Family History Connections - formerly AIGS

Family History Connections - formerly AIGS Helping the community research their family across generations and across the world. An Area Group at Bendigo also holds monthly meetings with invited speakers.

Founded in 1973 by Donald Grant (1932 - 2011) and Peter Foard (1938 - 2001) the first President and Vice-President, AIGS is now known as Family History Connections and has grown. There is an extensive Resource Centre at Blackburn where volunteer Library Assistants are always available to assist members and visitors with their family research. Bendigo has its own library holdings and voluntary Library Assistants to assist members and visitors with their family history (see their website: http://www.bendigofamilyhistory.org)

A variety of interest groups hold monthly meetings in the Resource Centre at Blackburn, combining research assistance and shared knowledge in small groups. Membership of FHC includes a subscription to The Genealogist, our award-winning quarterly magazine with regular research columns, individual family research articles, lists of New Resources purchased for members and details of upcoming seminars and classes. The Alexander Henderson Award was created in 1973, recognising the best family history published in Australia each year. In 2012, a companion Award for a biography with a family history focus, the Don Grant Award, was created and is also awarded annually.

10/11/2025
25/10/2025

NEW DATABASE UPDATE – Newspaper Births!
www.genealogysa.org.au/resources/online-database-search

We have updated more than 77,000 records in our Newspaper Births dataset, adding detail to existing records where the date of birth, place of birth, gender of the child and names of siblings (if given) have not been previously available. The records updated are from the years 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971 and 1972.

More information about available records can be found in the Information Sheet for the dataset. Thanks to our volunteers for transcribing the missing records to enable look up through our online database search functionality on the website.

Images: Genealogy SA Photographic Collection. P00225-057F Philip Randall Hall and his nana, Mabel Ada Lillian [nee Bowyer] Donald, 1959. P00242-007 Albert Henry and Dawn Moule.

06/09/2025
Our friendly team of family history experts, educators, and research enthusiasts will be at the PMI show case on the 13t...
21/08/2025

Our friendly team of family history experts, educators, and research enthusiasts will be at the PMI show case on the 13th September 2025. Come and join us, great prizes and good company.

Want to have a chance to win a door prize sponsored by Ancestry? At our Victorian History Showcase, you can!

We are so grateful that Ancestry have provided us with a door prize worth $129 for our showcase this year. And the only way you can win it is by walking through our doors and collect your raffle ticket on the 13th Sept

📅 Sat 13th Sept | 🕡 10:30am-3:30pm
📍 PMI Victorian History Library
🎟️ More Info: https://brushfire.com/pmivictorianhistorylibrary/showcase-2025/598644

📷 drawn by at our 2023 Victorian History Showcase

Address

1/41 Railway Road
Melbourne, VIC
3130

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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Our Story

The Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies (AIGS) was founded in 1973 by Don Grant and Peter Foard, who became the first President and Vice-President. The AIGS grew over the years, moving several times as the membership and resources increased. There is an extensive Library at Blackburn, where volunteer Library Assistants are available to assist members and visitors with their family research.

In 2018, a new registered business name was launched - Family History Connections - to better reflect the work of the organsiation. The original logo has been retained and the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies name is still used for legal and financial purposes.

The Bendigo Family History Group holds monthly meetings with invited speakers, and has an extensive resource collection which is housed in the Bendigo Library. They also have voluntary Library Assistants to assist members and visitors with their family history, particularly in the Bendigo area. Read more