The Society holds a film distribution licence from the LDS Church that enables members and visitors to hire microfilms for viewing in the Library. We can now also order microfiche resources.  Once received, the fiche will not need to be returned, but will become part of the Society’s holdings.

Many members have taken advantage of this service and have been able to view original parish records and other documents.

The benefits of hiring a film for a particular parish is that you can trace whole families through baptisms, marriages and burials and also learn a lot about the parish itself. You can see how epidemics such as cholera can decimate the population or even read the local gossip of who has fathered a child out of wedlock.

You can also come across snippets such as the following, from St Cyr’s Parish Church, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire:
Burials:
“1811, May 13th, Mary, wife of John Gwilliams.
1811, May 17th, John Gwilliams. He dropt down dead as he was returning from his wife’s funeral.”

Or how about the following:

St Mary’s Athlone, County Wexmeath, Ireland burial registers:
“1798, Feb 22. Richard St George Mansergh, Esq. murdered Feb 13 and interred in family vault by the Reverend G. St George. He was murdered in County Cork and brought to the family vault (He assumed the name St George, see Burke’s Landed Gentry, under Mansergh).”

You are unlikely to find this sort of information in an index such as the IGI (International Genealogical Index).

Members may order film/fiche online through familysearch.org and specify GSQ as the centre to view the film. In this case a fee (currently $7.75) will be paid direct to the LDS. When viewing the film at GSQ, a once only service fee of $2.20 will be charged, for each film/fiche order, for use of the Society's equipment.

Alternately, members who do not wish to order online may order the film through GSQ for a fee of $9.50 per film/fiche. GSQ will then make the order online. Individuals will be notified via telephone, and if no response, by letter and/or e-mail when their film/fiche arrives.

LDS films usually arrive within 10-14 days of ordering if they are available in Sydney. Longer delays may be experienced if the film is already out on loan or has to come from the USA.

The LDS Centre in Sydney closes over the Christmas/New Year period and final film orders for the year are usually posted at the end of October or beginning of November each year. Check at GSQ for relevant dates.

Further details on this service are available at the Society and assistance will be provided with locating film/fiche numbers if required. You can search for the appropriate film number at the LDS Library Catalogue on the familysearch.org website.

This film distribution license applies to the Society’s East Brisbane Resource Centre only and not through it’s Branches.