Discovering Forgotten Lives: Investigating the Old Register and Parliamentary Papers

Research Workshop at History House in July

This course is in partnership with WEA Sydney

This session highlights the value of using official records to reconstruct colonial history. It will focus on the Registers of Assignments and Other Legal Instruments (the Old Registers) and NSW Parliamentary Papers. The registers capture key details of land and legal transactions, including the people involved and the nature of agreements. Parliamentary papers extend this perspective, documenting government activity through reports, debates, and formal inquiries. Used together, these sources illuminate both individual lives and institutional processes, helping researchers trace connections between private actions and public policy in New South Wales.

NSW Parliament House, 1920 (City of Sydney Archives)

About the speaker

Carol Liston AO is an Australian historian who specialises in the history of early New South Wales (1788–1860). Her particular interest is the colonial development of the County of Cumberland (Greater Western Sydney), using land records, family history and surviving buildings to document the past.

Event details

Event Date & Time: Wednesday, 15 July 2026 @ 11.00 am – 1.00 pm

Event Location: History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000 (hybrid)

Cost: RAHS Members $35 | Non-Members $39

CLICK HERE TO BUY A TICKET

Please note: RAHS Members should contact WEA Sydney first to check if their member number has been added to their student record before enrolling.