A guide to family history research using the major Victorian resources
Birth, death and marriage certificates (BDM's) are vital documents to help family historians establish relationships of family members backwards in time. They are used to build the basic structure of the family history tree. For information on what's included on a certificate, please go to the Comparison of Australian BDM Certificates document, which appears to the right of this page.
Certificates are kept by the relevant Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in each Australian state and territory. To obtain a copy of an historical certificate you first need to check the relevant index to find the registration number.
See below for a list of indexes and information on how to order certificates.
Here you can find a list of available birth, death and marriage indexes together with information on how to obtain copies of certificates.
Please click on the relevant tab for each state or territory to be taken to a new page.
On 1 July 1853 the compulsory registration was introduced into the Colony of Victoria. From this date forwards all details were required to be lodged with the Registrar, Births, Deaths and Marriages. Information on baptisms, marriages and burials that occurred prior to July 1853, can be found on the Church records page of this guide.
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Births: 1836-1922 Deaths:1836-1992 Marriages: 1836-1962 |
An online index to Historical birth, death and marriage records is available on the Victorian Registry of births, deaths and marriages website. This index includes the details of events registered after civil registration (July 1853) as well as surviving records of church baptisms, marriages and burials from 1836 to 1853. Other indexes include - The online index to Events at sea (Marine) births, deaths and marriages (1853 to 1920). This index is available through the Victorian Registry of births, deaths and marriages. A range of CDROM indexes to Victorian BDM records (often known as the Digger indexes) can be accessed on computers NFH1 - NFH5 in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Room. Videos on how to search these indexes appear towards the bottom of this webpage. The birth, death and marriages indexes are available on microfiche in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Room - call number GMF 95. |
Certificates can be ordered online from the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.Search the online index and then follow the prompts to order the relevant document.
If you do not have the registration number or if you prefer a print copy of the certificate, complete one of the following forms on the registry website - Get a birth certificate, Get a marriage certificate or Get a death certificate.
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Births: 1788-1922 Deaths: 1788-1992 Marriages: 1788-1972 |
Historical indexes can be accessed through the NSW Registry of births, deaths and marriages website. The birth, death and marriages indexes are available on microfiche in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Room - call number GMF 122. |
Certificates can be ordered from the NSW Registry of Births, Marriages and Deaths.
See also the Register of baptisms, burials and marriages [1787-1856].
This is a microfilm reproduction of records held by the Archives Authority of New South Wales. Available in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Rooms - call number GM 8.
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Births: 1803-1933 Deaths: 1803-1933 Marriages:1803-1930 |
Digitised images of indexes and certificates for Births and Marriages (1803-1899), Deaths (1803-1930), Burials (1903-1933) and Baptisms (1900-1930) can be accessed through the Libraries Tasmania Name Index. A selection of indexes and original images (1803-1933) can be accessed though the FamilySearch website. The pre-1900 records of the Tasmanian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages are held in the library - call number GM 5. These include pre-1900 birth, marriage and death certificates. Indexes are available on microfiche in the library. Call number GMF 152. |
Historical certificates can be ordered online through the Tasmanian Government, Department of Justice website.
| Coverage | Available indexes |
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Births: 1842-1928 Deaths:1842-1972 Marriages:1842-1937 |
Historical indexes can be accessed from the SA Genealogy website. A selection of CDROM indexes to SA BDM records can be accessed on computers NFH1 - NFH5 in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Rooms. A printed version of the Indexes is held in the Family History collection, Call number G 994.23 SO. Indexes are also available on microfiche in the library - call number GMF 147. Index to Gazetted Deaths - South Australia (1845-1941) and NT (up to 1910) Index to South Australian Pre-Civil Registration Deaths (pre June 1842) can be accessed on computers NFH1 - NFH5 in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Rooms. Index to Unregistered Deaths in South Australia (1842-1970) can be accessed on computers NFH1 - NFH5 in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Rooms. |
Certificates can be ordered online through the South Australian Government Consumer and Business Services website.
| Coverage | Available indexes |
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Births: 1829-1919 Deaths:1829-1989 Marriages:1829-1944 |
Historical indexes can be accessed from the Queensland Registry of births, deaths and marriages website. Indexes are available on Microfiche in the library. Call number GMF 147. |
Copies of historical birth, death and marriage certificates can be ordered online through the Queensland Government website.
For information on how to obtain a record created inside the restriction period, please go to this page of the Queensland Government website.
| Coverage | Available indexes |
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Births: 1841-1932 Deaths: 1841-1971 Marriages:1841-1937 |
Historical indexes can be accessed from the Western Australian Registry of births, deaths and marriages website. Indexes are also available on microfiche in the library. Call number GMF 134. A pre-civil registration index 1824-1856 is available on microfilm - call number GM 45. |
Certificates can be ordered online or by post from the
Details on how to apply for a certificate, by mail or email, can be found on the Western Australian, Registry of births, deaths and marriages.
