The Australasian Handbook 1906

A great research aid for tracing roaming ancestors

Read it for... A comprehensive resource for family in Oceania

Publisher: S&N British Data Archive
w. www.genealogysupplies.com
t. 01722 716121
Price: £17.95

Here's a useful CD which details the countries in Oceania under the British Empire at the start of the 20th Century.

This massive 960-page resource starts off with extremely useful indexes of businesses and towns in each area, followed by a directory of the British government (which was still presiding over the countries at the time) and a section detailing time and information for emigrants from Britain who travelled to the South Pacific, including immigration offices on both sides of their voyage, length of voyage, fares, wages and even prices of asparagus upon arrival. This is then followed by statistics for Australia and New Zealand including population, trade and production.

The book really reveals its strength with a massive directory of towns in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, south, north and west Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Fiji and British New Guinea, with details of businesses, adverts and more. As with British directories, this ia a great way to learn more about the areas your ancestors lived and worked in. There are also a host of detailed maps of all territories, and even a list of sporting teams and results, including early Ashes tests between England and Australia and the famous New Zealand rugby team's tour of the British Isles in 1905-06 when they were christened the All Blacks.

This is a terrific resource for those looking to add some meat to the bones of their Australian research.