Discover Local History Using Facebook
I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like sitting down with an old photo album and flipping through the pages, wondering about people, the places, and life as it was back then … reminiscing. And any historian and/or genealogist know that learning about the history of a region where your family (be it YOUR own family, or the generations before you), is such an important aspect of it research. But just how do you find out the history and people of a town or area?
Well until relatively recently there’s been two options. Firstly look around to see what books have been produced on the area and try to track them down, either through libraries, or secondhand bookstores), or secondly visit (or write if you’re not local) the genealogy or historical groups that are in the region. These are usually a goldmine of information, and are ALWAYS a good source of records. A third option, and is one that we all love, is to search old newspapers. And for us here in Australia that means going to Trove!
But now there’s a new way to at least enhance your knowledge of the area, and that is by following a Facebook page that is dedicated to the local history of the town or area you’re interested in. The concept of starting a Facebook page for someone to share their photos and knowledge of a town, while inviting others to contribute seems to have really boomed in the past year or so.
Facebook now has over 1.15 users globally, and almost 700 million of them log on daily (and yes, I’m one of those 700 million), so creating a Facebook page or group really does potentially give you a global audience.
Setting up a page or group on Facebook is simple and there is no cost, so for someone to choose to create a page to share photos, is really creating an photo album to share with the Facebook world.
I’m in Australia but I have roots to various counties in England as well as to New Jersey in the US, so I find it interesting to learn about the history of those areas. And as part of that I currently follow a Facebook page called Old Cornwall in pictures, which simply puts up old photos of Cornwall, and while I’ve never been there I find it very fascinating to see the places my ancestors came from.
As you can imagine not every place around the world (or even in Australia) has a Facebook page or group created for it, but having browsed around I can tell you there’s a LOT. So I’ve decided to create a list of the Australian-related local history pages that I’ve found so far. Now, I’m sure that I’ve missed some, so if you know of others, write them in the comments box below, so others can then see them.
Please note, I’ve chosen to ONLY list those pages or groups that are primarily dedicated to sharing local history. But I have chosen to not include organisations such as Historical Societies, Museums or similar for this list.
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AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Vintage Canberra
https://www.facebook.com/vintagecanberra
NEW SOUTH WALES
Memories of Blacktown NSW
https://www.facebook.com/blacktownmemories
Lithgow Heritage Trail
https://www.facebook.com/LithgowHeritageTrail
Lost Manly
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LostManly/
Lost Manly
https://www.facebook.com/lostmanlypage
Lost Newcastle
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LostNewcastle/
Memories of St Marys – South Creek NSW, Australia
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Memories-of-St-Marys-South-Creek-NSW-Australia/122749694597723
Lost Sydney
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lostsydney/
Lost Sydney
https://www.facebook.com/lostsydneyhistory
Lost Tumut
https://www.facebook.com/losttumut
Lost Wollongong
https://www.facebook.com/groups/lostwollongong
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Lost Darwin
https://www.facebook.com/LostDarwin
QUEENSLAND
Lost Brisbane
https://www.facebook.com/Lost.Brisbane
Your Brisbane: Past and Present
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Your-Brisbane-Past-and-Present/122963015127
Lost Bribie
https://www.facebook.com/lostbribie
Lost Caboolture
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lost-Caboolture/558045160898361
Cairns of yesteryear – celebrating our past
https://www.facebook.com/OldCairns
Lost Cairns
https://www.facebook.com/LostCairns
Have you seen the old Gold Coast
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-you-seen-the-old-Gold-Coast/280745045301771
Vintage Queensland
https://www.facebook.com/VintageQueensland
Ipswich, Then and Now
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ipswich-Then-and-Now/172663226219296
Longreach News Trips & Tales
https://www.facebook.com/LongreachNewsTripsandTales
Mackay North and Western Queensland Old Pics and Yarns
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mackay-North-and-Western-Queensland-Old-Pics-and-Yarns/271725352851414
This is Nerang
https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsNerang
Lost Redcliffe
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lost-Redcliffe/566426046738867
