These notes and questions are provided as a resource to help those interested in their family history to make a start in researching it through interviews. They refer to life in Australia and overseas--in this case, Lebanon. You can use some or all of these questions as a means of recording your own life or that of another person on video or audio tape. Some resources are provided for those who wish to search for documents on their family history.

The motivations for undertaking such work include celebrating family reunions and anniversaries, a general interest in genealogy and sheer curiosity about one’s family. In uncovering family stories these works often express a sense of family identity and continuity. Family histories can sometimes lead the authors to undertake further work in the field.