Lutheran Archives

Our records cover significant themes in the history of Australia, including:

• CHURCH HISTORY congregations, church ministries, departments and organisations
• FAMILY HISTORY through parish registers of baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burials
• ABORIGINAL languages, culture and history in comprehensive and detailed mission records
• REFUGEE AND MIGRATION HISTORY 19^th century and post-WWII
• SETTLEMENT AND LOCAL HISTORY through congregation records and registers which document the settlement of Lutherans in newly opened rural areas
• LUTHERAN SCHOOLING in history of education
• GERMAN-AUSTRALIAN language, traditions, media and cultural life – ‘Deutschtum’.

You can carry out research in person at our archives, or contact our staff by phone or email with your research inquiries.

The parish registers are comprised of pastoral acts: this being baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials, family details of people who were associated with the Lutheran Church.

These records are extremely valuable for family history research: they often contain more information that what you can find in public Birth Death and Marriage entries, and they provide additional contextual information: for example, details of Godparents/Sponsors in a baptism record can provide crucial links between families.

Individual entries within each register have been indexed onto a database. We can email you indexes for your requested surname/s. There is no charge for this (charges apply for print/post). We recommend that you request these indexes in advance of your research visit so that you can identify which records you would like to request.

Since 2018 we have been indexing records of Post WWII migrants: to date we have over 15000 entries indexed. This includes records not in registers, but in correspondence files. For example: letters of application requesting to be sponsored to migrate to Australia. These records will also appear on the surname search report.

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Up to the 1920s most of the records were written or printed in German. Handwritten German records can be rather difficult to read. Additional translation from German can be undertaken for a fee (see schedule of fees). Some documents may already be available in English translation: we do charge a small fee per page to provide these documents.

Please note that our process is to transcribe requested records first (which are checked for accuracy by a second transcriber); then they can be translated - and checked by a second translator. Accuracy is important, and all stages in the process are essential. The fee that we charge for this service is nominal - you are most welcome to provide an additional donation which is tax-deductible.

We unfortunately no longer transcribe or translate records that are not from within our collection. The number of people who have these skills are declining and we need to concentrate on our own collection material. We can direct you to extremely proficient transcribers/translators.

Photos in the Archives collection can be scanned for a fee.

Digital reproduction of a photograph: $8 per image

Permission to publish or use in a public space (eg a presentation): $10 per image

We can send you a database report using your search terms at NO COST. (Charges apply if we have to print and post the report)

Researchers may request digital scans of manuscripts (ie documents).

All items are digitised on request to preservation standards on our cradle-bed scanner. We will provide you with an access copy (PDF), plus details as to how to reference the particular work.

Manuscripts are digitised in their entire file or as the entire minute book. This means you get to read an individual document or page within context.  We charge on the size of the file. See our schedule of fees for more information.

If a file has already been digitised we can freely provide this to you at NO COST.

We do not photocopy records. You are welcome to photograph pages onsite - but remember to keep an accurate record of where those excerpts came from (we won't help you work this out later if you forget), and please remember to appropriately reference these pages.

Why not organise a tour of Lutheran Archives for your group or organisation? This is a chance to peek behind the scenes and see the treasures we hold. Allow 60 to 90 minutes for a tour. Contact us to find out more. ($12 donation per person.)

Please note there is a flight of stairs in the repository.

Tours operate with a minimum of 6 people and a maximum of 12.

While there are no fees to access the collection, Lutheran Archives are grateful for any donations from researchers and others accessing the collection. Fees for specific services are outlined below.

• Archives staff / commissioned research: $70 per hour (e.g. written enquiries)
• Database reports (eg names indexes or photographs): FREE
• Church register entries - either transcription, translation, or digital image: $8- each
• Digital scan of photographs: $8 per image
• Image publication (pending Copyright and Indigenous Copyright and Intellectual Property): $10 per image
• Digital copy of a periodical: $15- per issue (note we provide the whole issue only, not individual pages)

Lutheran Archives manuscripts

Please note that we digitise and provide files in entirety, rather than excerpts or pages of files.
Pricing categories by size are approximate, also taking into account fragility of documents and other time-intensive factors.

• Digitisation of small file, approx. 1-20 pages: $20-
• Digitisation of medium file, approx. 20-50 pages: $40-
• Digitisation of large file, approx. 50-100 pages: $60-
• Digitisation of extra-large file, 100+ pages: $75-
• Files of manuscripts already digitised: FREE

Transcription and Translation of Lutheran Archives collection material

• Transcription of manuscripts $25- per page
• Translation of manuscripts $15- per page
• Transcription AND translation of collection manuscripts $40- per page
• Photocopies/scans of pre-existing transcriptions and translations: $3 per A4 page (capped at $150)