About Judy

Meet Judy

Where footprints grow into family trees.

judy purkiss

I’m Judy Purkiss, an AAGRA-accredited genealogist and record agent based in Western Australia. I specialise in Australian and English family history research, combining detailed online research with original records and on-the-ground archival research.

For me, genealogy is about much more than names and dates. It’s about discovering the people behind the records — where they lived, how they made their living, the families they created and the events that shaped their lives.

I approach every research project with curiosity, persistence and a commitment to following the evidence wherever it leads. My aim is not simply to add another name to a family tree, but to help you understand the lives of the people who came before you.

Through a commitment to rigorous archival tracking and local historical preservation, my research has been featured in leading industry publications and recognized by community heritage awards.

Qualifications & Accreditations

  • Committee Member & Web Manager (Voluntary) (Committee 2020 – Present; Web Manager 2021 – Present) | Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents (AAGRA) – Serving on the committee and managing the association’s social media and website.
  • Accredited Genealogist and Record Agent (2016–Present) | Australasian Association of Genealogists and Record Agents (AAGRA) – Formally accredited for professional research, adhering to a strict professional code of conduct and ethics.
  • Diploma in Family Historical Studies (2015) | Society of Australian Genealogists – Recognized by SAG as qualified to competently undertake private genealogical research commissions, and listed on their official directory of recommended Diplomate researchers.
  • Certificate in Genealogical Research (2014) | Society of Australian Genealogists – The core foundational prerequisite and qualification required for entry into the Diploma program.
  • Diploma of Management (1996) | Western Australian TAFE – Providing foundational expertise in professional project management, timeline organization, and business operations.

Awards & Recognition

  • Winner, Jan Skillington Award (2026) | Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale History Awards – This award was for outstanding overall contribution to preserving and sharing local history.
  • First Place, Original Research (2026) | SJ Remembers Community History Awards – For the house and family history study, “A House with Deep Roots”.

Published Work & Research

  • “The Comprehensive Record: A House with Deep Roots: The History of 12 Bateman Street, Byford” (2026) | Independent Historical Research Project – The comprehensive study tracing a Federation-era Byford workers cottage and the twelve owners/families connected to it.
  • “A House with Deep Roots: The History of 12 Bateman Street, Byford” (2026) | SJ Remembers Community History Project – A narrative summary of the comprehensive study. Received two awards in the SJ Community History Awards 2026.
  • “A Lighterman on the Swan River, Niels Andersen” (2015) | Society of Australian Genealogists Diploma Thesis, 2015 – An academic biographical study submitted in partial fulfilment of the Diploma in Family Historical Studies, exploring early maritime life and lightering trade on Western Australia’s Swan River.
  • “An Exile Or A Convict?” (2015) | Western Ancestor (Journal of the Western Australian Genealogical Society), September 2015 – A published biographical feature investigating the life, criminal convictions, and Australian transportation history of Job King Ellement.
  • Research Contributor: The Cheops Project (2014) | Family History WA – Conducted meticulous archival military and family research to identify and trace several Western Australian WWI soldiers from the historic 11th Battalion pyramid photograph. This work was referenced in the article “Mr Bonsey’s Bible”, in the Western Ancestor.
  • “Mr Bonsey’s Bible” (2014) | Western Ancestor (Journal of the Western Australian Genealogical Society), September 2014 – Recorded as the researcher who tracked the family lineage to enable the return a historic family heirloom (authored by Julie Martin).
  • “Coopers to Coppers, Publicans and Policemen: The Purkiss Family” (2013) | Independent Historical Research Project – A comprehensive multi-generation family history publication tracking eight generations from the United Kingdom to Australia, detailing family occupations evolving from traditional coopers to Australian police officers.
  • “Iron in the Hills of The Black Country” (2013) | Independent Historical Research Project – An extensive 11-generation direct-line lineage study tracing the Hill family from their 17th-century roots as Staffordshire blacksmiths/nailers through to their 1912 migration and subsequent generations in Australia.