The original office's of the AWB were located at Circular Quay, and this is where the records were first accessible to Aboriginal people.
About the Family Records Service
The Aboriginal Family Records Service (FRS) helps Aboriginal people access specific NSW Government records about themselves or their ancestors.
The records can relate to removal, control and other traumatic experiences for Aboriginal people and communities.
The FRS prioritises Stolen Generations Survivors and descendants.
FRS searches NSW Government records and archives created between 1883 and 1981 by agencies responsible for administering policies about Aboriginal people, including the:
- Aborigines Protection Board (APB)
- Aborigines Welfare Board (AWB)
- Aboriginal Services Branch
- Department of the Chief Secretary
These records may include Office documents (e.g. mortgages loans, applications, birth or death information), Letters, Station and Mission reports, Exemption certificates, Complaints, Children’s Homes records, Petitions, Photographs, School reports, Wage ledgers, Endowment ledgers, Dawn and New Dawn magazines (AIATSIS), and/or Investigations.
These records were created by a government department and because of this, they reflect the racism of the former Board and its officers and their focus on bureaucracy.
The records will not provide cultural knowledge. In many cases this was deliberately not included, which further demonstrates the discriminatory and assimilationist mindset of the former Board and its officers.
For example, there may be many pages on the replacement of a fleet vehicle, and a small note on one of these pages referencing a child’s removal.
People who are interested in understanding the communities' experience of the Board and its impacts are encouraged to access Survivors Stories. Those who are interested in the history of their mob or seeking cultural knowledge should approach the relevant NSW Lands Council office.
After you apply, we search for records about you or your direct ancestors. We will check how you would like to receive copies of records related to you, or let you know if no records are located.
We can also provide guidance and advice on how to access support and information held by other organisations in NSW and Australia.
The FRS supports:
- Stolen Generations Survivors
- Direct descendants of Survivors seeking records about parents, grandparents or great-grandparents
- People who were removed from family or affected by past government control
- Families with known links to NSW reserves, missions or stations
Our collection mainly covers records dated between 1940 to 1969. There are:
- Very few personal records before 1940
- Limited material from the late 1800s
- Almost no personal records after the mid-1970s
We can search for records about:
- You
- Your parents
- Your grandparents
- Your great-grandparents
To search for records beyond yourself, you must have permission either from that person if still living, or if they have died, from the eldest family member from the list above.
We are not able to search for extended family members such as cousins, aunties, uncles or more distant relatives.
Applying to the FRS does not guarantee that records will be found, as many records were destroyed or never created. We understand how disappointing and painful this can be.
If we do not locate material, it does not mean your family story is not true.
We can provide advice on how you might access information or records held by other organisations in NSW and Australia.
FRS cannot provide:
- Confirmation or proof of Aboriginality
- Family trees or genealogical research
- Cultural, community or language identification
- Research for school, university or general interest
- Legal or financial advice
- Interpretation of DNA or Ancestry-style results
FRS provides access to particular government archives, but it is not a genealogy service.
Why can’t FRS assist with my confirmation of Aboriginality?
Confirmation of Aboriginality is not decided by government. It is a community-controlled process. Local Aboriginal Organisations or Corporations determine set criteria and make decisions about membership and recognition. The Family Records Service cannot provide letters, certificates or statements confirming Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage.
If you require Confirmation of Aboriginality, contact an Aboriginal Land Council or a Local Aboriginal Organisation or Corporation connected to your family. They can guide you through the process. The FRS does not hold relationships with these organisations and cannot discuss any applications for confirmation of Aboriginality.
You can learn more about Confirmation of Aboriginality on the AIATSIS website.
Before applying
Reading these records can be confronting.
They may contain:
- References to removal, control and surveillance
- Information about health, relationships or violence
- Racist or offensive language
- Lies or omissions
We recognise these records can cause harm and that they contain inaccuracies, and that they do not always reflect individual and collective memories and lived experience. Work is underway to improve how Aboriginal people can respond to historical records.
If we identify sensitive material in records relating to you or your direct ancestors, we will speak with you about how you would like to receive copies.
To protect the privacy of other people, some information may need to be removed (redacted). We always try to keep this to a minimum.
If you need immediate or after-hours support:
- 13YARN 139 276
- Lifeline 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
The records contain personal information about Aboriginal people and communities.
Our application requirements — such as confirming identity, demonstrating connection and gaining consent from living relatives — are in place to protect Aboriginal people, families and communities.
FRS eligibility and application
To apply, you must:
- be 18 years or older
- identify as Aboriginal, or be supporting a person who identifies as Aboriginal
- be seeking records about yourself or direct ancestors who lived in NSW at any time between 1883 and the early 1980s
Once you have confirmed your eligibility, please contact us at familyhistory@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au or 1800 019 998.
Support services
As a Stolen Generation Survivor or descendent, you may wish to connect with organisations that provide tracing, reunions, counselling and advocacy, including:
- Link-Up NSW
- Wattle Place
- Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation
- Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation
- Children of Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home
- Stolen Generations Council of NSW & ACT
If you are starting your journey or researching beyond the scope that the FRS provides for, these organisations may help:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
No, as this is a community-controlled process. Local Aboriginal Organisations or Corporations decide their own criteria and make decisions about membership and recognition.
The Family Records Service cannot issue letters or certificates confirming Aboriginal heritage, or engage in the process being undertaken by an Aboriginal organisation.
If you need confirmation, contact an Aboriginal Land Council or Local Aboriginal Organisation or Corporation connected to your family.
It is any document created by government, so it can be as simple as an application form someone sent into a department, or as complex as a paper about a policy which will impact a group of people.
Some community organisations may accept archival records as supporting information, but each organisation sets its own rules.
FRS cannot advise whether our records meet the requirements. You will need to check directly with the Aboriginal Organisation, Corporation, or Lands Council assessing your application.
No, FRS is not a genealogy or family-history research service. We search specific NSW Government archives relating to the administration of Aboriginal people and communities.
No. We can only search for you and your direct bloodline — parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
No, we cannot interpret DNA or information from genealogy websites.
Most personal files are from 1940 to 1969. There are very few records before 1940, and almost none after the mid-1970s, as many records were destroyed or never created.
This happens often. A lack of records does not mean your family story is untrue. It reflects how incomplete the archives are.
If we cannot find material, we will let you know and can suggest other places to try.
Records can include details about removal, surveillance, health, finances, relationships or violence. They may also contain racist language, opinions or inaccuracies.
If we think material may be distressing, we will talk with you about options for receiving the files.
Yes, because the records contain sensitive personal and cultural information, we must confirm identity and relationships. This protects you, your family and community.
We do not physically hold the records in our office, we work from digital scans. The original documents are held with other government records at NSW State Archives, however they cannot be accessed by the public.
The records of the AWB were all made on paper, however they have all been digitised to make providing them easier. The public can no longer access the physical records as they are too old and delicate. The physical records are held in the NSW State archives.
This is a separate process to our family records application. We can provide limited advice or referrals for non-Aboriginal students and researchers.
Aboriginal researches should contact our service directly via email for a research application form and will need to provide the context of their project and any permissions obtained.