“Who Do You Think You Are? Australia” is a long‑running Australian genealogy documentary series where well‑known Australians trace their family history and uncover personal and historical stories from their ancestors. It is part of the international “Who Do You Think You Are?” franchise and airs on SBS in Australia.

What it is

  • The show is a documentary‑style, biography‑driven series that follows a different Australian public figure in each episode.
  • Each participant explores their family tree, often travelling within Australia and overseas to visit key locations tied to their ancestors.

How the show works

  • A celebrity is guided by historians, archivists, and local experts through records, archives, and family stories to reveal unknown aspects of their heritage.
  • Episodes usually blend personal emotion with broader historical context, touching on migration, war, social change, and Australia’s multicultural background.

Notable guests and seasons

  • Over many seasons since 2008, guests have included figures such as Cathy Freeman, Geoffrey Rush, Magda Szubanski, Malcolm Turnbull and many other prominent Australians from sport, media, politics and the arts.
  • Newer seasons continue to feature contemporary personalities, with episodes released into the mid‑2020s and available via SBS On Demand in Australia.

Why it’s popular

  • The series resonates because it mixes intimate personal discovery with wider Australian and global history, making complex historical events feel relatable through one person’s family story.
  • It also reflects Australia’s diverse cultural roots, often highlighting migration stories, First Nations histories, and difficult chapters such as war, displacement and hardship.

Where to watch and quick FAQ

  • In Australia, episodes and seasons are typically available through SBS broadcast and SBS On Demand streaming.
  • Format at a glance:
    • Genre: Documentary / Biography / History.
* Country: Australia, adapted from the original UK concept.

* Focus: Famous Australians investigating their ancestry and identity.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.