Series Overview

Well-known Australians play detective as they go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past.

Taking us to all corners of Australia and the globe are six stories of individuals seeking to find the definitive answer to where they came from. Along the way secrets are uncovered and histories revealed — from revolution to murder to bigamy — with each individual discovering that their ancestors form an integral part of not only their own identity, but that of the nation.

Combining emotional and personal journeys with big-picture history, these inspiring and sometimes challenging stories remind us how Australians have come to be the people that we are today.

Considering Australia’s multicultural background, this is a global story, with each celebrity tracing their ancestors around the world. They travel to the places where their forebears would have lived, loved and died, and learn about the hardships and hurdles their ancestors overcame.

This is a fascinating chronicle of the social, ethnic and cultural evolution of Australia’s national identity.

Who Do You Think You Are? uses the family history resources of the State Library of NSW to help map ancestry for the series.