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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Australia Lookups completed => Topic started by: Rupert96 on Tuesday 22 July 08 10:27 BST (UK)

Title: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Rupert96 on Tuesday 22 July 08 10:27 BST (UK)
Good Evening

Does anyone know of any "free" Historical Newspapers online websites that are searchable, if no free sites are there any "pay per view" or "subscription" sites that can be viewed online.
I'm interested in Australian & U.K newspapers.

Would gratefully appreciate any feedback.

Cheers
Rupert
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: MarieC on Tuesday 22 July 08 10:41 BST (UK)
Well, you are fortunate, Rupert!  (I see you live in NSW).

If you contact your State Library in Sydney and arrange for the appropriate membership (free), you will be able to have remote online access to both The Times Digital Archive and the Gale Newspaper Collection (other British newspapers, 18th and 19th centuries)!

Here in Qld, we only have access to the Times archive through our State Library.

I don't know of any online access for Australian newspapers, but you may find your local history library or family history society may have some on microfilm.

MarieC
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Rupert96 on Tuesday 22 July 08 11:08 BST (UK)
Hi MarieC

Thankyou so much. I didn't realise you could get access to T.T.D.A & Gale Collections online. I thought the only way to access these two were to actually go into a library.

I will contact the State Library tomorrow for membership.

again thankyou very much.
Rupert

Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: cando on Wednesday 23 July 08 04:30 BST (UK)
You can access for a two week trial, you have to register, the Gale Newspapers
http://access.gale.com/gdctrial/ and register, using "None" in the institution field and "International" in the state field.

Cheers
Cando
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Rupert96 on Wednesday 23 July 08 09:09 BST (UK)
Hi Cando

Thankyou for the link. I only came across this last night after MarieC mentioned I could get access through the state library.

Appreciate you letting me know.

Cheers
Rupert
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Les de B on Wednesday 23 July 08 13:05 BST (UK)
Hi Rupert

This is the link for the Times and English Collection for the NSW State Library.

http://www2.sl.nsw.gov.au/databases/athome.cfm

Just click onto 'Log-in", and that will take you to the next screen where you can apply for membership (see easy instructions). When you receive your membership in the mail, use the same link above, but when the next screen comes up, you'll have your member number to enter, and then make up a password, and then you can research until you "burst"  :D

There is another on-line site for Australian newspapers. 

http://www.nla.gov.au/ferg/browselist.html

Its free, but is only 1840-1845. Plenty of newspaper titles, but no searchable index.

Les
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: cando on Thursday 24 July 08 10:41 BST (UK)
And a couple more
http://www.paperofrecord.com/  Careful with this link !! See next reply

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/home.aspx?geotype=London
Scroll to Historians to search their archives.

Cheers
Cando
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Thursday 24 July 08 19:34 BST (UK)
Be careful with this link:  http://www.paperofrecord.com/

the home page was OK but I clicked on search and it was taking ages to load,
and the browser kept showing
waiting for http://www.paperofrecord.com/<script src=http://www.adwbnr.com/b.js></script>

I checked out adwnbr.co in Google and found it on many webpages, trying to load a script (see the .js in the URL.

A visit to the home page adwbnr.com brought up the first screen below. It's in german, but basically it's saying
BEWARE !!! Your security settings have prevented this site from loading.

When I clicked on the link "warum wurde diese Seite blockiert /why was this site blocked ?" I got the second screen, from Google, this time in english, so you can read it for yourselves.

If your security software is good enough, you can probably still look at the site, but if in doubt,

  .............    AVOID this site !



Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: cando on Friday 25 July 08 00:57 BST (UK)
Oh dear....wish I hadn't recommended the site...however I have used it a number of times over the last 6 months....I use Trend Micro Pro...always up to date [automatic update but I always check when I log on each day] and I run a full scan weekly and to date nothing has shown up. 

I have used it for the Port Phillips Herald and Liverpool Echo.

Perhaps I should remove the link :-\

Cando
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Les de B on Friday 25 July 08 06:07 BST (UK)
Oh dear....wish I hadn't recommended the site...

