How to search

Self Help

 

What can I do myself before I contact Family Search Services?

 

There are a number of ideas you can try before getting an agency involved.  These include searching the Electoral Roll, checking the Internet, White Pages, etc.

 

Talk to those who may know the person.

If you are looking for an immediate family member, try speaking with other family members and the missing person’s friends.  In many cases, one of them may still be in some form of contact, though this is not a certainty.

Also, pass the word around their old work place.  Someone there may know.

It is also possible that the person you speak with may have been asked not to let you know that they have contact.  Respect this, but ask that if they do have contact, will they pass on your details and let them know that you are looking for them.

While they many not tell you, it is possible that the person you are looking for will hear about it and make contact themselves.

 

Check the Electoral Roll.

Every state has at least one Electoral Office where you can view the Electoral Roll.  This is a public document.  In most cases, you will find a list of people with the same name as the one you are looking for.  The Electoral Roll is only good if the person you are looking for has enrolled to vote.  People under 18 will not show up on the roll.

The fact that you have found the correct name on the roll does not necessarily mean that you have the correct person.  There are a few million “John Smith”s in the world.  If there are a number of people with the correct name, try narrowing down the field a bit and see if you can find other information anywhere that would indicate that a particular one might be the correct person.

 

What about the Internet?

If the person you are looking for is under 30, then there is a good chance that they will have some kind of Internet presence.  Sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, etc offer a popular resource for people under the age of about 30.  Do not limit it to this age.  People over 30 are becoming increasingly active on the internet.

In some cases, you will need to become a member to search a site.  Don’t let this scare you off.  Just remember to write down your “login” details (user name and password) so that when you log in again in the future to search further, you are able to do so with the minimum stress.

Be aware that when you search for people on the internet, just because they have the right name and the correct age, it may not be them.  Like the Electoral Roll, there may be many people with the same name, even in the same area.

 

White Pages.

The White Pages are another useful tool.  However, it only offers the initials and the surname.  Again, how many “J. Smith”s are there in the phone book?  Unless the name is very unusual or you know the area where the missing person lives, you will probably not get anything concrete from the White Pages.

 

When searching for someone, try to confirm any information through secondary sources.  This will help to confirm that the name you have found is of the correct person.

 

If you are confident that you have a possible match, stop and take a breath.  Think about how you would feel if someone approached you as being a missing person.

Firstly, ask yourself if they want to have contact.  Was there conflict in the family that may still makes them angry or sad?  Just because you want contact, does this mean that they will, also?  Will you be raising “old ghosts” for them if you do make contact?

 

If you have asked yourself these questions and you still feel that you wish to make contact, then take it slow.

A simple letter to introduce yourself first is a good start.

Explain who you are and if needed, what your relationship is to the person you are searching for.  Do not be emotionally demanding in the first letter.  Save the big questions for later down the track, when they are more receptive to them.

Give them the option of replying by phone, Email or post, if you are able.  Keep in mind that post will require them to show a postcode, if not their whole address.  It is best if they have the option of phone or email first as this will allow them to protect their address until they are ready to give that information.

 

 

 

Contact Us

familytracingservicensw@aue.salvationarmy.org

(02) 9211 0277