Mrs June Tomlinson – MAAGRA

Researcher Type:  Record Agent

Special Interests: Australian records emphasis on Northern Territory records.

Biography:

I have been involved in searching family history since 1975.  After Cyclone Tracy in 1974 I was in Sydney where my family resided.  My father’s eldest sister made a comment that made me think my Grandfather was not my Dad’s birth father.  I asked my Dad if I could research his birth, he readily agreed.  This was the start of my very big learning curve on family history.  At that time there was nothing available like the records we have in 2025..  I never told my Dad that he had a different birth father, he would have been devastated.

Our Society’s (NT) first big purchase was the NSW BDM microfiche, we were amazed at what we found.  My journey had begun.  The result was not what I expected.  My father, Grandfather and Grand Uncle all looked similar, I could not believe they were not related to my Dad.

Researching is a challenge to me, one I rather enjoy because I think of myself as the Detective uncovering clues, searching various records, online in the various State Archives and the National Archives as well as Territory Archives, plus the State and Territory Libraries, including  the National Archives in Kew, Richmond in the UK.  I was so taken by this Archives I have so far been there 3 times.  I have also attended Family History Fairs in the UK, they have amazing programs, speakers, demonstrations of programs, family history aids/maps/books for sale just to name a few. I always have to post my purchases back to Australia because there is never enough room in my suitcase.

I very much like finding families past and present to reunite with families who have lost touch because of family circumstances, in the case of the NT, WWII, cyclones and other major events that touch Territory lives.

For the past 43 years I have been Hon. Secretary and for one year President of the Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory (GSNT) known locally as The Family History Place. I have participated in running how to classes in family history as well as organising seminars/conferences including being the Convenor of the 11^th Australasian Congress on Genealogy and Heraldry held in Darwin in June 2006.  This Congress was a great success from our side as well as those who attended.  I have been to these Congresses twice in Canberra, once each in Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

All research queries are handled in our Library thus ensuring a wide of spread of expertise.  I have been involved in indexing Northern Territory records to assist researchers.  Our Territory did not have any early published indexes of BDM’s.  I negotiated over a long period of time with the Registrar of Birth Deaths and Marriages before approval was given for our Library to index the first edition of NT BDM’s from 1870 to 1902.  This may not sound significant, but it definitely was, particularly when the rest of Australia were releasing much later records.  We got there in the end. The next hurdle was the release of our Probate Index that is now on Ancestry.

My favourite research tools are newspapers, closely followed by cemeteries, probates, and police journals.  This is not to say that I don’t like all records.

email: [email protected]

Mobile: 0412 018 015

Address: GPO Box 3988, DARWIN, NT 0801, Australia

ABN: Not Applicable (Commissions are paid through the Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory Inc).