Genealogy SA

What Genealogy SA does

Genealogy SA (legally South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society Inc.) is a not-for-profit member-based society founded in 1973 and headquartered at 201 Unley Road, Unley, South Australia. It serves individual family history researchers — primarily South Australians tracing local ancestry — and operates as the largest family history society in Australia with over 4,500 members and approximately 230 volunteers supporting transcription, library operations, research services, and governance. The society's purpose is to aggregate, preserve, and provide access to South Australian genealogical material, with a stated collection exceeding 8 million online records spanning BDM registrations (births 1837–1928, deaths 1842–1996, marriages 1842–1951), cemetery burials, church records, school admissions, hospital admissions, shipping arrivals, and newspaper notices, complemented by a 30,000+ item physical library of books, microfiche, and journals.

Core service offerings include an Online Database Search web platform, the MPCViewer in-library research system (7.85 million records), the Softlink-hosted library catalogue, fee-based Research Services ($14.85–$33/hour for members), Special Interest Groups across geographic and topical themes (England, Irish, Scottish, Germanic, DNA, Writers, Computer Users, Huguenot), an Education Program of seminars and workshops, the quarterly South Australian Genealogist journal, and annual TT Reed Book and Article of the Year awards. The society monetizes primarily through annual membership fees ($132 full / $66 associate), research service fees, tax-deductible donations and bequests, and book/resource sales; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Distribution is multi-channel: a flagship physical library in Unley (open Tuesday evenings through Saturday), a regional branch at Copper Coast Library in Kadina, online member self-serve access, Zoom-delivered remote events, and reciprocal visiting rights through AFFHO affiliation with interstate family history societies. Partnerships with Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast, The Genealogist, and FamilySearch provide members with curated access to premium international genealogical databases.

Name

Genealogy SA

Legal name

South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society Inc.

Website

https://genealogysa.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Genealogy SA is a South Australian not-for-profit family history society serving 4,500+ members and the public with an 8-million-record online database, a 30,000-item library, fee-based research services, and education programs across Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genealogical and Family History Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Family history research
• Genealogical records
• Historical archives
• Society library services
• Ancestry research databases

Headquarters

HQ city

Unley

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide the primary recurring revenue stream. Full membership $132/year, Associate membership $66/year for co-habiting household members. Membership provides access to databases, library, research services, journal, and member discounts.
2. Research Services: Fee-for-service research conducted by experienced volunteers. BDM certificate transcriptions at $14.85 for members/$29.70 for non-members. General research at $33/hour for members/$66/hour for non-members.
3. Donations and Bequests: Tax-deductible donations (over $2) support the society's mission. Bequests in wills welcome including cash, percentage of estate, works of art, real estate, stocks and shares, and copyrights.
4. Book and Resource Sales: Sale of published family histories, reference books, and guides. Prices range from $5-$70 for members with non-member pricing slightly higher.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Genealogy SA is a membership-based family history society that provides access to South Australian genealogical records through an online database of over 8 million records, a physical library with more than 30,000 items, and fee-for-service research assistance conducted by experienced volunteer researchers. Members also participate in Special Interest Groups, an education program, and a quarterly journal, while affiliate access provides in-library use of major subscription genealogy databases.

