Port Victor Wesleyan Church c. 1880. (B72224)
These published church histories contain helpful background information:
Bible Christian Methodists in South Australia 1850-1900 (EA Curnow)
From our Broken Toil: South Australian Catholics 1836 to 1905 (Margaret M. Press)
Godliness and good order: a history of the Anglican Church in South Australia (David Hilliard)
In Stow's Footsteps: a chronological history of the Congregational Churches in SA 1837-1977 (John Cameron)
Kavel's People: their story of migration from Prussia to South Australia for the sake of their faith (David Schubert)
The Millionth Snowflake: the history of Quakers in South Australia (Charles Stevenson)
Some Scots were here: a history of the Presbyterian Church in South Australia 1839-1977 (RJ Scrimgeour)
This Side of Heaven: a history of Methodism in South Australia (Arnold Hunt)
The aim of the Find and Connect website is to assist those who grew up in institutional care in Australia (including within church-run centres) to access original records and information.
The website contains information, including:
* policies
* public figures, and
* legislation
Only information which has already been published or placed in the public domain is accessible on the website, however it includes information relating to where original records are held.
The State Library of South Australia holds many church records, including baptism, marriage and burial registers; as well as photographs, administrative records, correspondence, and Sunday School records. Our most extensive records relate to the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
Some records are on microfilm, others need to be consulted in the Somerville Reading Room.
Records for the following churches are held by the State Library. Fuller details can be found in the Library catalogue.
Records of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation (SRG 162) are available on microfilm in the Family History area.
Note that more recent records are restricted: Records less than 30 years old may only be accessed with the permission of the individual church.
Specific restrictions:
- Baptismal registers after 1974 are restricted for 75 years
- Marriage registers after 1974 are restricted for 60 years
- Burial registers after 1974 are restricted for 25 years.
Access to entries after 1974 is restricted to the individuals named in the records, or their authorised representative and requires written permission from the Church authority.
The Library also holds church magazines which sometimes contain references to births, marriages and deaths. Check the Library catalogue for details by the name of the church.
Adelaide's first church, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, North Terrace, 1849, by S.T. Gill. (B 7187)
The Bibliography of SA Religious Periodicals lists major church and religious magazines in the State Library collections.
Often detailed obituaries for church members appear in these publications.
To view these you will need to visit the State Library in person unless you have a specific title and date.
Two major church newspapers are searchable on Trove:
- Australian Christian Commonwealth (Methodist Church)
- Southern Cross (Catholic Church)
Baptism of Anna Angelakis 1960. (B 70203)
