What is it about digging into the past that brings out our inner detective? Whether it’s imagining how our great-great-grandfather lived day to day, or gaining a deeper understanding of the people who came before us, there’s something undeniably fascinating about it.

Local history has a way of getting under your skin once you get started. Family stories like when Great Uncle Barry ran with Ned Kelly’s crew of highway robbers, once considered family truth, are now questioned and re-examined with new eyes and curious minds.

So, are you interested in bringing out your inner sleuth?

Here are our top 5 resources for you to get started:

1. Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) – Access digital and physical State and Local Government records dating back from 1836 to present day. From cabinet records, photographs and film to family history, property titles and adoption, births, deaths and immigration records, PROV is a treasure trove of history. Visit PROV website
2. TROVE – TROVE is Australia’s largest online collection of digital & physical items, collaborating between the National Library of Australia and hundreds of public libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives across Australia. Discover newspaper articles, magazines, maps, photos, books, diaries & letters, video and music from the past to the present. Visit TROVE website
3. National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) – Access over 100 years of film, sound, broadcast and games. Explore interviews and audio recordings of community members across Australia through to rare AFL footage from the 70s and 80s. Visit NFSA website
4. State Library of Victoria – Just like Brimbank Libraries, it’s free to join the State Library of Victoria. Access their range of research dating back from 1788, from census records and count cases, to early history in Victoria, immigration records, maps and artwork. Visit State Library of Victoria website
5. Museum Victoria Collection – Museum Victoria has been building and researching their collections since 1854. Discover over 275,000 images and moving images, sharing through the lens local culture and history. Visit Museum Victoria website

Start uncovering your own story with your library membership, which includes free access to Ancestry (Library Edition) at Brimbank Libraries, or book a Digitisation Station to convert your family photos to digital.