KZN Family History Society

Welcome to the Kwazulu-Natal Family History Society.

We are a vibrant community of genealogy enthusiasts dedicated to exploring and preserving family histories.

Our meetings take place on the first Saturday of every month, featuring engaging speakers and hands-on workshops designed to enhance your research skills. We warmly welcome visitors and newcomers to join us. For those new to family research, our experienced members are always ready to offer guidance and support, helping you get started on your genealogical journey.

Our extensive library houses a vast collection of resources to assist researchers, and the PMB Archives are accessible Monday to Friday and on the second Saturday of the month. On these Saturdays, members of the KwaZulu-Natal Family History Society are on hand to provide additional assistance.

Although based in the Midlands, our branch serves anyone interested in genealogy and family history throughout KwaZulu-Natal.

The Midlands Branch of the Genealogy Society, which meets together with the KZN Family History Society, is under the curatorship of the KwaZulu-Natal Family History Society, ensuring our continued dedication to supporting genealogical research in our community.

We look forward to meeting you and helping you uncover your family’s past!

Next KZNFHS/NMB of GSSA Monthly Meeting

Saturday 7th December 2024
9:00am for 9:30am

Christmas Tea

The Haven

Please bring a small plate of your Christmas favourites

Visitors welcome – R10 each

Research

Our members are amateur researchers and concentrate on researching their families, however we are able to assist with lookups at the PMB Archives, local cemeteries, and churches. We do have a few members who are able to do major family history research. See below for examples of rates etc.

It is important to send us whatever information you already have, e.g. Estate File Numbers, Graveyard where the person may be or is buried, church denomination, etc.

Please direct all Research inquiries to research@kznfamilyhistory.org.za.

We will then assign it to the relevant researcher who will tackle the research in their private capacities and may charge for their services.

Examples of rates charged:

Document Retrieval from the Pietermaritzburg Archives: R50 for the first page of each document and R20 for each subsequent page of the document.

Basic research, i.e. finding documents, and other information: R150hr plus expenses

Detailed research, i.e. doing full research, building family trees, etc.: R250hr plus expenses

GSSA Archives Tours 2024

Enrol for this year’s Archive tour in the company of other GSSA members. Each tour takes one working week.

Research in Western Cape archives and libraries (in October 2024) [FULL]

Gauteng Archive Crawl (in August 2024) [FULL]

Look out for the 2025 Archives Tours. Dates to be announced soon!

Right through the tour participants do research on their own fields of interest. Sufficient information on what can be found and how everything works will be

circulated up front. A beginner’s course will be included – free of charge.

For more information and/or to be included on the mailing list contact

Ellen Harmse

eharmse@mweb.co.za

+27 (0)72 594 9050; +27 (0)11 972 0003

2023/4 Events

Click here to sign up to our meeting notices!

(See our new Events Page for details and other related events here)

Upcoming Events (EVENTS DIARY)

DATES FOR 2024

3rd February 2024 – AGM

2nd March 2024 – Remember the Cherry Blossoms – A Gentleman Scientist and the Manhattan Project. Presented by Illona Osso-Fairbrother

6th April 2024 – Family History Workshop -Publishing your Family History Research

4th May 2024 – KZN FHS Library Opening @ Project Gateway

1st June 2024 – The Anderson Family and the Byrne Settlers. Presented by Harvey Anderson

6th July 2024 – Howick and the Humphries – 5 Generations on. Presented by Alison Engelbrecht

3rd August 2024 – Family History Workshop – Software and Websites to ramp up your Family History Research

September is Heritage Month

7th September 2024 – Family & Local History Fair @ Project Gateway, 4 Burger Street, Pietermaritzburg.

5th October 2024 – Cleaning and Photographing Gravestones. Presented by Celeste Rossouw, Senior Heritage Officer, Amafa

2nd November 2024 – Family History Workshop: Break down that Brick Wall!

7th December 2024 – and Christmas Tea

The Pietermaritzburg Archives are open Monday to Fridays, excluding Public Holidays and on the SECOND Saturday of the month, excluding Public Holidays. Members of the KZN Family History Society and Midlands Branch of the GSSA are in attendance most Saturdays to assist you.