Building research skills and exploring local history
Explore online resources and see what you can learn about your family, home and local area.
When: Saturday, 18 July 2026 @ 10.00 am – 3.30 pm
Where: Kiama Library Auditorium (downstairs from the library), 7 Railway Parade, Kiama NSW 2533
Overview of the program
The Royal Australian Historical Society, in partnership with the Kiama Historical Society, presents a full-day program combining practical research skills with local history.
The day is structured in two parts.
Session A (10:00 am – 1:45 pm) is a research skills seminar designed to support family and local history research. It focuses on building practical skills, improving research methods, and developing confidence in working with historical sources.
Participants will learn how to:
- search Trove more effectively
- use the Historical Land Records Viewer (HLRV) to research individuals, families and properties
- work with early New South Wales colonial records
Session B (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm) is a local history talk exploring the lives of the Rutter sisters, tracing their journey from the Female Orphan School in Parramatta to their connections with the Kiama and Gerringong districts.
Together, the sessions offer both practical skills and a case study in how historical research can be used to uncover and interpret lives in the past.
You can view the full program, including session times and session descriptions here:
Kiama looking northwest, c. 1936 (Adastra Aerial Photograph Collection)
Cost and bookings
Session A: Research Skills Seminar (10.00 am – 1.45 pm)
$25 RAHS, KHS and affiliated society members| $30 non-members (includes morning tea and lunch)
Session B: Local History Talk (2.00 pm – 3.30 pm)
$3 members| $5 non-members (includes afternoon tea)
Bookings are essential for Session A due to catering requirements. Advance booking is recommended for Session B.
Book online or call: CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS | (02) 9247 8001
About the speakers
Carol Liston AO is President of the Royal Australian Historical Society and a leading historian of early New South Wales. Her research focuses on colonial society, families and institutions, and she has published widely in this field. She brings deep expertise in working with early government, church and archival records, and in interpreting them to reconstruct lives and communities.
Christine Yeats is Senior Vice President of the Royal Australian Historical Society and specialises in family and local history research. She is an experienced presenter of research seminars, with a focus on practical methods, digital tools and improving search techniques. Her sessions are known for their clarity and practical, step-by-step approach.
About the Kiama Historical Society
The Kiama Historical Society preserves and shares the history of Kiama and surrounding districts.
The Society manages the Pilot’s Cottage Museum (c. 1881), overlooking Kiama Harbour, with exhibitions on local history and community life. It also supports projects that share Aboriginal history in collaboration with community.
Learn more:
About the RAHS Regional Seminars Program
The RAHS Regional Seminar Program, supported by Create NSW, promotes the study, writing and sharing of Australian history.
The program builds research skills, supports local and family history projects, and connects communities with tools, resources and expertise. Seminars are delivered in metropolitan and regional locations, as well as online.
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