Tips on Using Archives Investigator
While information on many of the series in the State archives collection can be found in Archives Investigator, only a small proportion of the millions of individual items held have so far been catalogued in this system. Where item information is not available through Archives Investigator or elsewhere on State Records' website, lists (in paper form) are usually available for checking in our two reading rooms.
We have created this page of tips to assist you in searching the database in the most effective way. We will be adding more tips over time.
Sorting search results
Did you know you can sort your search results into more useful listings? Simply click the column headings to view results by date, title or entity.
Probate packets
We hold Probate packets from c.1817 to September 1965. While there is an index to the main probate series available on microfiche in the reading rooms we have also been listing the packets [ NRS 13660] in Archives Investigator.
What has been listed so far?
The Probate packets for 1817-May 1873 (Series 1), 1873-76 (Series 2), 1876-c.1890 (Series 3) and 1928-32, 1941-42 from Series 4 are listed in Archives Investigator.
Step 1
Step 2
Click on the entry for the item information
Step 3
- Use this information when pre-ordering or ordering a copy
- Tip: Make sure you note the date of death, the date probate was granted and the 'series' (1,2 3, or 4) number
School photographs search
Compiled by the History Unit of the Department of School Education this photographic collection [ NRS 15051] consists of a variety of subjects including: buildings, pupils, teachers, and educational activities. It is a great resource for people researching the history of a school or a specific local area, or for those of you who are interested in searching for images of your old school.
Step 1
Conduct an Advanced Search - Record Item and type in the series number 15051 and the name of the school e.g., Corrimal.
A positive search result means that there is at least one photo from the school within this series.
Note: there is no indication as to how many photos from the school are included, the subject of the photos or if a class photo is included.
The original photos are available to view at the Western Sydney Records Centre and you can pre-order the photos for your visit.
Primary Application search
You can search for Primary Application Packets with or without the PA number.
If you know the PA number
Conduct an Advanced Search - Record Item. Enter the primary application number (include PA making sure you include a space after PA and before the number: e.g., PA 17106) and the series number 17513.
This search will tell you if we hold the primary application (they are being progressively transferred to us by the Department of Lands).
If you do not know the primary application number
You can still conduct an Advanced Search - Records Item. Enter the series number 17513 and in the Title Field enter the name of the individual who obtained the PA in the Item title field: e.g., David Henry Smart. Select All Words.
Search results
A tip for Mac users
If you use Safari you may find that there is a glitch in the system when conducting a search in Archives Investigator. If you cannot navigate beyond the first page of results try using Firefox or Camino.
- The link to Firefox is http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html
- The link to Camino is http://caminobrowser.org/
