A guide to Victorian Government publications
Over the years various occupations have had state registration requirements and lists of those registered have been published. Up until about 1991, the occupational registers were usually published in or as separate issues of the Victoria government gazette. See Government gazettes tab above. Since then many have been published as separate publications and most are now only available online.
The table below lists many, but not all, of the occupations where registration lists were published in the Gazette.
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| Early surveyors, H2009.18/423 |
Occupational registers can be found in the Victoria government gazette online archive 1836–1997. You can search the full text of the Gazettes through the AUSTLII website. The online archive only allows you to search the Gazettes' indexes. The Help section for the online archive contains a link to AUSTLII along with some instructions for searching the full text.
When searching the full text, change 'this document title' to 'all of these words' or 'this phrase' to produce the best search results. Use the same keywords in the searches in the table below and you will find additional results for most occupations. Often adding the word 'register' or 'registration' after the occupation title will return more targeted results.
The table lists some occupations that were published in the Gazette. It is not exhaustive, as it is not possible to go through all gazettes to determine the period when registrations for a particular occupation appeared. Nor does it include all occupations that have no required registration. The abbreviations on the right refer to the appropriate registration board. Follow the links below for more detail. All dates are approximate.
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Occupations |
In Gazette |
Other sources |
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Architects |
1924–1991 approx. Note: Since 1991 must be published but not necessarily in Gazette |
See ARBV for current |
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Building practitioners (includes surveyors, engineers etc if involved in construction) |
1838–1996 approx. Note: Registration not required prior to 1993 |
See VBA for current |
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Chinese medicine practitioners |
Note: Registration not required until recently |
See CMBA for current |
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Chiropractors |
1978–1987 approx. |
See AHPRA for current |
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Dental practitioners (includes hygienists and prosthetists) |
1921–1981 approx. |
See AHPRA for current In print to 2003 |
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Dietitians |
1943–1987 approx. Note: Registration not required since 1993 |
See DAA for current |
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Hairdressers |
1937–1984 approx. Note: Registration not required since 1985 |
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| Justices of the peace |
All JPs in Victoria were re-licenced in 1885. Gazette no. 64 (10 July 1885) includes a list of all JPs in Victoria at that time. |
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Legal practitioners |
Note: Registration commenced 1996 |
See Legal Services Board for current In print from 1937–2002 Also check the Australian and NZ law list |
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Medical practitioners |
1839–1986 approx. Note: complete register isn't released every year but additions are included Search tips: Use keywords medical register |
See AHPRA for current In print Victoria 1863–1991 and Australian directory 1948–2008 |
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Medical radiation technologists |
Note: Registration not required until recently |
See MRPBA for current |
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Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) employees |
See below for more information | |
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Midwives |
1916–1957 approx. |
See AHPRA for current |
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Nurses |
1924–1957 approx. Search tips: Use keywords nurses register Note: complete register isn't released every year but additions are included |
See AHPRA for current |
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Optometrists |
1936–1985 approx. Note alternative occupational title: opticians 1936–1973 to optometrists 1976–1985 |
See AHPRA for current |
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Osteopaths |
1978–1987 approx. |
See AHPRA for current |
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Pharmacists |
1877–1987 approx. Search tips: Use keyword pharmacists |
See AHPRA for current In print 1877–1926 |
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Physiotherapists
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1923–1987 approx. Note change of occupational title: masseurs 1923–1978 to physiotherapists 1962–1987 |
See AHPRA for current |
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Podiatrists |
1969–1988 approx. Note alternative occupational title: chiropodists |
See AHPRA for current |
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Private agents |
1967–1997 approx. Use keyboard shortcut Ctrl F to find keywords in gazettes Search tips: Use keywords inquiry agents, process servers, guard agents and commercial agents. |
See Victoria Police for current |
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Psychologists |
Registration commenced 1965, not published |
See AHPRA for current |
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Public servants |
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See box Public Service lists |
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Railway workers |
1883–1929 |
On microfiche 1800s |
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Surveyors (land) |
1896–1997 approx. |
See SRBV for current, also includes an historical register |
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Teachers (government schools) |
1885–1903 (every three years with annual supplements) |
See VIT register for current On microfiche 1881–1885 (Lists of teachers included in appendices) In print from 1905–1992 |
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Teachers (non-government schools) |
1910–1974 (every five years with annual supplements) |
See VIT register for current |
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Veterinary practitioners |
Search tips: Try keyword veterinarian |
See VPRBV for current In print 1889–1902; 1964–2011 |
There are also some occupational registers on microfilm including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and law.
