In the course of doing research, one of the best resources comes from good old fashioned newspapers.
Picture it: hunkering down in a dark library in the middle of the night, scanning through hundreds of microfiches, trying to find that elusive missing piece of the puzzle…
Well, not quite. The reality is, alas, rather more prosaic. But in many ways it’s also waaaay more awesome.
May I present to you –> Trove.
Australia is incredibly lucky to have Trove – it’s an online resource which has a digitised copy of periodicals, newspapers, magazines, maps and journals published in Australia. Start searching for your nan or granddad and you may find something interesting. Seriously. Go over there right now and search for your mum’s name in the 1970s. Fascinating.
Most digital records only go up to 1999 – anything more recent and you are going to have to do the legwork. Still, it’s an incredible resource and I urge anyone with even the faintest interest in research – whether you’re doing family research, researching for a novel or article, writing a thesis or anything else – to check it out.
The project is run by the National Library of Australia, and it really is a national treasure.
