Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities
Coffs Harbour Libraries has resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This includes Gumbaynngirr language books that can be borrowed. Please ask our staff for help finding Aboriginal collection items.
External Aboriginal Organisations
Some Aboriginal records held by archives are restricted to protect privacy and respect cultural protocols. Access may be available only to the person, family, or community connected to the records, or through a formal application process. If you are researching family history, we can help you find the right organisation and explain the next steps.
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS):
An indigenous led national institution focused on the diverse history, cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. It has resources for family history, education, native title access. Research specialties include languages and cultural expression, public policy development, education and cultural transmission, land and water and health and wellbeing.
For further information visit: Family history | AIATSIS corporate website
The State Library of New South Wales
An Indigenous Engagement team make the collection of Aboriginal historical, political, cultural and language materials available to communities on Country and online. Requests for research assistance from First Nations people are prioritised. This includes the NSW First Nations Family History Guide.
For further information visit: Indigenous Engagement | State Library of New South Wales
State Archives NSW
The State Archives NSW are part of Museums of History NSW) and offer extensive First Nations resources, focusing on colonial records of government dealings, missions, and reserves.
Key State Archives Records include:
Aborigines Protection/Welfare Board (1883–1969): These are the most significant records, including case papers, ward registers for children in homes (e.g., Kinchela and Cootamundra), and manager’s reports from missions and reserves.
Administrative History: Records of land dispossession, frontier conflicts, and early colonial accounts of First Nations peoples.
Photographic Collections: Images of children and adults on reserves and stations like Purfleet, Walgett, and Caroona, often dating from approximately 1916 to 1961.
School Files: Detailed records of Aboriginal schools and children's education in NSW (1876–1979).
For further information visit:
Museums of History NSW: Contact collections team at (02) 9673 1788 for general archive inquiries.
Aboriginal Family Records Service: Contact via email at familyhistory@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au or free call 1800 019 998 for personal and family record searches.
National Library of Australia
Resources to assist you with piecing together your family’s history. This guide helps you find resources both in and outside the National Library’s collection. The collection includes First Nations births, deaths and marriages records, mission and reserves records, Stolen Generations resources and First National military resources.
For further information visit: First Nations family history research guide | National Library of Australia (NLA)