Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc.

What Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc. does

The Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc. (GSV) is a non-profit, membership-based genealogical society incorporated in Victoria, Australia, headquartered at Level 1, 10 Queen Street, Melbourne. It serves family history enthusiasts ranging from beginners to experienced researchers, offering access to what it describes as Victoria's oldest and most comprehensive genealogical library — physical collections covering family histories, indexes, shipping lists, immigration records, naturalisation records, church indexes, and maps, complemented by an online catalogue powered by Inmagic Presto, a library of over 200 recorded webcasts, and Zoom-based virtual events. The society is volunteer-driven; paid staff numbers are small and a substantial portion of services and operational work is performed by volunteers.

The society monetises through five streams: recurring membership subscriptions (the core), event/course fees for the multi-session Australian Family History Course and DNA sessions (per-session fees of $25-$100 for members, $50-$150 for non-members), paid research services including quick look-ups and distant-member queries for those 100km+ from Melbourne, donations earmarked to the GSV Library Fund, and the quarterly Ancestor journal via subscriptions and advertising. Distribution is hybrid: a physical research library in Melbourne open Tuesday-Friday and one Saturday per month, paired with a globally accessible online catalogue and Zoom events. Community is reinforced through nine topic- and geography-specific discussion circles (Victoria/Tasmania, British India, South West England, England & Wales, Northern England, Irish Discovery Days, DNA, Writers, AI for Genealogy, Family History Toolbox) and reciprocal-rights agreements with eight Australian/NZ genealogical societies.

Name

Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc.

Legal name

Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc.

Website

https://gsv.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc. is a non-profit, membership-based genealogical society serving family history enthusiasts in Australia from its Melbourne research library, with globally accessible online catalogue, webcast library, and discussion circles covering multiple geographies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genealogical Research Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAEAGAE

Library Collections & Cataloging Services (Acquisitions, Metadata, Circulation)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

SECONDARYBPAGAHAF

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAEAGAJ

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Library, Media Center & Learning Space Operations

Keywords

• Genealogical research services
• Family history library
• Genealogy education courses
• Ancestry records access
• Genealogical society membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees that provide access to library services, webcasts, discussion circles, and member benefits.
2. Event and Course Fees: Fees charged for Australian Family History Course sessions, DNA workshops, and special events. Prices range from free for members to $150 for non-members for full-day courses.
3. Research Services: Paid research services for members including quick look-ups and comprehensive research queries for those unable to visit the library.
4. Donations: Donations to the GSV Library Fund used to enhance resources and services for members.
5. Ancestor Journal: Publication subscriptions and advertising revenue from the quarterly Ancestor journal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Genealogical Society of Victoria operates a membership-based genealogical research library and education service in Melbourne, providing members access to physical and digital family history collections, an online catalogue of records, paid research services, webcasts, discussion circles, and a multi-session Australian Family History Course. The society also publishes the quarterly Ancestor Journal and runs community discussion circles covering regional and thematic genealogy topics.

Product overview

The Genealogical Society of Victoria is a family history society offering a membership-based service with multiple integrated components. The core offering is the GSV Library and Collections providing access to genealogical records and databases. Members receive access to over 200 webcasts and can utilise research services including quick look-ups and distant member research queries. The society publishes the Ancestor Journal quarterly and offers the Australian Family History Course with multiple sessions. Community engagement is facilitated through numerous discussion circles including Victoria and Tasmania, British India, South West England (SWERD), England and Wales, Counties of Northern England, DNA Study Group, Writers Circle, Family History Toolbox, and AI for Genealogy. Additional services include Irish Discovery Days, Writing Prize competitions, and in-person Library Discovery Days.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GSV Library and Collections Core research library providing access to genealogical records, family histories, indexes, shipping lists, immigration records, naturalisation records, church indexes, maps, and databases for family history research. Targeted at members and visiting researchers.
• GSV Webcasts Online library of over 200 recorded presentations on family history topics accessible to members via the GSV catalogue.
• GSV Research Services Paid research services for members including quick look-ups for specific record sets, one free annual query up to two hours for distant members living 100km+ from the city, and paid comprehensive research options.
• Ancestor Journal Quarterly journal containing genealogical articles, research findings, and family history content. Available by subscription and also generates advertising revenue.
• Australian Family History Course Comprehensive multi-session course covering land records, military records, DNA research, and AI tools for genealogy. Sessions priced individually ($30 members / $60 non-members per session, with full-day sessions at $100/$150).

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Society of Australian GenealogistsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal rights agreement allowing members of GSV and SAG to access each other's libraries when visiting interstate. Members must provide proof of current membership.
• Tasmanian Family History SocietyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal rights agreement allowing members to access each other's facilities when traveling. Proof of current financial membership required.
• Genealogical Society of QueenslandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal rights agreement enabling members to use each other's resources when visiting Queensland.
• South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry SocietyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal rights agreement allowing members to access each other's libraries and services when traveling.
• Heraldry & Genealogy Society of CanberraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal rights agreement enabling members to use each other's facilities when visiting the ACT region.
• Western Australian Genealogical SocietyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal rights agreement allowing members to access each other's resources when visiting Western Australia.
• Northern Territory Genealogical SocietyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReciprocal rights agreement enabling members to use each other's services when visiting the Northern Territory.
• New Zealand Society of GenealogistsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational reciprocal rights agreement allowing members to access each other's genealogical resources across the Tasman.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FamilySearch: Free global genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a very large record catalogue and family-tree tooling; overlapping target audience with GSV and a key reference point for member expectations of digital genealogy tools.
• Ancestry (Ancestry.com): Largest commercial genealogy platform globally with vast digitised record collections, DNA testing and AI-assisted record matching; competes with GSV for the same end user but at much larger scale and with proprietary technology.

Direct peers

• Tasmanian Family History Society: Tasmania-focused genealogical society with library collections and reciprocal rights with GSV; directly comparable in mission, membership model and services to GSV at a state level.
• New Zealand Society of Genealogists: Cross-Tasman peer with library, research services and reciprocal membership rights with GSV; serves the same family-history enthusiast persona with overlapping record categories.
• South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society: Adelaide-based genealogical and heraldry society with reciprocal rights for GSV members; comparable scope of physical and digital collections plus member services.
• Northern Territory Genealogical Society: Territory-level genealogical society participating in the same reciprocal-rights network as GSV; similar membership society structure and family-history research focus.
• Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra: ACT-based genealogical and heraldry society with reciprocal access to GSV; comparable membership and library model focused on family history research.
• Society of Australian Genealogists: Sydney-based national genealogical society offering library collections, education courses and reciprocal access; GSV has an active reciprocal-rights agreement with SAG and they serve the same family-history enthusiast persona.
• Genealogical Society of Queensland: Queensland state genealogical society with reciprocal rights access to GSV; similar membership, library, education and discussion-circle model serving family history researchers.
• Western Australian Genealogical Society: Perth-based genealogical society operating a library and education programs with reciprocal access arrangements with GSV; directly comparable service mix and target member.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GSVFamilyHistory
• Facebookfacebook.com/gsv.org.au
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/genealogyworld
• Instagraminstagram.com/familyhistorywithgsv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Genealogical Society of Victoria Inc.