COVID-19 has been a catalyst for Redlanders to take a dig into their past, with family history purchases booming in 2020.
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Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said statistics compiled by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages show that family history purchases soared by 22 percent over the course of the year, and rocketed up 38 and 37 percent in May and June respectively.
"With Queenslanders spending more time at home with their families during 2020, it proved a good opportunity to start researching their family history," Ms Fentiman said.
"Last year we saw a spike of almost 40 per cent in purchases of family history from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, the biggest request was for images and death registrations."
In 2020, a total of 31,190 family history items held by RBDM were accessed by mid-November, up from 24,683 in 2019.
Ms Fentiman said each year the RBDM released new records available through their family history research service.
This year, more than 50,000 new records had become available, including birth, marriage and death records,
The registry is able to provide the service for certificates of death registrations but they must be from at least 30 years ago.
Queenslanders can also access images or copies of certificates for births that took place more than 100 years ago and for marriages that took place more than 75 years ago.
Ms Fentiman said the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages are playing a crucial role in assisting Queenslanders on their journey to learn more about their family history.
"History is literally at our fingertips. With the rise of genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com and social media, Queenslanders are able to research their family history easier and faster," Ms Fentiman said.
"Queensland started compulsory registration of life events - births, deaths and marriages - in 1856, but holds some records dating back to 1829."
The registry also holds some historical church records for baptisms, burials and marriages for parts of the 1800s, marine birth and death records until 1920, and death records for service personnel who enlisted in Queensland for World War I and World War II.
All the information about family history searches can be found at familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au.
The Redlands itself has a rich history, with many residents descended from farming families, war veterans and convicts.
It has played host to family and cultural gatherings - including a huge family reunion of descendants from a clan from the Scottish highlands - as well as celebrations of the region's rich First Nations history.
Do you have a story to share about your family history? Tell us at news@redlandcitybulletin.com.au.
