Our comprehensive collection covers the people, places and history of Colac and District. The library supports the genealogical collection with general history books on the following subjects: Aboriginals, Geelong, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Immigration, Convicts, Shipping and Australia’s involvement in wars. These books may be borrowed by members.
The specific genealogical records in the C&DFHG collection are listed below and are available for viewing at the History Centre. Those asterisked refer to significant items. Most are indexed on the database at the History Centre, some are digitised.
Colac cemetery records – 1851 onwards *
Birth, death and marriage certificates (transcripts only available).
Church records (copies)– St Andrews, St Marys, Wesley and SS Johns *
Colac Hospital admission register 1882-1920 *
Military records
Rate records – various to 1929 *
Newspaper cuttings *
Melba Gully and Rivernook Visitors’ books *
C&DFHG Photograph Collection *
Obituary notices
Funeral booklets *
Pioneer registers *
Family histories *
Colac and District phone directories
School registers
District and Parish maps
Land Titles
Red Rock stories (see below)
Also, journals and newsletters received regularly from a wide variety of genealogical groups are available to read at the Centre.
Refer to the store for locally written publications for sale
Red Rock Stories
In 2016 older residents of the Red Rock district were interviewed and their memories of living in the area recorded. The project, funded by the Public Record Office of Victoria, resulted in a wonderful audio record of local history with many hours of stories
Snippets of the stories can be heard here at www.colacfamilyhistory.org.au/redrock/
OR hear the full length version of stories at C&DFHG in the History Centre at COPACC or at the Colac Library in Queens Street
Nurses and Midwives Registers
Fully text searchable and downloadable pdf files of Victorian records have been made available by VAFHO
.