Contribution Guidelines
Share stories with care.
Housetory is a place for preserving memories, photographs, research and history connected to homes and places. These guidelines help keep contributions respectful, useful and safe for the community.
Find a HouseWhat makes a good contribution?
A good contribution helps others understand the history, life or meaning of a place. It may be a personal memory, a photograph, a timeline event, a research note or a small detail that would otherwise be lost.
Be accurate where possible
Share what you know clearly. If you are unsure about a date, name or detail, say so. Uncertain memories are still valuable when they are presented honestly.
Be respectful
Homes are connected to real people and families. Avoid harmful, offensive, private or speculative material about living people.
Share relevant material
Contributions should relate to the house, street, neighbourhood, occupants, architecture, events, memories or documented history of the place.
Use photos thoughtfully
Upload images you have permission to share. Avoid images that expose private information or people who have not agreed to be included.
Add sources when you can
If your contribution comes from a newspaper, archive, council record, family document or website, include the source or link where possible.
Expect review before publishing
New submissions are reviewed before they appear publicly. This helps keep Housetory useful, respectful and trustworthy.
Research contributors and organisations
Most Housetory contributors simply share what they know about a house — memories, photographs, ownership details, renovations, stories or local knowledge. You do not need to be a historian or researcher to contribute.
If you are contributing as a general house owner, resident, family member or community member, your contribution can simply be treated as self-researched or community-supplied information. Formal research documents are optional.
Researchers, historians, archivists, heritage groups, councils and organisations may be given access to additional research fields, including source links, research documents, licences, author details, organisation details and research dates.
If you represent an organisation or have formal research material to contribute, you can request researcher/organisation access. Once approved, extra research fields may be available when submitting or editing a house.
Good to share
- Memories of living in or visiting a house
- Historic photographs or family images
- Renovations, changes, sales or notable events
- Architecture, materials, style or heritage details
- Research notes, newspaper references or archive links
Please avoid
- Private details about living people
- Rumours, accusations or harmful claims
- Photos shared without permission
- Exact personal contact details
- Material unrelated to the house or place
“Small details matter. A photograph, a memory or a note can help preserve a place for future generations.”