Requesting Lookups
The Sydney DPS is primarily an indexing service, not a lookup service. However our volunteers may, in some cases, be able to supply more information from the death notices listed in the Ryerson Index. This is done on a best effort basis.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO NOTE
- We do NOT keep copies of individual notices, and so are not in a position to supply transcripts.
- All requests for lookups must be submitted via the form on this page. Requests will be automatically directed to the appropriate person based on the newspaper and date details which you enter.
- Any requests for lookups in a newspaper for which there is no volunteer will be directed to a general mailing list. It is then left up to individual members to volunteer to carry out a lookup.
- Members may be willing to travel to a library to carry out lookups. In these cases, the requestor may be asked to reimburse travel and/or copying expenses. This would be a private arrangement between the two parties, and would normally be agreed in advance.
- Many libraries have the Sydney Morning Herald (and other papers) on microfilm. Your local library should be your first port of call when seeking the transcript of a notice.
- It can take up to six months for the major libraries to microfilm newspapers and have them available. During that time, the newspaper MAY be in the library (in hard copy form), or it MAY be away being microfilmed. To avoid DPS members making fruitless library visits to perform lookups, please do not request transcriptions of notices published within the past six months.
- In the interests of fair-play, please limit your requests to no more than one per day.
TO REQUEST A LOOKUP
If you have exhausted all other avenues, and wish to request a lookup, please follow the process set out below. This is the ONLY way that the Sydney DPS members will carry out lookups.
- Subscribe to the Rootsweb mailing list DPS-SYDNEY. To do this (if you are not already a subscriber), send an email to DPS-SYDNEY-request@rootsweb.com . The subject line should contain the single word "subscribe" (but without the quotes), and the body of the email should be blank.
- Complete the details in the form below. Please ensure your email address is correct, as without this you will never receive any answer to your request.
- Do NOT re-post your request because you haven't had a response. No response means that (a) no-one has the data at hand to carry out the lookup, and (b) no-one is in a position to travel to a library to carry out the lookup. Reposting the request will not alter these facts, and serves only to clutter up the mailing list.
- Think very, very seriously about donating towards the cost of further indexing.