Oh no, I joined the site from the link given in this posting.  :o

I had to give my email address to gain access, however, as it was taking so long to open the site, I went off somehwere else, and when I came back , I had been disconnected from the site.

Cando, don't feel too bad about it, you were just trying to help. At this stage everything on my computer is working fine. I did my routine computer check last night before I read Berlin Bob's posting today, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to worry about. I'll do another thorough one soon just to make doubly sure.

As you say, Cando, you have used the site before without problems. If I didn't follow some of the suggested links RootsChatters supplied, I'd still be hitting brickwalls generations back. You acted in good faith, so that's fine with me. Anyway, as I indicated my computer is fine - "knock on wood"  ;)

Les
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: cando on Friday 25 July 08 07:10 BST (UK)
I have used this site again to date....run a full scan afterwards ...so will continue to use it.

Cando
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Bluey2 on Tuesday 29 July 08 23:28 BST (UK)
Hi,
I don't know why you are having problems with the "Paper of Record" website. I use it all the time with no trouble. There are hundred of Newspapers on it and I use frequently the Australian Newspaper "Port Phillip Herald". You can access the website on the following link but you will need to register -


http://www.paperofrecord.com/Default.asp

There is also a free site to access New Zealand Historic newspapers which I have found to be very, very good.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast

Cheers,
Greendog.
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: jeanlit on Monday 04 August 08 01:45 BST (UK)
There is a Beta version of Australian Newspapers 1808 - 1954 being developed at the moment.  It is searchable but the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is not 100%. 

However, having said that, at least it gives us access to more that what we had before!!

http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home

Jean

P.S. I have tried to register but haven't had any luck;   but I can still search.  Also, don't limit the papers to any area - you can always refine the search later.
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: cando on Monday 04 August 08 02:06 BST (UK)
Jean I registered yesterday and have received email confirmation....but as you said you don't need to register to search.  Found the OCR a tad frustrating...my rellies seem to use the Age....will be processed soon...but frustrating to see snippets and not be able to access.....especially my dad's and his late brother's birth notices.

Leanne [ennael] brought this website to our attention and has posted it under Australian Resources.

Cheers
Cando
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: Les de B on Monday 04 August 08 02:18 BST (UK)
Hi,
I don't know why you are having problems with the "Paper of Record" website. I use it all the time with no trouble. 
Greendog.

Are you having any trouble searching this site of late? I can only get as far as logging in with my password, but from then on, when I go to search, the site won't load. After 10 minutes its still trying to load, with the "bars" on the bottom of my computer only showing 5 out of 10. I emailed the site, and received a reply 5 days ago, indicating there was a probelm and it would be fixed shortly(?).

I'm not quite sure whether that was an automatic email response, but I'm still having the same problem today.

Les
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: jeanlit on Monday 04 August 08 02:23 BST (UK)
Hi Cando

I have just come from re-registering under a different email address and was successful immediately - apparently it didn't like my previous address or else my spambuster worked too well and busted the return email before I even got it.

However, it worked and I was able to go in and make some changes to a couple of articles on the surname CLANEY.   It is always difficult because it is so often read as CLANCY. 

About the OCR - patience, my dear girl,  patience!  If you've waited this long to find something out, then I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer!!

Jean

Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: cando on Monday 04 August 08 02:27 BST (UK)
Oh Jean that is one thing I have...well now....nothing like a hobby such as genealogy to teach one patience ;D ;D

Cheers
Cando
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: jeanlit on Monday 04 August 08 02:34 BST (UK)
After looking for the death or burial of our grandfather for the best part of thirty years,   we finally found him buried next to his daughter-in-law's sister.  Subsequent checking revealed that the BDM Index had him as Donald not his real name Alexander.    (No parents given)  The death certificate, however, was correct.

After that, I have patience!!

Jean
Title: Re: Historical Newspapers Online
Post by: judb on Monday 04 August 08 09:02 BST (UK)
Many many thanks for this info.  Haven't registered with the Paper of Record site as I get a bit wary of those who want a real address, but the others are great.

What a wonderful resource Rootschat is!