President Bill Willett said the average age of volunteers was relatively high, and the group would like some younger members to help out, if they have some free time.
‘‘We are all volunteers here,’’ Mr Willett said.
‘‘We are open from 10am to 4pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and we are always looking for people to help out.
‘‘If anyone would like to volunteer, of if they would like to use our service, they can come by on Tuesday or Wednesday.
‘‘We are located in the old St Andrew’s Church hall. That is the one on the grounds of the Presbyterian Church at the end of Mair St.’’
And if you are interested in doing some family research or if you are, for example, putting together a family tree the group is well worth a visit.
‘‘We are a bit different to the Historical Society in that we concentrate more on family histories and anything to do with families in Benalla,’’ Mr Willett said.
‘‘So if somebody wants to know all about their grandfather we can look up the old rates-book going back to 1869, for example.
‘‘We also have records of all marriages going back to 1833. We have birth and death notices covering the period of 1833 to 1920.
‘‘And if you are unsure how to go about your research we have our volunteers here who are happy to help.’’
The Benalla Family Research group also has access to a unique archive of glass plate negatives that depict the people, buildings and parts of Benalla from 1900 to 1931.
●For more details, visit benallafamilyresearchgroup.org
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