Five months on, since the first lockdowns began in Australia, and the world is still a strange place. Some places are cautiously opening up, while others are heading back into higher lockdowns. This pandemic is going to be around for a while. So if you are making the most of time are home let me tell you there still plenty of great offers going – free records, free magazines, big discounts on records and more … And as August is National Family History Month in Australia and New Zealand, there’s a few extra offers included. Here’s those that have been announced recently:

Ancestry Library Edition
Many societies and libraries are offering at home use of the Ancestry Library Edition at home if you are a member. Check with your local genealogy societies and libraries to see if this is an option they offer. The free access has been extended through to the end of August. They will re-evaluate at the end of each month. To see what’s included in the Library Edition click here.

Ancestry.com US Records and Tutorials
Ancestry has collaborated with the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to offer temporary free access to almost 500 million historical records and images from the federal government. And we will continue providing free online tutorials and video courses to help people get started with family tree building. You will need to create an account (which is free), to get started. For more information, click here.

British History Online
The British History Online website has made ALL of its records free to access, including the Calendar of Close Rolls (1244 to 1509) and the Calendar of State Papers Domestic (1547 to 1704). This offer runs until 30 September 2020. More information about it here.

Hawkesbury Family History Group
While Covid-19 restrictions are still in place the Hawkesbury Family History Group have made their June 2020 edition of ‘Hawkesbury Crier’ freely available for everyone to enjoy. You can download it from here.  

JSTOR
JSTOR, the online digital library with more than 12 million academic journal articles, books and primary sources from across 75 disciplines, has expanded its free online reading program through until 31 December 2020. For more details click here.

Living DNA
Not sure that this is a COVID-19 sale, as these prices have been the same for a while now, and there’s no date given as to when they end … but grab them while they’re on sale.
– Ancestry Kit – Normally AU$169, on sale for AU$129 BUY NOW
– Wellbeing Kit – Normally AU$199, on sale for AU$139 BUY NOW
– Ancestry & Wellbeing Kits – Normally $259, on sale for AU$179 BUY NOW

London Topographical Society
All the London Topographical Society’s newsletters are now available to read for free. The archive dates back to 1975 and is packed with fascinating information about the history of London’s buildings. You can view them here.

Nathan Dylan Goodwin
Fans of Nathan Dylan Goodwin’s “Morton Farrier, Genetic Genealogist” series will no doubt already have heard of this one, but genealogy crime author, has used his lockdown time wisely, and has written “Morton in Lockdown”. Rather than a regular volume in the series, this one is an ebook book only, and is actually a “choose you own adventure” book. Remember those? So download the free ebook now. By the way, I highly recommend ALL volumes in the “Morton Farrier, Forensic Genealogist” series. They really are a fantastic read!!

NSW Transcriptions
If you’re in need of any New South Wales BDM transcriptions, during August is a great time to order them, as a National Family History Month (NFHM) special they are offering full transcripts for just $18, through until 1 September 2020. Click here to go to their website.

Ontario History Journal
If your ancestors emigrated to Ontario, Canada, here’s one for you. The Ontario Historical Society don’t miss this opportunity to discover more about the province’s history with free back issues of from 2005 onwards. Click here to see the list of back issues.

Queensland Family History Society
The QFHS are offering a discount rate for those who sign up to be a member, or those who renew and expired membership. The offer is on during National Family History Month, so if you’re interested be sure to sign up during August. https://www.qfhs.org.au

Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM)
Victoria’s BDM registrar introduced discounted fees for their download certificates in May, and they’ve decided to extend the offer. The say “thanks to the popularity of our discounted certificates, we are continuing this offer. Downloadable, uncertified historical certificates are now $20 each: save $4.50 per certificate.” Click here to order your Victorian BDM certicates.

Royal Australian Historical Society
In response to COVID-19, the June editions of the Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society (JRAHS) and History magazine have been made temporarily available to everyone online. These publications would normally be available to members only. Click here to download a copy.

Society of One-Place Studies
The Society for One-Place Studies are offering the March edition of their quarterly journal, Destinations, free of charge to everyone – not just members. You can download the journal from here.

TheGenealogist
Begin a lifetime of discovery with TheGenealogist’s FREE First Steps package. Free Genealogy Records are the ideal way to research your family tree and start the journey to find your ancestry.
The Free First Steps package includes:
– Complete Birth, Marriage & Death records index for England and Wales 1837-2005
– English & Welsh Census Records to see where ancestors were living in 1911
– TreeView, the online family tree builder
– Image Archive of churches, places and people from the past
– A high quality monthly digital magazine packed full of stories, case studies, social history articles and research advice
This First Steps package will give those beginning their journey on the compelling road to discovering their ancestors some excellent family history resources. No card details, no subscription, just completely free for three months. You can get started here https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/first-steps/

The National Archives (UK)
In April TNA announced that they would make digital records available on their website free to download “for as long they are closed to visitors”. They reopened with limited numbers in late July, but have announced that “we will continue to provide free downloads of digital records on our website for the time being, as we are initially only able to re-open for a very limited number of researchers. We will keep this, and all of our opening arrangements, under constant review.”

As other offers get announced throughout the month, I shall add those in. So keep an eye on this post for the latest listings.