Archive tours - A typical archive tour programme
Duration
Archive tours and archive crawls are usually week-long excursions where the archive tours include flights and sleep-overs. The programme typically starts on a Sunday morning and ends five days later, on a Friday night.
Programme
The programme depends / varies according to the requirements and area, and can even be tailored to the preferences of the participants.
For example, a Western Cape Archive Tour may include:
- 3 days' research in the Cape Archives in Cape Town (KAB);
- 1 day with GISA’s inheritance at the CPUT in Wellington or a visit to the NG Kerkargief in Stellenbosch; and
- 1 day with the Huguenot registers in Franschhoek, at the Drakenstein Heemraad in Paarl or on various settlers’ farms.
As another example, a Gauteng Archive Crawl may include:
- 2 days at the Transvaal/National Archive in Pretoria (TAB);
- 1 day at the GSSA library, housed at the Heritage Foundation in Pretoria;
- 1 day at the archive of the Reformed Church (Hervormde Kerk); and
- 1 day at the National Library (legal deposit library) or the LDS in Parktown.
A third example, a Free State Archive Tour may include:
- 2 days at the Free State/National Archive in Bloemfontein (VAB);
- 1-2 days at the Boer War (ABO) Museum in Bloemfontein; and
- ½-1 day at the National Library (legal deposit library) or an ABO Concentration Camp Cemetery.
Benefits to the genealogist / researcher
All the travel, accommodation and other logistical arrangements are taken care of and are included in the price.
Beginner genealogical researchers receive ample information and assistance. The information and training will prepare you for everything. Should you classify yourself as a novice researcher, you’ll be provided with some extra user-friendly information for beginners – almost 50% of the participants usually make use of this “Beginners’ Training”.
The more advanced genealogical researchers benefit from five full days undistrubed to focus on their own research without wasting time on all the arrangements.
What are the pre-conditions for participants?
You need to be a paid-up GSSA member of any branch of your choice;
Access to the internet for some training and plenty of information per email;
You need to be prepared (and have the time available) to read and work through the emails you receive during the months ahead of the tour;
As a beginner researcher you really need to be interested in genealogical research in your own/another family(s) or a particular subject.
Cost