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AFFHO advises that the 2026 topic is “Ancestors: Mundane to Magnificent”!

Whether you’re just starting your family tree or tackling a long-standing brick wall, August is packed with talks, workshops, open days and webinars across Australia—and if your across the Tasman, there’s some in New Zealand too!

We’ve gathered just a small selection of events happening around the country to help you get involved. If you know of another Family History Month event, please share it on our facebook post. Don’t forget to include the state (or country) and a link so others can find it.

 

👉New South Wales (NSW)

• Family History Month: The Garden That Never Disappeared – Free | Dr Christopher Cheng hosts an intriguing in-person look at nineteenth- and twentieth-century Cantonese market-gardening families. This family history talk on the 14 August 2026 does require booking. Details can be verified via the Liverpool City Library Event Page.
• Discovering Ancestors with the Biographical Database of Australia – Free | A live digital webinar, on the 25 August 2026, teaching researchers how to navigate and break through brick walls using the BDA. Registrations are open via the State Library of NSW Event Hub.
• Beginners Practical Introduction to Family History – Paid | A major two-day, face-to-face intensive genealogy course running over 7–8 August 2026. Bookable directly at the Society of Australian Genealogists Kent Street Centre.

Victoria (VIC)

• Family History Month Drop-In Consultations – Free | One-on-one appointments running all through August 2026 covering Trove, Ancestry, and how to research your physical family heirlooms. Details are listed on the Mildura Rural City Council Calendar. [1]
• Enhancing Family History Research with Trove Newspapers Online – Free | A hands-on, librarian-guided workshop on 25 August 2026 teaching deep search methods for historical news. Note: At the time of writing this event is fully booked, however a waitlist is available. Hosted via Your Library Victoria (Croydon Branch).
• Researching Your Family History – Free | An expert-led class on 15 August 2026 breaking down modern digital repository frameworks. Registrations are managed on the Genealogical Society of Victoria (GSV) Program

Queensland (QLD)

• Who’s Your Mob? Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander family history workshop – Free | Bookings required for this in-Library event where you will be shown the State Library of Queensland’s resources and collections available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family history research.
• Genealogical Society of Qld Inc Open Day – Free | An in-person open day, research help available and talks from 10am to 2pm on the 22 August 2026. Details at GSQ.
• The Search for Isabella – Free | Back by Popular Demand! A Presentation by Dr Roger Wilkinson AM speaking about his great aunt, her life as a doctor and a missionary in China. Bookings required for this Queensland Family History Society Inc presentation.

Tasmania (TAS)

• Talk: Alice and Daniel Stanfield at Launceston Library – Free | A public author talk tracking a First Fleet family’s impact on early Australia, bookable via the Launceston Library Eventbrite Hub.
• Talk: Are you an Arnott’s baby?  –  Free | Join historian Greg Coode at Launceston Library on the 26 August as he shares his research about Arnott’s Living Pictures campaign and talks about the role of Arnott’s Milk Arrowroot biscuits and how they were presented as potentially lifesaving source of nutrition back in the day.  Booking Essential.
• Family History Basic Course – Free | Beginners Course starting the 7 August, 2 hours a week for 6 weeks, ideal for those just starting out. Bookings required, sessions held at the Bridgewater Library.

South Australia (SA)

• GenealogySA Library Tour – Free for Members / Paid for non-members | In-Person Library tour for more about their resources, includes BMD indexes with certificates on microfiche, newspapers, family histories, shipping records etc..Running on the 8^th August at GenealogySA.
• DNA Painter Workshop – Online – Paid | Learn how to map chromosomes. This workshop requires attendees to have a basic understanding of managing DNA matches and attributing them to a common ancestry.  For details and bookings check with GenealogySA.
• 1:1 Family History Help – Free | Need assistance with our family history? Book a one-on-one session with dedicated library staff. Available on the 11^th and 25^th August at Elizabeth Library.

Western Australia (WA)

• Growing Your Family Tree Day – Free | FamilyHistoryWA are running a free event called “Growing your Family Tree” with presentations at the State Library of Western Australia.  Their experienced family historians will provide information on how to start your research, resources available and how you can break down “brick walls”.  Choose either the 12^th or 13^th August 2026.
• Family History Talk “Getting Started” – Free | – Held on the 26 August 2026 at the State Library of WA, this is an introductory talk ideal for those just beginning. Bookings are required.
• Family History Pop-Up Duncraig Library – Free | Visit the family history help stall for friendly one-on-one assistance with researching your ancestry, Run by the City of Joondalup on 17 August 2026/.

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

• Speaker’s Corner: Archives, Art, and Family History – Paid | Artist Ruth Maddison explores navigating national archival collections using family ASIO surveillance files. Register for the August 4 session via VisitCanberra.
• Capturing your Family Stories – Paid | Learn how to record your loved ones’ stories and preserve their voices for the future. This onsite workshop is available on both the 14^th and 15^th August 2026 at the National Library of Australia.  Bookings essential.

Northern Territory (NT)

• Getting Started with Family History Research – Event only for NT Senior Card Holders | Step by step approach to provide simple clear research guidance.  Held at the Casuarina Library on the 18^th August 2026.
• History of Territory Print Making – Free | Focus on how regional family, political and cultural lives has been captured through independent local press. Held at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, bookings required.

 

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

• Family History in the AI Era Webinar – Free | Expert genealogist Fiona Brooker runs specialized sessions exploring how artificial intelligence is changing research workflows. Running 6 August 2026 with Tauranga City Libraries and repeating 24 August 2026 with the New Zealand Society of Genealogists (NZSG) Nelson Branch. []
• Wellington Family History Month Open Day – Free | A major community gathering featuring local research mentors, table displays, and repository advice. Scheduled for 29 August 2026 at the Tawa Union Church, with logistics managed by the Wellington Family History Month Group.
• Christchurch Family History Expo – Free | Two days of free sessions focusing on different areas of family history, both local and international. Held on the 2^nd & 3^rd August, the list of speakers and further details are available from the Christchurch City Council Libraries.

 

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

• AFFHO Family History Month – AFFHO have a list of events that have been registered with them – https://www.affho.org/whats-on/
• AAGRA – Paid | Interested in your family tree but don’t wish to do it yourself? Or you’ve hit a brick wall that you can’t get over? AAGRA’s Accredited Genealogists and Record Agents are available for paid research – https://tinyurl.com/3bk22xvh

 

Please note: The events listed above are provided as a community resource only. AAGRA is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, the organisations listed unless specifically stated. We have not assessed the quality or content of these events, and attendees should make their own enquiries to determine whether an event meets their individual interests and needs.