local history research requests

Your local history or family information search should start with the library catalogue as items are added to the collection on a regular basis. Some of the things you can find via our catalogue are the following;

  • Index to Births, Deaths and Marriages and some other newspaper articles from the Lithgow Mercury Newspaper Index
  • A large portion of our photograph collection has been catalogued and digital images have been linked to these records and a .jpg copy can be downloaded. For higher resolution images, please contact us via the form.
  • Maps
  • Various archive collections are being added.

Lithgow Mercury from 1894 to 1954 has been digitised to TROVE and is fully searchable. Articles can be printed or saved. Contact the library about other options for locating articles from the Lithgow Mercury after this period.

Additional local history or family information is available than is currently catalogued so if your search does not yield any results, you may visit the Lithgow Library in person between the hours of 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Staff are available during this time to lend general search assistance. For more advanced assistance please make a request via this form to book an appointment with the Local Studies Officer.

Conditions
Extended research requests will be undertaken on your behalf as time permits. Research undertaken on your behalf is limited to 2 hours free research including a physical search of Lithgow Mercury, one month only, or 10 specific dates; archives; uncatalogued photographs; and reference collection.

Research requests are placed in a queue and completed on a sequential basis. We aim to complete requests in the month they are received, where staff time and information is available. Due to the nature of some requests this timeframe may be longer.

Extended research can be undertaken on your behalf at a cost of $81.00 per hour as per Lithgow Council fees and charges. Please contact the library if you wish to access this service.

Request Form

Local or Family History Research Form

Charges –first two hours free as per above conditions -for extensive research, undertaken at your request over two hours, there is a charge of $81.00 per hour