Historical Societies and Groups
Australia has a vast network of History Societies and groups dedicated to recording and preserving our nation's history. Support them now by becoming a member today!
Below is a list of active historical societies across the country. Click the links to visit their websites and/or Facebook pages. History groups are an invaluable resource especially for genealogy research as they usually have local knowledge of family names in their area. Where available you can make enquiries regarding your ancestry interests direct to the group and usually you'll find they are happy to assist. Be patient - most family history societies are run by teams of dedicated volunteers who generously donate their time to carefully locate, investigate and preserve valuable images, documents and family tree resources.
Jump to:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Queensland
- Victoria
- South Australia
- Western Australia
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- National
Notes: pages that have a broken link marker were down or unavailable when last checked. They will be rechecked periodically and updated as necessary. Where a link has been unlinked (ie can't be clicked) the website appeared to have malware. In the interests of safety for users, the link has been temporarily removed until the issue is resolved.
Australian Capital Territory
- Canberra and District Historical Society
- The Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra
- Fire Brigade Historical Society of the ACT
Queensland
- Australian Railway Historical Society – Queensland Division
- Brisbane History Group
- Bundaberg Genealogical Association
- Cairns Historical Society
- Caloundra Family History Research
- Central Queensland (Rockhampton) Family History Association
- Cloncurry & District Historical & Museum Society Facebook Page
- Cooroy-Noosa Genealogical and Historical Research Group
- Cooktown and District Historical Society
- Dayboro District Historical Society
- Dalby Family History Society
- Eacham Historical Society
- Emerald & District Historical Association Facebook page
- Enoggera & Districts Historical Society Facebook page
- Eumundi Heritage
- Genealogical Society of Queensland (GSQ)
- Genealogical Society Gladstone District
- Nerang - Gold Coast Family History Society
- Gympie Family History Society
- Hervey Bay Family History Association
- History Queensland
- Ipswich Historical Society
- Ipswich Genealogical Society
- Kenilworth Museum
- Kilcoy District Historical Society
- Landsborough Museum
- Maryborough District Family History Society
- Mackay History
- Mareeba Historical Society
- Nambour - Sunshine Coast Historical and Genealogical Resource Centre
- Noosa Museum - Cooroora Historical Society
- Family History Association of North Queensland
- Queensland Family History Society (Brisbane)
- Rosewood Scrub Historical Society
- The Royal Historical Society of Queensland
- Sandgate Historical Society and Museum
- Toowoomba & Darling Downs Family History Society
- Toowong History Group
- Toowong & District Historical Society
New South Wales
- Sydney - Botany Bay Family History Society
- Sydney - Burwood and District Family History Group
- Sydney - Cape Banks Family History Society
- Sydney - Campbelltown District Family History Society
- Sydney - The Haberfield Association
- Sydney - Holroyd Family History Group
Sydney - Parramatta Family History Group
- Sydney - Riverstone and District Historical Society
- Sydney - Ryde District Historical Society
- Sydney - Society of Australian Genealogists
- Abermain Heritage Preservation Society
- Albury & District Historical Society Inc
- Armidale Family History Group
- Ashfield & District Historical Society
- Family History Group of Bathurst
- Bathurst Historical Society
- Berrima District Historical and Family History Society
- Bega Valley Genealogy Society
- Blue Mountains Historical Society
- Blue Mountains Family History Society
- Broken Hill Family History Group
- Camden Historical society
- City of Canada Bay Heritage Society
- Cape Banks Family History Society
- Casino & District Family History Group
- Clarence River Historical Society
- Cowra Family History Group
- Cornish Association of New South Wales
- Coffs Harbour District Family History Society
- Cudgegong Valley History
- Deniliquin Genealogy Society
- Dubbo and District Family History Society
- Forbes Family History Group
- Gerringong and District Historical Society
- Gosford - Central Coast Family History Society
- Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society
- Granville Historical Society
- Hay Historical Society
- Hawkesbury Family History Group
- Helensburgh and District Historical Society
- Hill End & Tambaroora Gathering Group
- Hill End Family History
- Illawarra Historical Society
- Inverell Genealogical & Historical Society
- Inverell District Family History Group
- Kiama Family History Centre
- Kurrajong-Comleroy Historical Society
- Lake Macquarie Family History Group
- Liverpool Genealogy Society
- Lithgow and District Family History Society
- Maclean District Historical Society
- Manning Valley Historical Society
- Maitland & District Genealogical Society
- Manly, Warringah & Pittwater Historical Society
- Milton Ulladulla Family History Society
- Moruya and District Historical Society
- Molong Historical Society
- Muswellbrook Shire Local and Family History Society
- Mudgee Historical Society
- Murwillumbah Historical Society
- Newcastle Family History Society
- Orange Family History Group
- Paterson Historical Society
- Picton & District Historical and Family History Society
- Penrith - Nepean Family History Society
- Port Macquarie Historical Society
- Port Stephens Family History Society
- Port Macquarie and Districts Family History Society
Randwick & District Historical Society Inc.
