A guide to researching your ancestors in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, using resources at State Library Victoria.
Newspapers can provide a wealth of information about your ancestors, including:
A number of UK and Irish newspapers are available in the Library. They are available in print, microfilm and online through one of our online newspaper archives.
For further information on the State Library's newspaper collection please consult one of the following research guides:
`The mail steam-ship for Australia'. The Times (London, England), Saturday, May 20, 1854; pg. 1; Issue 21746 in The Times Digital Archive [online database], accessed 12 January 2015.
The following UK and Irish newspaper archives are available through the State Library of Victoria. You can access many of these resources from home if you are a Victorian resident and a registered State Library user.
Search British metropolitan and regional newspapers from the British Library's newspaper collection, predominantly from the 19th century. Includes some titles into the 20th century.
Spotlight Discover more about this resource in our Online Collection Spotlight: British Library Newspapers (1732–1950) blog post.
Search this free index to hundreds of British newspapers dating from 1800 to the present day. One million pages are free to view and download with a free user account. You will need to purchase access to other full text. The British Newspaper Archive is a partnership between the British Library and Findmypast.
Please note: the Library does not have a paid subscription to this resource and free access to articles is limited.
Cross-search several British newspaper archives, including 19th Century British Newspapers, The Times Digital Archive, The Sunday Times, The Times Literary Supplement and The Illustrated London News.
Access a single, integrated search across all primary source collections included in the Gale Primary Sources platform. The platform includes 17th, 18th and 19th century British newspapers and select periodicals as well as material related to 19th century British politics, theatre and music, children's literature, and maps and travel literature.
Discover an archive of The Guardian (UK) (1821-2003) and its sister paper, The Observer (1791-2003), the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper. Articles are full-text, fully searchable and viewable as images.
Read the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper, with reports of British and world events including news of war, disasters, royalty, social affairs, the arts and science.
Read the full-text of over 100 Irish national and regional newspapers, including The Irish Independent (1905— ) and Freeman's Journal (1763–1924).
Discover an archive of over 150 years of two major Irish newspapers. Articles are full-text, fully searchable and viewable as images.
Discover an archive of over 130 years of the popular Scottish newspaper. Articles are full-text, fully searchable and viewable as images.
Discover digitised, full text newspapers covering the period of World War Two. Featuring over 200 titles from England, US, New Zealand and Australia which were produced for military and civilian units serving at home and abroad. Explore themes of propaganda, identity, education and welfare, and look at the experiences and portrayals of soldiers and civilians, both men and women.
Note that the Library's subscription now includes content from both Modules I and II.
Access the complete content of this British weekly newspaper, editorially independent from The Times, which provides thoughtful analysis and commentary on the week’s news and society at large.
Access the complete content of the London Times, fully searchable and viewable as images.
