Services provided by Community and Personal Histories

Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs

• Locating birth, death and marriage certificates
• Community histories and long term research projects
• Native title
• Biographical profiles
• Proof of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage
• Work histories

Locating birth, death and marriage certificates

It was not until the late 1930s that the births, deaths and marriages of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders were routinely registered with the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages

If you have not been successful in finding the certificates of family members you are researching, Community and Personal Histories may be able to assist by providing copies of other types of records with similar information.

Community histories and long term research projects

Community and Personal Histories provide assistance to students, academics and private researchers undertaking long term or wide ranging research. The Department's records have been used for research into:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voting rights in Queensland
• aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism in Queensland
• Indigenous labour in the pearling industry
• land tenure histories.

Native title

Community and Personal Histories provides copies of records that may be used in native title determinations and Indigenous Land Use Agreements. If you are involved in native title research please give Community and Personal Histories as much notice as possible as there may be extended waiting periods due to the high demand for this service.

See also

• Native title resources from the Department of Environment and Resource Management
• Guide to compiling a connection report for native title claims in Queensland [PDF 230kb]
• Guide to compiling a connection report for native title claims in the Torres Strait [PDF 194kb]

Biographical profiles

Community and Personal Histories may be able to assist you with information on a specific person for:

• Torres Strait Islander tombstone openings
• published biographies
• eulogies.

Proof of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage

Community and Personal Histories may be able to assist you by providing copies of any relevant documents. However you may need to complete the a Confirmation of Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander Descent Form to apply for a Proof of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) has a fact sheet, Proof of Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander Heritage [PDF 60kb], that can be of use.

Work histories

Community and Personal Histories can provide information or records that can help document the work history of those Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders formerly controlled by the Queensland government under the 'Protection' Acts.

For all services, please Lodge a request for research or contact Community and Personal Histories.