Rachel M. Croucher is a highly credentialled genealogist and record agent with 15 years of experience in the practice of history. As a genealogist, she specialises in managing research projects to compile family histories and genealogies for clients. In contrast, as a record agent, she has extensive experience in researching specific records and the holdings of specific archives. She is currently vice president of the Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents (AAGRA) and member of the Genealogical Ethics and Standards Advisory Group at the Society of Australia Genealogists (SAG). She is also studying for a postgraduate degree in law at and aims to be admitted as a legal practitioner by 2026.

Rachel treats all research requests with discretion and looks forward to helping you unlock your family history. She can be contacted via the Contact Us form in the Contact section on this website.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts | German and European Studies (University of Melbourne, 2003),
• Study Abroad Year | Central and Eastern European Studies and Islamic Studies (University of Vilnius, 2002),
• Master of History | Holocaust and Genocide Studies (Monash University, 2013),
• Diploma of Family History (University of Tasmania, 2020), and
• Juris Doctor (RMIT University, 2020-ongoing).

Research Interests

• Central and Eastern Europe during World War II,
• The Holocaust in Central and Eastern Europe,
• German and Baltic (Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian) migration patterns to Australia,
• The Punjabi and Indian Hawker Diaspora in Australia (Rachel’s great-grandfather was a Sikh Hawker from Punjab), and
• The regions of Gippsland and East Gippsland in Victoria.

Select Publications and Talks

• ‘Echoes from a Faded Empire: A Punjabi-Australian Journey,’ Descent (Sydney, Spring 2022).
• ‘Researching German Ancestry,’ (Presentation, History for Ukraine Fundraiser, 26 March 2022).
• ‘In Search of… My Central European Ancestors,’ (Presenter, Society of Australian Genealogists, 30 October 2021).
• ‘Digital Inclusion Benefits Genealogists of All Abilities,’ Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (Wheat Ridge, September 2021) 10-15.
• ‘I Wasn’t Prepared for the Emotional Impact of Tracing My Ancestry,’ SBS Life (online, 20 April 2018).

Repositories

• Jewish Holocaust Museum and Research Centre (Melbourne),
• Public Record Office Victoria,
• The University of Melbourne Archives,
• National Archives of Australia, and
• Gippsland and Regional Studies Collection (GRSC).

Professional Memberships

• Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents
• Association of Professional Genealogists,
• Australian Sikh Heritage Association,
• East Gippsland Family History Group,
• East Gippsland Historical Society,
• Genealogical Society of Victoria,
• Society of Australian Genealogists, and
• Victorian Association of Family History Organisations.