- Raymond Terrace & District Historical Society
- Richmond River Historical Society
- Rylstone and District Historical Society
- Scone and Upper Hunter Historical Society
- Shoalhaven Family History Society
- Singleton Family History Society
- Springwood Historical Society
- Stockton Historical Society
- St Marys & District Historical Society
- Tamworth & District Family History Group
- Taree - Manning Wallamba Family History Society
- Thredbo Historical Society
- Tumut Family History Group
- Tweed Gold Coast Family History & Heritage Association
- Tweed Heads Historical Society facebook page
- Wagga Wagga and District Family History Society
- Wentworth Historical Society
- Wollongong - Illawarra Family History Group
- Wyong Family History Group
- Yass Historical Society
Victoria
- Melbourne - The Genealogical Society of Victoria
- Melbourne - Port Phillip Pioneers Group
- Melbourne - Family History Connections (formerly AIGS)
- Melbourne - Royal Historical Society of Victoria
- Anglesea and District Historical Society
- Apollo Bay and District Historical Society
- Ararat & District Historical Society
- Avoca and District Historical Society
- Ballarat - Ballarat & District Genealogical Society
- Ballarat - Ballarat Historical Society
- Ballarat - Sovereign Hill
- Ballarat - Encyclopaedia of Gold
- Ballarat - Gold Museum
- Bellarine Historical Society Inc.
- Benalla Family Research Group
- Bendigo Family History Group
- Bendigo Historical Society
- Bendigo Regional Genealogical Society
- Box Hill Historical Society
- Bright & District Historical Society
- Brighton Historical Society
- Buninyong & District Historical Society
- Camperdown & District Historical Society
- Casterton & District Historical Society
- Castlemaine Historical Society
- Castlemaine - Encyclopaedia of Gold
- Central Highlands Historical Association
- Chelsea and District Historical Society
- Chinese Australian Family Historians of Victoria
- Cobram Genealogical Group
- Cornish Association of Victoria
- Cohuna & District Historical Society
- Colac Family History Group
- Daylesford & District Historical Society
- Dandenong and District Historical Society
- Derrinallum Lismore History Group
- Doncaster-Templestowe Historical Society
- Dromana and District Historical Society
- Dunkeld Historical Museum
- East Gippsland Family History Group
- Echuca-Moama Family History Group
- Echuca Historical Society
- Essendon Historical Society
- Flinders District Historical Society
- Footscray Historical Society
- Frankston Historical Society
- Geelong Historical Society
- Geelong & South Western Rail Heritage Society
- Geelong Family History Group
- Geelong Heritage Centre
- Geelong - North Shore and Norlane Stories
- West Gippsland Genealogical Society (Warragul)
- Goulburn & Murray Association of Local and Family History Groups
- Greensborough Historical Society
- Hastings-Western Port Historical Society
- Hamilton History Centre
- Hamilton - I've lived in Hamilton Facebook group
- Healesville and District Historical Society
- Heidelberg Historical Society
- Horsham Historical Society
- Inglewood Historical Society
- Jamieson & District Historical Society
- Kilmore Historical Society
- Knox Historical Society
- Koroit and District Historical Society
- Kyabram Regional Genealogical Society Inc
- Kyneton Historical Society
- Lakes Entrance Family History Resource Centre
- Lang Lang and District Historical Society
- Lara Museum and Historical Centre
- Lilydale & District Historical Society
- Little River Historical Society
- Lorne Historical Society
- Malvern Historical Society
- Mornington Peninsula Family History Society (Frankston)
- Maffra & District Historical Society
- Mansfield Historical Society
- Maryborough-Midlands Historical Society
- Historical Society of Mooroopna
- Melton Family History Group
- Mid-Gippsland Family History Society
- Mildura Genealogical Society
- Morwell Historical Society
- Penshurst - Mt Rouse & District Historical Society
- Narre Warren & District Family History Group
- National Wool Museum - Geelong
- Nepean Historical Society
- Nhill Historical Society
- Newstead & District Historical Society
