Famous names can be found in the records, including Australia's first prime minister Edmund Barton, Tasmanian-born actor Errol Flynn, and cricketer Sir Donald Bradman.

However, don't think everyone is going to be related to someone "famous" - "infamous" is more like it as the website has also released criminal records of about 55,000 convicts along with their physical descriptions, notes from their trials, journey to Australia, working life, release and death earlier this year.

Explaining why he thought libraries were essential, he said: "We're now in an age of 'too much information'. Libraries and librarians are more important than ever.

"Children want stories. They want information. They want knowledge about the strange world they're in. Saying that the internet can be that is like setting a child free in a jungle and expecting them safely to find things to eat."

With local authorities under pressure to cull budgets, at a time when publishers are increasing the costs beyond what libraries and research institutions can afford, means someone is going to miss out. Gamain says that should not be children, the poor and the disadvantaged who would otherwise not be able to have the access to the world of information because of individual circumstances.

"To have these documents really allows us to see something about the character of the people who made up these lodges over the years in the history of the town and some of them truly were the movers and shakers of Whitby," he said, listing several former mayors who were masons including Tom Edwards, Marcel Brunelle and Bob Attersley.

"These documents are sometimes the only source we have for information on the early history of Whitby," he said, adding that records from earlier than 1850 are extremely difficult to come by.

"Family history is still the cheapest, most accessible, most time-tested way to get a rough estimate of the genetic component of disease risk," says Rear Adm. Robert C. Williams, the acting deputy surgeon general.

If that sounds a little morbid it depends (as with all things) on your perspective. But most doctors and clinics the world over, always, always, always ask you for your family history and what better way to find out - but to ask your relatives to fill in your medical knowledge gaps, and in doing so, you may find a whole new reason to keep working on your family history.

The Vineland facility, which is the second-oldest historical society in the state, was established in 1864, just three years after the city of Vineland was founded.

"When we have events like this, it's not just about us opening our doors and offering these resources, it becomes a forum for people to come forward and share their own history,"

The beauty of going to a genealogy fair of course is having access to other people who are also conducting family history research as well as the 'professionals' who work with the Society.

Ancestry.com wants to put down some roots. The genealogy Web site hopes investors will provide $100 million in an initial public offering, valuing the whole thing at $572 million. That seems too high for Ancestry to cement a happy legacy with investors.

How do you as a genealogist pay for access to vital information? Would you be willing to pay a monthly subscription fee, or would you prefer a pay as you go model? As a family history researcher myself I do find it interesting that some months I can be constantly working on my genealogical research and others - rarely find the time to climb the family tree. I can therefore see the benefit and the drawbacks of both pricing models.

I'd be interested to hear people's views on the topic.

Finding Your Roots - 15th Annual Family HIstory Seminar - Surrey BC
17 October, 2009, Saturday - All day - 8am to 4 pm

“People don’t realize how important this office is,” said Barbee. “We’ve got your records from birth to death and anything in between.”

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