Berrima District Historical and Family History Society was founded in 1960 to encourage the study of Australian, local and family history and to establish a museum and a permanent archive for the preservation of the documentary and material heritage of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.

Their collections cover the major towns of Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Robertson and Bundanoon and the many villages in the area including: Avoca, Aylmerton, Balaclava, Braemar, Berrima, Burrawang, Canyonleigh, Colo Vale, Exeter, Glenquarry, Hilltop, Kangaloon, Penrose, Sutton Forest, Tallong, Wildes Meadow and Wingello.

An extensive collection of reference material is available for researchers.

Berrima District Historical and Family History Society extensive holdings include:

• Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes for NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia
• Microfilms of all pre-1856 Births, Deaths and Marriages for New South Wales
• Biography files for hundreds of local families, including family information, press cuttings and photographs.
• Local newspapers in hard copy and on microfilm include Berrima District Post, Bowral Free Press, The Four Mails, Goulburn Herald, Goulburn Evening Post, Mittagong Argus, Mittagong Express, Mittagong Star, Moss Vale Post, Robertson Advocate, The Moss Vale Scrutineer, Southern Mail, Southern Highland News, Wollondilly Press
• Photographic collection of local people and places
• Building files on local houses and public buildings
• Cemetery Transcriptions of all cemeteries in the Southern Highlands District.
• Convict records, including the index to convicts arriving in NSW and a full set of convict indents, Ticket of Leave index, Convict Marriage Banns, indexes to Colonial Secretary’s Correspondence
• Probate Indexes for NSW
• Publicans Licences, Depasturing Licences,
• Electoral Rolls
• Sands Directories NSW 1858-1936
• Church Records
• Indexes to Immigration records and shipping lists
• Parish and other maps, subdivision plans and various land and property records
• Rate Books
• Manuscript Collection including the Parry Papers, an important local history resource

The Society’s Archives and Research Centre are located in Mittagong in the Old Council Chambers building on the corner of Bowral Road and the Old Hume Highway.

Open Mondays and Tuesdays: 10 am to 4 pm; Saturdays: 10 am to 1 pm. Other times by appointment.

Contact the Archivist Linda Emery on 02 4872 2169 or email bdhsarchives@gmail.com

PLEASE NOTE THAT CHARGES APPLY FOR EMAIL RESEARCH ENQUIRIES – See the research page for details