The Australian Biographical and Genealogical Record (ABGR) compiled the research files and photographs of data submitted by individual descendants. A multi-volume set of reference books, containing more than 6000 biographies and nearly 1700 photographs of men and women who arrived or were born in Australia from 1788 - 1899, was considered a fitting way to commemorate Australia's Bicentenary in 1988. The ABGR was never intended to be restricted to the famous and the infamous. These  biographies  detail some of the ordinary men and women who have made their contributions in many different ways to the development of Australia. The lives of the subjects included provide a good cross section of our distinctive Australian community and are representative of "the Australian experience" since 1788. Most had large families and now have many descendants interested in learning about the lives of their forebears.

 Also, as a result of the compilation of information, the ABGR contains a second component to the reference books. Many thousands of biographical detailed forms submitted by family historians were registered by the project. Although many proposed biographies were not proceeded with by the contributors in the published series volumes, all records of the project are permanently retained by the Society of Australian Genealogists (SAG) and are available to researchers.

Image: SAG Manuscript and Image Collection, Item 21/1473

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