The Bendigo Historical Society is committed to helping community members, researchers and visitors explore the rich history of Bendigo and its people.
Our Research Service responds to written enquiries and provides access to the knowledge held within our significant collection.
Research requests include investigation of people, places, events, businesses or houses.
Collection enquiries include retrevial, access and viewing of items in our Collection
This fee allows us to commence work on your request.
To ensure we can maintain a reliable and sustainable service, research fees and service charges apply:
An initial $15.00 fee is required before research begins.
If your enquiry becomes complex or time-intensive, we will contact you with an estimate of the additional time required and request payment before continuing.
Additional service fees may apply, including photography, photocopying, scanning, and postage, as outlined below and in the Research Request Form.
You may choose not to proceed with additional work once advised; in that case, the request will be closed at that point.
After receiving your initial enquiry:
We will confirm the approximate timeframe for completing your research.
All work will be carried out by our Research Officer using the Bendigo Historical Society collection and other available resources.
Our goal is to provide thorough, respectful research that supports community learning and preserves the integrity of the historical record.
More detail on the fees that we charge for access to the collection and research is in the Research Requests and Collection Enquiries Form.
The inital fee is payable in advance for a single name or event look up in our own records and a brief written report. The time spent on research for this initial charge will be no more than one hour and the report will be sent to an email address.
If the research becomes complex, you will be advised of the estimated additional time needed with a request for payment of further fees. Should you advise that the further work is not required, we will stop the request from proceeding further.
If the inital fee has been paid, the item is out of copyright and is a book, document, journal article, manuscript, photograph, or a report, we can provide a scanned copy to you via email at no extra charge for a maximum of 20 pages. Additional pages will then be charged at $5.00 per 20 pages.
If you require the report or photocopies to be sent by post, postage and handling fees will apply. The final amount will be calculated on your location and postage type (standard/express)
If photocopies are required of an item that is out of copyright and is a book, document, journal article, manuscript, photograph, or a report, our prices start at $3 per page for ten black and white pages and $4 per page for ten colour pages. If you require copies to be sent by post, postage and handling fees will also apply.
If the item is larger than A3 size or is two or three dimensional object (eg. a framed print/certificate, a statue or cup and saucer), BHS has a studio set-up available for digital photography. Studio hire is $10 per hour and a $5 retrevial fee is charged per item, if you would like to take your own photos. If not, BHS Volunteers can provide this service for $35 per image
These organisations may also be able to help with history research in Bendigo relating to families, people and places in the region.