- Oakleigh & District Historical Society
- Omeo Historical Society
- Ouyen District History & Genealogy Centre
- Port Fairy Historical Society
- Port Melbourne Historical and Preservation Society
- Port Phillip Pioneers Group
- Port Phillip District
- Pyramid Hill Historical Society
- Queenscliffe Historical Museum
- Queenscliffe Maritime Museum
- Ringwood Historical Society
- Shepparton Family History Group
- Shepparton Heritage Centre
- Skipton Historical Society
- Southern Peninsula Family History Society
- Somerville, Tyabb and District Heritage Society
- Stawell Biarri Group for Genealogy
- St Andrews (Queenstown) Historical Society
- St Kilda Historical Society
Stawell Historical Society
- Steiglitz Historical Society
- Back to Steiglitz
- Swan Hill Genealogical & Historical Society
- Torquay & District Historical Society
- Traralgon & District Historical Society
- Trentham and District Historical Society
- Warrnambool Family History Group
- Warrnambool & District Historical Society
- Warrnambool - Lost Warrnambool on Facebook
- Wangaratta Family History Society
- Warrandyte Historical Society
- Waverley Historical Society
- Western Victorian Association of Historical Societies.
- Whitehorse Historical Society
- Winchelsea and District Historical Society
- Woodend & District Heritage Society
- Wonthaggi Genealogy
- Wodonga Family History Society
- Yarram & District Historical Society
- Yarram Genealogy Group
- Yarra Glen and District Historical Society
- Yarrawonga Family History Group
Western Australia
- Albany History Collection - search the collection online. Copy service available, see site for details and costs
- Albany Regional Family History Society
- Australind Family History Society
- Broome Historical Society
- Busselton Family History Society
- Carnamah Historical Society
- Geraldton Family History Society
- Great Southern Family History Society
- Irwin District Historical Society
- Kalamunda and Districts Historical Society
- Kununurra Historical Society
- Margaret River & Districts Historical Society
- Mandurah Family History Society
- Mundaring and Hills Historical Society
- Outback Family History
- Perth - Western Australian Genealogical Society
- Family History Society of Rockingham & Districts
- Rockingham District Historical Society
South Australia
Adelaide Northern Districts Family History Group
- Angaston and Penrice Historical Society
- Barossa Goldfields Historical Society
- Burnside Historical Society
- Clare Regional History Group
- Colonel Light Gardens Historical Society
- Fleurieu Peninsula Family History Group
- Genealogy SA
- GenealogySA - Irish Group Facebook page
- Lyndoch & Districts Historical Society
- Mitcham Historical Society
- Mount Horrocks Historical Society
- The Mount Gambier History Group
Murray Bridge Historical Society
- Pioneers Association of South Australia
- Playford Historical Society
- Port Adelaide Historical Society
- South East Family History Group (Millicent)
- South Australian Police Historical Society
Tasmania
- Bellerive Historical Society
- Burnie Branch, Tasmanian Family History Society
- Dover Museum and Gallery - History Group
- George Town and District Historical Society
- Tasmanian Family History Society, Hobart Branch
- Huon Branch, Tasmanian Family History Society
- Launceston Branch, Tasmanian Family History Society
- Launceston Historical Society
- Mersey Branch, Tasmanian Family History Society
- Sandy Bay Historical Society
Northern Territory
- Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory
- Historical Society of the Northern Territory
- Centre for Indigenous Family History Studies online data
National
- Australian Garden History Society
- Australian Jewish Historical Society
- Naval Historical Society of Australia
- Australasian Mining History Association
- Royal Australian Historical Society
- The Cinema and Theatre Historical Society of Australia
- Norfolk Island on the Web
- Australian National Maritime Museum - some of their collection is now online including images of artifacts
- National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame - online search available