The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works (MMBW) was a public utility board providing water supply, sewerage and sewage treatment functions for the city. Other responsibilities included town planning, management of parkland and other open space, maintenance of metropolitan highways and bridges, foreshore protection and improvements, and monitoring waste discharges.
Lists of employees at the MMBW are included in the publications below. Employee lists were published up until 1958, but don't necessarily include manual labourers. Lists were not published every year. MMBW employees are not listed in the public service lists.
Notice papers, minutes, returns, reports, and memoranda for the period ... (1891-1916)
Minutes, returns, reports, etc. for the financial year ... (1916-1978)
Lists of employees in the Victorian Public Service were published in the Victoria government gazette between 1863 and 1975.
Statistical register of Victoria 1868–1916
Published annually it includes a section usually labelled the “Blue book” which lists people such as the governor, ministers, members of Parliament, judges, some officers of the police and defence forces, university professors and some senior officers not employed under the Public Service Act.
The Blue books are online via the Victorian Parliamentary Papers Database.
Please note: some years have more information than others. For example in the issues from 1887 to 1891, the Blue book included most public servants.
Civil establishment of Victoria 1863-1867
Also known as the “Blue book”. This list includes; governors, ministers, members of Parliament, judges, senior offices in the police force, officers of the defence forces, most public servants and senior government officials not employed under the Public Service Act.
They are available online via the Victorian Parliamentary Papers Database.
1856-1862
There is a civil establishment section listed in the table of contents of the Statistics of the colony of Victoria for the years 1856-1962.
They are available online via the Victorian Parliamentary Papers Database.
Online - 1851-1855
Available online at the Library in the Ancestry Library Edition eresource. Part of 'Victoria, Australia, selected trial brief and correspondence registers and other images, 1837-1993'. Look for 'Blue Books', then sections in each book labelled 'Civil establishment' and 'Pensions'.
Online - 1863 to 1883
Searching the Victoria government gazette with the subject "Civil Service" and the keyword "lists" will return most lists from 1863 to 1883. These are not complete lists but include 'classified officers'. (Note that employees of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works were listed elsewhere).
There are a small number of lists available online through the Victorian Parliamentary Papers database with intermittent coverage spanning 1851-1891.
Online - 1886-1965
Searching the Victoria government gazette with the subject "Public Service Act" and the keyword "lists" or "persons employed" will return most most years from 1886 to 1965.
Until 1944 the list was usually published in the gazette on 31 January, or a few days prior, so you could browse those gazettes for the list. From 1969 to 1975 it was published in late May.
See the tab above for more on Government gazettes.
Microfilm/print - 1837-1989
The Library holds the following in print/microfilm:
'Blue books 1851-1855', part of the Colonial microfiche series, in the Family History & Newspapers Room at LTMF 53 (V4). Look for sections in each book labelled 'Civil establishment' and 'Pensions'.
Victorian government/public service records, 1837–1900 (on microfilm - some gaps)
Return of persons employed in the Public Service, 1884–1975 ('Blue books', print)
List of officers in the Public Service, 1975–1989 (print)
Use online and microfilm options in preference to print where available.
Awards set out the minimum wages and conditions to which an employee is entitled in particular industries and occupations.
Prior to 1959 awards were published in the Victoria government gazette. To further refine your search you can add a key word to the search box relating to the relevant occupation, eg. wage determinations engineers.
Listed below are the Victorian historical awards held at the State Library of Victoria.
[Wage determinations] (1930-1982)
Consists of a collection of determinations of various wages boards and other industrial tribunals.
Awards of the Industrial Relations Commission of Victoria (1983-1995)
Victorian Employers' Federation awards. There are a number of major awards listed on the catalogue that were published by the Victorian Employers' Federation during the 1980s and early 1990s.
To see if there is a Victorian Employers' Federation award for a specific industry, type in the industry with the terms Victorian Employers' Federation award. For example Victorian Employers Federation award pastrycooks
Current awards can be found on the Fair Work Australian Government website.
