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Suggestions for Researching Gunning's History

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Gunning Courthouse 8th September 1885. Photo NSW State Archives via Flickr.
The Gunning & District Historical Society (GDHS) is a small group of volunteers, covering a large area, including Dalton. We have members in Breadalbane who may be able to assist. The other local societies are in Goulburn (which also has a Family History Research Centre) and Crookwell. Taralga's society has an extensive family database. The Yass & District Historical Society and well-staffed archive, open one day a week. Check the websites for contact details.

GDHS has members with extensive local knowledge (and others who like a challenge). To get a feel for the village, you could book a tour of the village, the general cemetery, the Pye Cottage Museum.  Members have escorted researchers to local churches and cemeteries, including outside Gunning.  Give us plenty of notice as we have occasional bus tour bookings and a program of meetings/events.  Contact us via email gunninghistory@gmail.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/gunninghistory.

There is no set fee for our research help. Your donation is gratefully accepted. We would love to have your contribution, including photographs for our website.

If you believe the person you are researching was born, married or died in the Gunning area, be aware that the event might be registered as Gundaroo or Yass in the early days. Check Graeme Challinor's Gundaroo Genealogy pages at: www.gundaroo.info/genealogy/genealog.htm (Data on 29 local cemeteries; Consolidated alphabetical list – with excellent link to others enquiring for a particular family – you can contact them and share information; Cemetery layout maps to download; Irish immigrants. Convicts.)

Possibly the GDHS holding of the old Gunning Rates Books will have details of a village property. Possibly one of our researchers will know of a local publication which is relevant (but not held by the National Library) or we will be able to recommend another person carrying out relevant research. Currently, the physical research space is waiting redevelopment, but someone may be able to meet you in at the Pye Cottage Museum, Yass Street, Gunning opposite the Upper Lachlan Shire Council chambers. The Gunning Library holds some specifically local publications.

If you have a name and a date, you may find a regional newspaper is held by the National Museum in its Trove collection – try the Goulburn, Yass and Crookwell newspapers (possibly even the Queanbeyan Age). GDHS has some old newspapers but they are not catalogued or digitised.  We also have donated scrapbooks of news items of local interest from 1950s-1970s, but again not digitised.

If you know the person was connected to a local “historic” property, look at Part 3 of the Council Heritage Survey: http://www.upperlachlan.nsw.gov.au/planning/heritage/community-heritage-study-available.

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