alphabet' challenge... D is for Dunwich Benevolent Asylum.

Dunwich was established on North Stradbroke Island, Moreton Bay, Queensland, in 1865. When it closed in 1946, inmates were gradually transferred to Eventide at Sandgate. The function of Dunwich (as defined by the Benevolent Asylum Wards Act of 1861) was to provide for poor people who because of age, accident, infirmity or otherwise were unable to care for themselves. The inmates thus included not only the elderly but also younger people.

Sources (many of which are held at Qld State Archives) include:

1. Index to Colonial/Home Secretary's Office applications for admission to Dunwich with associated correspondence, 1890-1922.


2. Typed index to many Dunwich sources for various dates between 1859 and 1971.


3. Card index to Dunwich records.


4. Immigration Department register of applications for admission to Dunwich 1902-1904.


5. Index to Dunwich weekly returns from Qld Government Gazette notices, 1885-1907.


6. Index to Eventide (Sandgate, Qld) registers of deaths 1954-1959.


7. Index to selected names from 1860s/1870s Colonial Secretary's Office in-letters.


8. Home Secretary's Office: registers of letters received.


9. Indexes to various series of mental asylum records.


10. Index to old age pension records.


11. Police Station watchhouse charge books.


12. Books:  Brisbane: Moreton Bay Matters and Moreton Bay People, vols. 1-3.


13. Brisbane Courier, 25 Oct 1927, p.9: detailed article that includes photographs of the matron, nurses and other staff, Private WILKINSON aged 99, Mrs ROWE aged over 90, and other elderly residents.

Some of the Archives sources give excellent biographical details. These may include address, age, country of birth, religion, occupation, length of time in Qld; married or single; names, addresses and circumstances of applicant's sons and daughters; names, addresses and circumstances of other relatives; names and addresses of employers during the past 2 years, and length of time with each; real or personal property; aid received from hospitals or other charitable institutions during the past 2 years; reasons for desiring admission; through whom applying; and applicant's signature.

For a detailed explanation of the sources available (with Archives location numbers where applicable) and access restrictions that apply to some records, see the most recent edition of my book, Tips for Queensland Research. It is described on my Web site.

You will find more tips for family history in my other articles in this series. If the information and advice is useful, have a look at this page.

C is for Cooktown, Croydon and Cunnamulla

For the letter 'C' in the 'Family History Through the Alphabet' challenge, I was tempted to write about cemeteries, churches and family surnames such as Campbell, Capsticks, Clark and Corduex. Instead I decided to list three Queensland towns whose records I have indexed.

C is for...

• Cooktown.  In the 1800s, Cooktown was the main port for the North Queensland gold fields. Local hospital records, which are very useful for family history, give information about people from all walks of life, including miners, sailors and railway workers. Many had spent time in other parts of Australia and in New Guinea and New Zealand. I have indexed Cooktown Hospital admission registers and some local petitions and school records.


• Croydon.  Another North Queensland mining town for which I have indexed hospital admission registers. During the 1880s, 70% of those admitted to Croydon hospital were born in Britain or Ireland, and about 15% were born in Australia's southern states, especially the Victorian goldfields. Some residents of Croydon moved to Western Australia when gold was discovered there. The index to Croydon Hospital admissions is now online, with Archives source location numbers.


• Cunnamulla.  My home town! I have indexed various records for Cunnamulla, Eulo and Thargomindah in southwest Queensland.

You will find more tips for family history in my other articles in this series.

Revenue from ads goes to Kiva

Mental Asylum Case Books

Family historians may be surprised to find relatives' names in indexes to mental asylum records. Many patients spent only a short time in an asylum, and their descendants would probably not know about that.

Part of an entry in a Goodna Asylum case book

Reasons for the onset of mental illness (as stated in case books) include childbirth, epilepsy, head injury, alcohol, syphilis, congenital defect, jealousy, 'domestic troubles', bereavement, and 'deserted by the father of her child'.

Goodna Asylum case books often give the patient's admission date, discharge or death date, age, marital status, number of children (and age of the youngest), occupation, country of birth, residence, religion, mental disorder and its onset, changes in behaviour and general health, and a physical description. Some entries include names of 'insane relatives' (here or overseas), references to time spent in other asylums, or comments such as 'good bowler at cricket'. For some patients there are letters or photographs.

For patients transferred on 10 Jan 1865 from the Lunatic Asylum, Brisbane, to Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum, case books also give the date of first admission. Until Woogaroo Asylum opened in 1865, psychiatric patients were treated at the old convict hospital, and in some cases there are references in prison records.

Information from case books has traditionally been available only to close relatives in special circumstances via Right to Information - but I have details from case books for some patients admitted more than one hundred years ago. To help family historians, I have indexed those names (and many others). I have also created a mini-guide, Researching Mental Asylum Patients.

Note that case books are completely different from Public Curator insanity files, which are much easier to obtain and potentially even more useful for family history.

If you need help to get copies of historical records for Queensland mental asylum patients, follow this link. Each page with a list of names has details of my research and copying services.