The Library is closed on public holidays and over Easter.  It is also closed during the Christmas/New Year period from 19 December until 2 January.

Library Premises

Bus travel is available every day of the week to the Society’s Library at 201 Unley Road from Adelaide using Routes: 191 to 199 (not F services) via King William Street, Victoria Square, Wakefield Street to Stop 5.

Adelaide Metro Bus Timetable

Library Access

Members are entitled to use of Society Library free of charge.
Non-Members are charged $25.00 per day, $8 per hour or $35.00 per week (this includes the use the microform readers and computers without payment of the customary fee).

Members of genealogical societies in Australia, which are members of the Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations, are entitled to free entry to the SAGHS Library, provided they produce a current membership card for the society to which they belong.

All library users are expected to pay fees for photocopies and microform prints and (except those who pay a Visitor’s Fee) to pay 50 cents per half hour to access microfiche, microfilm and computer equipment.

All bags must be put in the lockers provided near the entry to the Library.

NOTE that there are restrictions on the copying of some records by any means.  This applies to the South Australian District Records, South Australian Railways microfiche, Catholic records, Scottish 1851 census microfilms, SA Police Gazettes and the card indexes.  Digital cameras are not permitted in the microform and computer areas.  Flash photography is not permitted anywhere in the Library.

Library Collection

The Society's Library Collection is the largest genealogical collection in South Australia and has a wide range in its coverage of research material, particularly for countries in the English-speaking world.

The collection is in the form of printed material, card indexes, research folders, microform (fiche & film) and computer based records.  Internet access (broadband) is available for access to some subscription database sites and any of the other sites of interest to the researcher.
The following list summarises the major items in our collection, which has over 20,000 reference books, 250 computer databases (including on CD), 3,000 microfilms and 100,000 microfiche in addition to thousands of genealogical journals from several hundred societies and kindred organisations.

General

General reference material includes general "how to research", genealogical guides, surnames, dating photographs, etc.

South Australia

Birth, death and marriage indexes and District Records (indexes and certificates)
Cemetery Index of monumental inscriptions and burial register entries
Church records (in particular Church of England and Roman Catholic)
Directories (Sands & McDougall’s)
Electoral Rolls (1960’s onwards incomplete)
Government Gazettes including Education Dept Gazette, Police Gazettes & Parliamentary Papers
Newspapers (including Advertiser 1858-2001, Register 1836-1931, Observer 1843-1931)
Naturalisation Records (pre 1904)
Probate Index (to 1997)
School Admission Registers
Shipping Records with passenger indexes 1836-1956
Selected Undertakers' Records
World War 1 - AIF Index
Family Histories and Local (District) Histories
Genealogical & Historical Society Journals.

Other Australian states and territories

Coverage of records varies from state to state

Birth, death and marriage indexes
Cemetery records (monumental inscriptions and burial registers),
Directories
Electoral Rolls
Naturalisation indexes
Probate Indexes
Shipping Records with passenger indexes
World War 1 - AIF Index
General Reference including some Local Histories, Genealogical Society Journals.

New Zealand

Birth, death and marriage indexes 1840-1970
Cemetery Index
Newspaper indexes to births, deaths and marriages
Shipping records and passenger indexes
Genealogical Society Journals.

United Kingdom

Coverage of records varies from county to county.

Apprenticeship Indexes - England & Wales 1710-1774
Birth, death and marriage indexes - GRO Index 1837-1994 & GRO Overseas Indexes
Cemetery records - monumental inscriptions and burial registers
Church records (indexes, transcriptions and some copies) including Scotland OPR (Old Parochial Records) Index to 1855
England & Wales 1851 Census indexes and transcriptions for most counties, 1881 Census Index and copies of the 1891 Census for some counties, Scotland 1851 Census microfilm copy and some indexes, 1881 and 1891 Census Index
Probate Index for England & Wales 1853-1943, Scotland 1876-1936
Genealogical Society Journals.

Other Countries
General reference material for most countries (Europe, North America, South Africa)
Germanic Europe - see Special Collections

Heraldry
General reference on heraldry, Peerage Directories

War
Covers all wars from the Boer War to the Vietnam War .

Special Collections

Dulcie Love Collection.  A collection of material relating to persons and families of Germanic origin and places associated with them both in Australia and overseas.  The collection includes passenger lists and indexes for Germanic persons arriving in South Australia.

Services

England & Wales BDM Certificates
England & Wales Wills 1853-1943
Scottish Certificates

Hire of microfilms from the Genealogical Society of Utah (LDS)

Seminars on using the Library and other specific topics

Staffing

The Library is staffed by volunteers each session, rostered from a volunteer pool of about 80.  While they are not expected to do the research for those visiting the Library they will provide assistance to those requiring direction in their research.

Wish to search the Library catalogue? Click here to go to the database page