Family histories
Who's your mob?
If you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person and would like to know where your family comes from, who they are or how you are connected to a certain place, Community & Personal Histories may be able to help you.
Legislation such as the Aboriginals and Protection and the Restriction of Sale of Opium Act 1897 and subsequent protection acts enabled past Queensland government departments and agencies to exercise wide-ranging control over Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' lives. In doing so the Government compiled large volumes of records about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples until about the mid 1980's. Today these records are a valuable resource for establishing connections to family and traditional homelands.
Community & Personal Histories facilitates access to the records for research into family and/or community history and other issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, such as proof of date of birth.
If your mob is from interstate, there are other agencies that provide services similar to Community & Personal Histories. Check out their contact details at where else to look.
All services provided by Community and Personal Histories are confidential and free of charge.
Getting access to records
Many people are unaware that some of the records compiled by government departments contain highly personal and sensitive information about individual people and families. To maintain confidentiality and to protect the privacy of individuals the Department has an Access Policy. Under this policy you may be required to obtain permission from other family members to access records.
If you don't need permission from anyone else, you will still need to complete an Application for Release of Restricted Personal Information form to allow departmental staff to access information about you.
Further information
For more information please contact:
Community and Personal Histories Team
Reconciliation and Reconnections Unit
- Address:
- Floor 6
75 William Street
Brisbane - Telephone:
- 1800 650 230 (toll-free within Australia)†
- (07) 3404 3622
- Facsimile:
- (07) 3224 3464
- † Calls from mobile phones are charged at applicable rates.
Also note, accessing government records is not limited to the services provided by Community & Personal Histories. Access to records held by Government departments, semi-government agencies and statutory authorities may also be applied for under the Freedom of Information Act (Qld), 1992 (FOI).
For more information about making an FOI application to the Department of Communities, please contact the FOI Coordinator on telephone number: (07) 3006 4007 or write to GPO Box 806 Brisbane Qld 4001.
For more information
Family and Community Histories
The Queensland State Library has launched the Footprints website which provides access to a wide range of resources, information and records useful in tracing Queensland Indigenous Family and Community history. This website is located at: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/info/ind/footprints
Freedom of Information
The FOI Unit, Department of Communities can provide you with more information on FOI / administrative law matters and assistance with making a request to the Department under the FOI Act.
- Freecall:
- 1800 460 906
- Telephone:
- (07) 3235 9644
- Facsimile:
- (07) 3210 1182
- Email:
- foi_communities@communities.qld.gov.au
- Postal Address:
- Freedom of Information Unit
- Department of Communities
- GPO Box 806
- Brisbane QLD 4001
To view the Freedom of Information Act 1992 visit the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel website at www.legislation.qld.gov.au.
For more information visit the FOI website of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (the lead agency for Queensland government FOI policy).
Last updated: 01 July 2008.