Product overview

Genealogy SA operates as a membership-based family history organization offering a unified service comprising an online database search platform with over 8 million historical records (covering South Australian BDM registrations, newspapers, cemeteries, churches, schools, and shipping), a physical Society Library holding 30,000+ items at its Unley headquarters, professional research services for members and non-members, and a network of Special Interest Groups focused on geographic regions (England, Irish, Scottish, Germanic/European) and topics (DNA, family history writing, computer users). The organization also maintains a Yorke Peninsula branch, publishes the South Australian Genealogist journal quarterly, runs an e-commerce shop for publications and research services, and provides education programs including seminars and workshops. All services are unified under membership, with research services and the library catalog as complementary core offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Database Search Web-based search platform providing access to indexes of over 8 million South Australian genealogical records including BDM registrations (1837-1996), newspaper notices (1839-2024), cemetery burials, church records, school admissions, and ship passenger arrivals. Available to members online.
• Society Library Physical reference library at 201 Unley Rd, Unley, housing over 30,000 items including books, microfiche, journals, and family history resources. Provides computer facilities, microfiche/microfilm readers, and in-library access to subscription databases including Ancestry, Findmypast, MyHeritage, The Genealogist, and FamilySearch. Non-members can access via a $30 day pass.
• Research Services Fee-for-service genealogical research assistance delivered by experienced volunteers and staff, including BDM certificate transcriptions ($14.85 members/$29.70 non-members), newspaper/cemetery lookups, and general research requests at $33/hour members/$66/hour non-members. Includes brick-wall assistance and distant researcher support via email and post.
• Special Interest Groups Member groups meeting monthly focused on specific geographic regions (England, Irish, Scottish, Germanic/Continental European, Huguenot) and topics (DNA in Family History, Family History Writers, Computer Users, Family Historian Software). Groups meet via Zoom or in-person at the Unley library.
• Education Program Seminars, workshops, twilight talks, and courses covering family history research skills, DNA analysis, writing family histories, and technology applications. Includes beginner Getting Started seminars, Sharpen Your Research Skills workshops, and AI in Family History sessions. Delivered in-person and via Zoom.
• Yorke Peninsula Family History Group Regional branch of Genealogy SA located at the Local History Room, Copper Coast Library, 1a Doswell Tce, Kadina. Serves Yorke Peninsula family history researchers with local records, research services, and appointment-based consultations. Open Tuesdays 10am-12noon and Wednesdays 2pm-4pm.
• South Australian Genealogist Journal Quarterly journal published by the Society featuring articles on South Australian family history, award-winning research, and Society news. Available to members online and in print.
• Society Membership Annual membership providing access to the online database, library, research services, member discounts, monthly journal, and Special Interest Groups. Full membership $132/year and Associate membership $66/year for co-habiting members.
• MPCViewer Multi-PC Viewer software used on Research Centre computers at the Society Library providing access to datasets including newspapers, cemeteries, arrivals, church records, school admissions, German records, BDM indexes, and BISA, totaling over 7.8 million records.
• Annual Family History Book Awards Recurring awards program administered by the Society including the TT Reed Book Award for outstanding family history books published by South Australians or documenting SA families, and the Article of the Year Award for outstanding journal contributions.
• Genealogy SA Book and Resource Shop Online and in-person shop selling published family histories, reference books, and genealogical guides produced or distributed by the Society, with prices ranging from $5 to $70 for members and non-member pricing slightly higher.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MyHeritagecoreTechnology or IntegrationMembers have home access to MyHeritage through the society, providing a significant international records database. MyHeritage provides the online platform and database access while Genealogy SA provides member access.
• AncestrycoreTechnology or IntegrationIn-library access to Ancestry database available at the Genealogy SA Library for members and visitors.
• FamilySearchcoreTechnology or IntegrationGenealogy SA is a designated FamilySearch affiliate library, providing access to FamilySearch records not available at home.
• AFFHO (Australasian Federation of Family History Organisations)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGenealogy SA has affiliate visiting rights with other interstate family history societies affiliated with AFFHO, enabling members to access resources at partner organizations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ancestry: Largest global commercial genealogy platform with billions of records, DNA testing, and tree-building tools. Operates broadly across all geographies and competes with regional societies for member attention and subscription dollars.
• Findmypast: UK-originated genealogy platform with strong British and Irish record coverage. Sponsor and in-library partner of Genealogy SA; comparable as a subscription-based records provider.
• MyHeritage: Global genealogy platform with strong DNA and international records focus. Already partners with Genealogy SA to provide home access to members, illustrating the overlapping value proposition.
• National Library of Australia: National library with extensive Australian biographical, newspaper, and manuscript collections (including Trove). Provides free access to records that overlap with Genealogy SA's offering, capping pricing power.

Regional players

• State Library of South Australia: State-level public library and archive with overlapping South Australian history collections. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; a potential partner or substitute for some researcher needs.

Emerging players

• FamilySearch: Free global genealogy service operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Already a designated FamilySearch affiliate library partner; competes as a free alternative for many record types.

Direct peers

• Genealogical Society of Victoria: Melbourne-based genealogy society with a library, online databases, research services, and publications. Directly comparable not-for-profit, member-driven model focused on Victorian records.
• Queensland Family History Society: State-level family history society based in Brisbane offering a library, online records, research services, and SIGs. Closely comparable operating model, scale, and revenue structure to Genealogy SA.
• Society of Australian Genealogists: Australia's oldest genealogy society, headquartered in Sydney. Most directly comparable peer as a not-for-profit, membership-based family history society offering library, research, education, and online records — operates at national rather than state level.
• Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies: Education-focused genealogy organization offering courses and certification. Comparable as a non-profit genealogy organization serving Australian researchers, though more education- than archive-driven.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GenealogySA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/genealogy-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Genealogy SA