The big, big news that hit the genealogy world today was findmypast.com.au are working together with State Records NSW and as a result we will see New South Wales Will Books online later this year.
With Australia not having easy access to wills, at least not like the UK (ie. log-on to TNA > search the index > pay a few £ > and within a few minutes get an email to download the will) anything that provides easier access to Australian wills will be more than welcome. And trust me the genealogy community will love findmypast.com.au and also State Records NSW for doing so … while also crossing fingers that other states might follow.
The press release is below …
12 June 2013 – Leading family history site, findmypast.com.au, has secured the rights to publish all of the registered wills from New South Wales from 1800 to 1952. As the only genealogy site displaying this information, the tender win is a major coup for findmypast.com.au as it consolidates its strong presence in the Australian market.
The collection of will books will be available later this year and will include handwritten copies of the original wills, from about 1800 to 1924, and typed copies of wills from 1924 to 1952.The will books are an excellent resource for family history enthusiasts tracing the financial history of their ancestors. Findmypast.com.au users will be able to track exactly where their ancestors’ wealth, estates and belongings were allocated, helping them uncover the past relationships and loyalties their family held.
Findmypast.com.au was awarded the contract by the State Records Authority of New South Wales following a competitive tender process, as findmypast.com.au proved a reliable and credible source to display this critical information.
Findmypast.com.au General Manager Vicki Dawson stated “Successfully securing the contract to display the NSW will books has been a significant milestone for findmypast.com.au. The will books are an invaluable resource to genealogists and only strengthens the already solid offering available from findmypast.com.au. We are continually growing our pool of resources and this win is another prime example of our efforts to become the market leader amongst genealogy websites.”Jenni Stapleton, Acting Director, at State Records stated, ‘’The will books are one of the most vital sets of records held by State Records and provide a unique insight into the past lives of people in New South Wales. This agreement with findmypast.com.au is an example of increasing access to such valuable resources through new access channels and technologies.”’
So stay tuned for further updates on the Will books, and for further information on findmypast.com.au or to uncover your family history you can visit: http://www.findmypast.com.au
I presume that there will be a charge for this service ???
Since FMP Aus are associated with the digitisation, I imagine they’ll have it online – and yes, they are a subscription site. But there are plenty of Societies andLibraries around that do have subscriptions FMP, so check out your local ones to see if they do.