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We are discussing Tracing family history
With Antoinette Buchanan, Stephanie Ryan and Jennifer Higgins

Question:
I am looking for my aboriginal beginnings I have been collecting birth, marriage and death certs and they often have different information to each other. An example shows GG grandmother being born Gerara station District of Bourke NSW on a transcript of her birth cert. Her daughter's birth cert from Qld shows that GG grandmother's birthplace as Talawanta station Queensland. GG grandmothers mother has records in Aboriginal welfare stating that she is aboriginal but we cannot find our mob - Any suggestions??

Answer:
Jennifer - Regarding inconsistencies of information on the certificates you have for your great great grandmother - people's memories and knowledge of family information can vary enormously, even over a matter of a few years. This might be quite unintentional if the informant doesn't actually know the right information. Sometimes, the informant does intend to deliberately mislead. However, most 'errors' on birth, death and marriage certificates are unintentional or because of a lack of understanding of the real facts.

The family history researcher needs to consider the sources of information when evaluating conflicting information on certificates. So, a piece of information given on a death certificate by a relative or friend may be less relaible than the same information on the marriage certificate of the person in question, supplied by that person. In your case, the actual birth certificate for GG Grandma is probably more reliable than the later information. This may simply be because the family moved soon after her birth and GG Grandma has no memory of the earlier place.

The best place to contact for guidance with your indigenous family history research is the family history unit of Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) . AIATSIS have a special family history unit to assist you in finding your mob and special collections not available in other places.

You may also be interested in Indigenous Library Services in Queensland and/or the State Library of New South Wales where you can access a list of helpful hints .

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