NSW death notice.

Ann In the UK · Post by **Ann In the UK** » Wed May 13, 2009 8:48 am

Hi,
Sorry, this isn't strictly Scottish, but does anyone have access to post 1900 NSW newspapers?

I'm looking of a death notice for a John (F?) Dunn, a mariner (possibly a master by then) born in Bristol, UK (c1845) who settled in the Sydney area around 1890. I've narrowed down a possible death certificate to 1913, but I'd just like to see if I can clarify that it's him before I buy it.

Regards,
Ann

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Wed May 13, 2009 9:41 am

Ann

You can try here

http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

Otherwise newspapers are available on microfilm at the state libraries (and some other places) in each state. There are no indexes, however, so without a date it would be a long search.

It may be easier to find a burial - I've checked a couple of online options but not Rookwood - which is possible - some is online, but most is not.

Alternatively, if you contact a transcription agent - they are cheaper and quicker than the registry and for a lesser fee will check if the death is your person. As there is no mother listed on the index, the informant may not have known alot about his family.

http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory ... ptionAgent

Trish

Post by **HeatherH** » Thu May 14, 2009 12:38 am

Hello Ann,
I have had success with this site for NSWs Obits.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nswsdps/dpsindex.htm
After each indexed entry you will see the name of the Newspaper and if you click on that you will see the coverage availlable for the archives of that particular paper.
Hope this helps,
HeatherH

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Thu May 14, 2009 1:53 pm

HeatherH wrote:Hello Ann,
I have had success with this site for NSWs Obits.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nswsdps/dpsindex.htm
After each indexed entry you will see the name of the Newspaper and if you click on that you will see the coverage availlable for the archives of that particular paper.
Hope this helps,
HeatherH

The link is the Ryerson index. (alternative access http://www.ryersonindex.org/ ) It was originally set up to help with the issue of no NSW death indexes being available post 1969 - consequently it mainly has death notices from 1969 onwards.

There are a few for earlier times - you could always be lucky

Trish

Edit: I just checked the coverage - a couple of years 1894, 1902 are very well covered. It seems to have been well updated since I last checked. 1913 has only 5 days

but certainly worth a check

Ann In the UK · Post by **Ann In the UK** » Thu May 14, 2009 2:26 pm

you could always be lucky

Nope, sadly. Never mind, thanks both of you.

Ann

rjpaton · Post by **rjpaton** » Fri May 15, 2009 2:54 am

Folks

I looked up a few of my things in this Ryerson index & found some in the Sydney Morning Herald which I wanted to check. But I can't seem to find where to see the actual articles for this paper any time before 1955 online. Does anyon know where the SMH or Age etc older archives can be viewed?

Thanks
Robert

trish1 · Post by **trish1** » Fri May 15, 2009 3:08 am

Hi Robert

There is an option on the website to "request a lookup" for the SMH items.

Alternatively, microfilm of the SMH (and the AGE) is/are available at most (if not all) state libraries (and no doubt the NLA). Within NSW, regional centres probably have the microfilm of SMH available and similar in Victoria for the Age. If you check with your local library they can probably advise as to the closest centre with same.

The NLA beta site that I mentioned above has a special task in putting the pre 1955 SMH online - detail and dates are given here
http://www.nla.gov.au/ndp/selected_news ... ch2009.pdf

Trish

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Fri May 15, 2009 7:31 am

From at least 1857 to 1893 the SMH published monthly BDM notice summaries. You’ll find the summary dates on the Sydney Dead Persons Society (DPS) site. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nswsdps/smh19c.htm

If you’re looking through SMH microfilm for a death etc. notice and you have only the year of death from the NSW BDM indexes then the above summaries for those available years mean that you only need to look at about 12 newspapers instead of over 300.

These summary pages may also be useful after the SMH comes online and where the OCR process hasn’t detected the name correctly or where for any other reason the search doesn’t give the result you expect.

How the summaries were presented depended on how conscientious the person was who made them up or on the priority give by the editor. For example in some years each alphabetical letter group may not have been sorted before inclusion, with all the A’s lumped together and so on.

Hope that’s useful,
Alan