Yeppoon/Rockhampton/CQ Old Pics and Yarns
https://www.facebook.com/OLD.PICS.AND.YARNS
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Lost Adelaide
https://www.facebook.com/LostAdelaide
Gawler Gold
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gawler-gold/685675811447250
Gawler History Team
https://www.facebook.com/gawlerhistoryteam/
Gumeracha and District Past and Present
https://www.facebook.com/GumerachaHistory
Hamley Bridge Past and Present
https://www.facebook.com/HamleyBridgePastAndPresent
Lost History of South Australia
https://www.facebook.com/LostHistoryOfSouthAustralia
TASMANIA
Lost Hobart and Southern Surrounds
https://www.facebook.com/groups/223873127723634/
VICTORIA
Ballarat
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ballarat/403878793068098
Birregurra..Then And Now
https://www.facebook.com/BirregurraThenAndNow
Colac
https://www.facebook.com/ColacVic
Country Victoria
https://www.facebook.com/LostCountryVictoria
Daylesford & Hepburn – Lost History & Photos
https://www.facebook.com/DaylesfordHepburnoldphotos
Dunolly & District History
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dunolly-District-History/157363057656075
Fading Victoria
https://www.facebook.com/fadingvictoria
Flemington Heritage
https://www.facebook.com/flemingtonheritage
Geelong
https://www.facebook.com/geelongvictoria
Lost Maryborough
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lost-Maryborough/202802246554650
Lost Melbourne
https://www.facebook.com/LostMelbourne
Moonee Valley Memes
https://www.facebook.com/MooneeValleyMemes
Lost Mornington Peninsula
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lost-Mornington-Peninsula/377591039028519
Lost West Heidelberg
https://www.facebook.com/lostwestheidelberg.photos
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Memories of Busselton
https://www.facebook.com/BusseltonMemories
Memories of Bunbury
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Memories-of-Bunbury/158463297660502
Lost Geraldton
https://www.facebook.com/LostGeraldton
Lost Mandurah
https://www.facebook.com/LostMandurah
Lost Northam
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lost-Northam/635682966443938
Lost Perth
https://www.facebook.com/LostPerth
Lost Rockingham
https://www.facebook.com/lostrockingham
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So there you go, that’s my tip for the day. Find a Facebook page or group that relates to an area you’re in, and follow it. Like I said earlier you can simply search for others by typing the place name in the top search bar, and before hitting the Enter key, scroll down to the last few options on the dropdown list and look for “Find all places called ……”, or “Find all pages called ….”, then you simply browse through.
12 Responses to “Discover Local History Using Facebook”
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Great idea and useful list, thanks Alona
Thanks Shauna.
Excellent list! You beat me to it with your post.
I have been a long-time fan of these Facebook groups and am always pleased to find more as can spend many an hour browsing through the old photos.
Ooh no, I’m sorry Helen, I didn’t know you were going to to the same thing. I didn’t mean to tread on your toes with it. But yes, I do love these groups … it’s great to see the areas as they were.
Great list Alona. I have a couple of Western Victorian pages you might like –
Have You Seen Old Ballaarat Town? http://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-you-seen-old-Ballaarat-Town/678478752179245
Stawell’s Views By Old Time Photography http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stawells-Views-By-Old-Time-Photography/553752538018258
Ooh Merron, thanks for those. Obviously I missed those in my search, but thatnks so much for the links. I’m off to have a look now.
Hi Alona, this is my first comment, I have been a fan for a while now and really enjoy reading your page. I agree with the facebook pages, I have found so many recently that are just a wealth of knowledge and information. I hope the genealogy pages keep appearing on Facebook and that people become aware that Facebook can be useful & educational 🙂
Michelle
ps. Thanks for your list.
Hi Michelle, so glad you dropped by to say hello, and that you’re enjoying my blogs. And I’m also a fan (as you may have guessed) of the Facebook local history pages. They are great aren’t they. And whether you’re familiar with the area or not, they give a little insight into what the place was like. 😉
A great list Alona. I’ve followed blogs for aome of thse in my Qld interest but hadn’t looked for them on FB! Oops, and thanks!!
I must admit I was surprised at how many there were when I really started looking. But it is a lovely way to connect with others and see the history of a place.
I have another one Alona…Lost Warrnambool…https://www.facebook.com/lostwarrnambool
Great list, Alona! I’ve made sure that all these links (as well as the links in the comments) are included on my worldwide Genealogy on Facebook list at http://socialmediagenealogy.com/genealogy-on-facebook-list. Thanks again!