The Family History Centre is open as follows:
Tuesday 10 a.m. - 12 noon
Wednesday 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday 9 a.m. - 12 noon and 6.30 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.
Saturday - LAST Saturday of each month (except DECEMBER) 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Closed on Public Holidays.

The Library known as The Family History Centre is situated on the corner of Silverton and Vause Roads in Durban. The entrance is in Montgomery Lane which is alongside the Church (parallel to Vause Road). There is plenty of secure parking in the Car Park.

The FHC has a variety of books in its Library to aid the genealogical researcher. These books range in subjects such as the many Settler Groups (Dutch, French Huguenots, 1820, Byrne, Natal, Berlin Missionaries, British etc.), Maps, British Army, individual family names etc. Books too numerous to mention here. For the Beginner there are books offering guidance on how to get started when researching.

There are films, microfiche and CD-Roms to aid the researcher find Church Records, Marriages, Passenger Lists, Census etc. Not all requirements are held in stock in the Durban Library. However the Family History Library Catalogue (which is also available for purchase) details records that have been filmed and are available should a researcher desire to order them. The Distribution Centre for South Africa is in Johannesburg. Any item not held there, will be obtained from Salt Lake City.

As most people in South Africa start their research by ordering Death Notices (from Deceased Estates) the Library has Indexes for these. Death Notices up to 1950 are able to be obtained from Johannesburg by ordering them through the Durban FHC. For tips on the subject, read "Making the Most of Deceased Estate Files" by Rosemary Dixon-Smith.

By its very nature genealogy is International, therefore the Library offers access to records in many parts of the world. CD-Roms for use in the FHC's Computers offer tools such as the IGI (International Genealogical Index) which details Baptisms and Marriages extracted from Old Church Records, and the 1881 U.K. Census, and various other records, allows the researcher invaluable opportunity to research.

For those who have access to the Internet the same opportunities for research can be obtained by logging onto www.family.search.org

Anyone who has conducted a certain amount of research will find the PAF Programme (which can be downloaded from the above Web Site) or if in the Durban area the CD-Rom can be borrowed from the FHC, of great aid in keeping Family Tree records.

By visiting the Family History Centre there is much opportunity for research. Not only is assistance given by the Librarians but contact with other regular researchers often enables a new (and even experienced) researcher to benefit from the experience of others. For those who would like to get together with genealogical enthusiasts, the Durban and Coastal Branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa meets at the Family History Centre at 2 p.m. on the 2nd Saturday of each month. For further details read recent GSSA Newsletters.

For a humorous account of activities at the Family History Centre, read John Yelland's account "Genealogitis" in "The Scribe" Page.

Delyse Brown.