Case studies: how school records can help

These 3 case studies provide real examples of the different ways school records can help your family research.

1) I want to find enrolment records of a family member

My story

I have a family member that, I believe, lived in Beaufort in the 1860s and was the child of a gold miner. I think they would have likely gone to school in the mid-1860s. I would like to find out any information I can on them.

The steps I took

1. I searched the Victorian Government Schools Directory for Beaufort and found four entries:
   1. Beaufort Secondary College opened in 1960.
   2. Beaufort Schools Numbers 103 and 110 had little information. I followed the links on their profiles to their entries in Vision & Realisation A Centenary History of State Education in Victoria Volume 2 (online at the State Library) and read that both were Catholic schools that never became proper state schools.
   3. Beaufort Primary School Number 60 looked the most promising as it opened in 1856.
2. The profile states that most hard copy records are stored at the department, but some are at PROV. I decided to check PROV online, before I contacted the department in case I could find something myself.
3. I followed the link from the directory to the PROV site and found that they hold pupils registers covering 1864 to 1882 in reference number VPRS 8973/P1.
4. I then needed to sign up to PROV so I went back and followed the advice on the School Records site on how to sign up to be allowed to order records from PROV.
5. Once signed up, I requested the pupil register through the PROV online ordering system. Within a day I received a response telling me when the records would be available for me to view.
6. A few days later, I went to the PROV reading room in North Melbourne. The ‘Contact Us’ page on the PROV website had handy advice on how to get there.

The result

The pupils register was waiting for me and I used my phone to take some excellent images (see below) of the register that included an entry on my family member.

These images are from the Register of the Common School. These registers had the same role as pupils registers except they did so during the common school period from 1862 to 1872.

2) I want a class photo of a family member

My story

My aunt was in Grade 6 at Albert Park Primary School in 1982. I want to give her a copy of a class photo that she is in because she has lost all her class photos.

The steps I took

1. I googled ‘Albert Park Primary School’ and found the entry for Albert Park Primary School that is from the Victorian Government Schools Directory.
2. The directory entry stated that Albert Park Primary School was still open, but that some historic records have been transferred to the Records team in the Department of Education, and some of the school’s records are also at PROV.
3. I’m not sure exactly where these records are stored, so I decide to contact the department’s records team by email at archives.records@education.vic.gov.au.

The result

The Department of Education sent me a digitised copy of a class photo from 1982 that included Year 6 children.

I received the photograph and aunty was glad to see the faces of her classmates and herself. She also didn’t mind my gentle ribbing about her 1982 hairstyle!

3) I want to learn what school was like for my family member

My story

My parents were at Keon Park Technical School in 1988. I am aware of most elements of their lives but want to know what their school life was like. Keon Park Technical School closed long ago.

The steps I took

1. I visited the Department of Education's School Records website to look for advice.
2. I read on the page Understanding administrative school records that school yearbooks or magazines can have information on the ‘culture’ of the school.
3. I went to the page School yearbook (magazines), which explains how to get yearbooks. It explains that open schools should have their yearbooks, and that closed schools’ yearbooks should be at the department, or transferred to PROV. Since PROV can be searched online, I thought I might as well search there first.
4. I visited the PROV website and searched the PROV system and found that they have a Keon Park Technical School magazine from 1988. It is in the PROV reference VPRS 9643/P1.
5. I then needed to sign up to PROV so I could order the magazine. So I went back and followed the advice on the School Records site on how to sign up to be allowed to order records from PROV.
6. Once signed up, I requested the magazine through the PROV online ordering system. Within a day I received a response telling me when the records would be available for me to view in person at PROV.

The result

A few days later I went in to PROV in North Melbourne where the magazine was waiting for me. I took digital images of relevant pages of the magazine.

The school magazine contains many items that give insights into the culture of the school. These included:

• principals report
• Parents and Friends Association report
• Student Representative Council report
• information on concerts
• descriptions of school camps
• reports on excursions
• menus from a restaurant that was run by Year 11 and 12 catering students
• updates from classes
• report of the debutante ball
• report on sports
• photos of staff and classes.