The Australian Dictionary of Biography is Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. In it, you will find concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.

There are numerous references to Williamstown's residents contained in this database.

https://adb.anu.edu.au

The following books will give you a good introduction to researching the history of a house:

• What House is That? Harvey, David, Heritage Victoria, Melbourne, 2004
• The National Trust Research Manual: Tracing the History of your House, Sagazio, Celestina, Halstead Press, Sydney, 2004, 
• How to Trace the History of Your House, Regan, Des and Press, Kate, Penguin Books, 1990

If you are interested in learning about the history of your house, first ask your neighbours. Someone local may know the full story, including the builder.

The local library has a microfiche of old directories where houses are listed in order for each street, year by year, during the 1800's. 

To look at post-1900 Sands and McDougal Directories, you will need to go to the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne. Start from the year you know, and work backwards, noting the resident's name and the neighbours also, until the entries cease.

You can also visit the Public Records Office in North Melbourne, to access microfilm copies of Williamstown Rate Books from 1858 onwards.

You can visit the North Melbourne Public Records Office 

Start your search a few years before the directory entries stopped. Note the owner, lessee, description, and rates until only the land is rated.

To determine the date your house was built, start by checking a specific date and work backward for at least two years. You may find relevant information about the construction or demolition of the property in local newspapers, such as advertisements for tenders or notices of previous building demolition.

You can try contacting the Hobson’s Bay Council Building Department to obtain a map that shows your allotment and section number. With this information, you can go to the Titles Office or consult your solicitor to search for the deeds of your house. You may request photocopies of the deeds, which will provide you with details about the owners and lessees of your house, as well as any changes that have been made over time.

It's recommended to contact Melbourne Water to access your house's complete 'service cover' for checking drainage and structural changes.

To find information about the sale notices, subdivisional maps and plans, aerial photographs, district maps, and houses in 1894,he newspapers, Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) maps, and visit the State Library Map Collection. Additionally, you can view the local library microfilms of the local newspapers to gain more insights. you can check t

List houses, architects and owners of property built prior to 1900, compiled by the Architectural Faculty, University of Melbourne. Search the database by house name, street or suburb. It is commonly known as the Miles Lewis Mansions Database.

https://aai.app.unimelb.edu.au/apex/f?p=198:2

Houses on properties existing around 1900 showing allotment plans, houses and gardens outlines. 1inch = 40 feet

https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/MMBWplans/access

The Argus and other local papers are available online on Trove. For other papers visit The State Library of Victoria Newspaper Collection,

This gives the names of property occupants listed alphabetically or by location and street.

More than 50,000 pages and 24 volumes of the directories are now accessible from anywhere in the world and reveal Victoria's rich social history

https://prov.vic.gov.au/about-us/our-blog/sands-and-mcdougall-directories-online

Amazing collection of photographs and maps that have been digitised, many with high-resolution images that can be downloaded free of charge.

https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/our-online-collections

Digitised copies of newspapers and gazettes such as The Argus, The Age and local Williamstown paper - The Williamstown Chronicle (1856-1954), Williamstown Advertiser (1914 - 1918) and the Williamstown Trade Circular (1855-56)

*Many entries cover only up until 1954

https://trove.nla.gov.au/ 

Many of the properties in our area are listed on this database and you can find information on when the building was first erected, who the builder was and any architectural features it may have.

https://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/ 

The Heritage Room of the Williamstown Library holds a large collection of records relating to family and local history within Hobsons Bay. The collection includes photographs, newspapers, voter rolls, books and more.

https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Libraries/Services/Heritage-and-Research-Assistance/Research-Assistance