People Search: Adoption
- To begin, gather up as much information as you can about the person your are searching for. You will need first name, last name, birth place and possible name changes, if appropriate.
- You will then need to go to your state’s Births, Deaths & Marriages Registry. Please find your state below and visit the corresponding website.
- Once you have found possible matches, you will then need to write up a letter that you will send to all the potential matches you have found. Please remember when writing the letter that you will need specific information for verification purposes later.
- Encourage potential matches to reply via email even if they are not who you’re searching for so you can remove them from your list.
- If you receive a reply, it will be an amazing feeling. However, there is still some work that needs to be done. Make sure you verify the respondent by asking questions to identify them.
- Once you’re positive you’ve found the person you have been searching for, arrange meetings in very public places until you’re 100% comfortable.
- Post a success story on People Search forums to inspire others in their people search.
Ideas to Find Your Birth Parents/ Adopted Child
- Electoral Rolls
- Whitepages Directory http://www.whitepages.com.au
- Yahoo People Search http://people.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo People Search http://au.dir.yahoo.com/reference/Phone_Numbers_and_Addresses/
Births, Deaths & Marriages Registries
ACT Registrar General's Office
The ACT Registrar General's Office provides service, access and advice relating to the registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Office (SA)
The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Office is responsible for maintaining registers of births, deaths, marriages, changes of name, adoption of children and reassignments of sex that occur in South Australia. They also issue certificates certifying entries in the registers and conduct civil marriage ceremonies.
Northern Territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
The Northern Territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is responsible for recording all births, deaths, marriages and changes of names occurring in the Northern Territory.
NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages
The Registry registers New South Wales life events including the registration of births, deaths and marriages and official changes of name and sex. The Registry also provides free access to their unrestricted birth, death and marriage family history indexes.
Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
The Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages keeps records of all births, deaths and marriages that have occurred in the State since 1 January 1890. The Registry also performs civil marriage ceremonies. Indexes of Queensland birth, death and marriage registrations are available for sale in microfiche format.
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Vic)
The Victorian Registry provides information about registering Victorian births, deaths, marriages and name changes and applying for certificates; an online index search facility for historical records; an online ordering service for historical indexes on CD-Rom or microfiche; and a search facility for popular given names.
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (WA)
The Registry provides information about registering births, deaths and marriages and change of name in Western Australia and applying for certificates. There is also and online index search for records between 1841-1905 and lists of indexes available on microfiche. Includes listing of popular given names.
Tasmanian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
The Registry is responsible for maintaining registers of births, deaths, marriages, deeds of relationship and adoptions that occur in Tasmania, registering changes of name for people who were born or reside in Tasmania and registering changes of sex for people whose birth is registered in Tasmania.
