Botany Bay Family History Society (BBFHS) began in 1984 and has grown to a membership of over 490 people. There is a research centre in Caringbah, which has a varied collection of books, microfiche, microfilms, CDs, maps, journals, magazines and pamphlets. There are also 12 computers, with access to subscription sites Ancestry, Findmypast, TheGenealogist, British Newspaper Archive, the Biographical Database of Australia and Internet History Resources (NSW).
Each month, there are 52 volunteers who work in the Research Centre, helping members and visitors with family research, not just in Australia, but in many countries of the world. Of course, unless they have Aboriginal heritage, all Australians have families from overseas, even back to the early days of the convicts, so finding their arrival in Australia is most challenging! Another consideration is that each state holds its own records, commencing in different years...
The Research Centre is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 4pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm. Membership is over the financial year, which costs Au$40 per year for single people and Au$55 per year for families under the one roof. It is an extra Au$10 when you join.