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Births: 1870-1918 Deaths: 1870-1913 Marriages:1870-1913 |
The NT Registry does not provide online access to any historical indexes. Details on how to request a search can be found on the NT Government website CDROM indexes to Northern Territory BDM records can be accessed through computers NFH1 - NFH5 in the Library. Indexes are also available on microfiche - call number GMF 11. The Alien births & death index - Northern Territory lists non-Northern Territory residents. Available on microfiche - call number GMF 11 Index to Gazetted Deaths - South Australia (1845-1941) and NT (up to 1910) Check NSW and SA indexes for records prior to separation in 1870. |
Certificates can be ordered from the Northern Territory, Births, deaths and marriages website.
On the ACT Government, Access Canberra website you can access PDF copies of the following indexes -
ACT Historic Marriage Index (PDF version) (1930-1941)
ACT Historic Death Index (PDF version) (1930-1986)
Certificates can be ordered through the ACT Government, Access Canberra website.
Australian Birth Index 1788-1922
Australian Death Index 1787-1985
Australian Marriage Index 1787-1950
Indexes are available on the following databases.
Access over 4000 sources worldwide including passenger lists, UK censuses, civil registration indexes, convict records, British Army WWI pension records and directories, and more.
Search birth, death and marriage indexes, census records, passenger lists, directories, military records, land records, gravestone inscriptions and other sources for British, Irish, Australian and New Zealand family history.
Divorce was possible in Victoria in the second half of the 19th century when the Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act came into effect in 1861. Prior to this very few Victorian residents obtained divorces under English ecclesiastical law.
The Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) holds Divorce files and cause books created between 1861 and 1944. The following indexes should help you with your research.
1861-1938 - Victoria Divorce Cause Books
Records include a petitioner’s name and a respondent’s name, as well as the case file number.
Digitised copies of these records can be accessed through the Find my past database (see below).
Search birth, death and marriage indexes, census records, passenger lists, directories, military records, land records, gravestone inscriptions and other sources for British, Irish, Australian and New Zealand family history.
1860-1940 - Victoria, Australia, Divorce Records
The case file will contain a number of documents that might include:
Digitised copies of these records can now be accessed through the Ancestry database (see below).
Access over 4000 sources worldwide including passenger lists, UK censuses, civil registration indexes, convict records, British Army WWI pension records and directories, and more.
1860-1944 - Victoria, Australia, Divorce Records
Physical copies of these records are held at the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV). For information on how to search and request copies from PROV please go to their Divorce files and cause books webpage.
1861-1900 - Divorce Index Victoria.
Available in the Newspapers & Family History Reading Rooms, call number GMF 105 Box 2
1861-1938 - Divorce Index Victoria - Index to Divorce Cause Books
Available online through the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV)
Volume 1, 1861 -1884 Volume 2, 1885 -1897 Volume 3, 1897 -1910
Volume 4, 1911- 1924 Volume 5, 1925 -1932 Volume 6, 1932 -1938
Download the relevant collection and search through it to find a specific case i.e. `Grealy v Grealy' or `Cooksey v Cooksey'.
Researchers seeking access to Victorian divorce records created between 1936 and 1975 can contact the Registry of the Victorian Supreme Court for advice about access:
Supreme Court Registry,
Level 2, 436 Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne, VIC., 3000
Tel: 03 9603 9300
Fax: 03 9603 9400
Office hours: 9.30am - 4.00pm
Supreme Court website (includes application forms and and payment advice)
In 1976 the administration of divorce was transferred from Victoria to the Commonwealth. Researchers seeking access to Victorian divorce records created after 1975 can contact the Family Court (Victoria) for advice about access:
Family Court of Australia (Victoria)
Phone: (03) 8600 3763 or 1300 352 000
Email: enquiries@familylawcourts.gov.au
For further information on how to access divorce records including a list of Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) records relating to divorce in Victoria please consult the PROV Divorce files and cause books 1861-1944.
For detailed information on birth, death and marriage indexes and certificates, please see our Researching births, deaths and marriages in Victoria blog.
Raftopoulos, Mrs. Paul. wedding party - bride, groom and three others, H2004.61/488
Place names - abbreviations
If you are having trouble identifying a place name consult VICNAMES - the register of geographic names. On this website you can find over 45,000 Victorian place names.
Consult the following guide -
Given names - abbreviations
The BDM indexes often include abbreviated given names. Hy for Henry, Wm for William and so on. When searching fo a name try using the asterisk wildcard symbol to search for variations of a name e.g. Eliz* will retrieve Eliza, Elizabeth, Elizabetta.
For examples of abbreviated names go to FamilySearch Abbreviations Lists for Personal names site.
You can also find a comprehensive list of first name abbreviations on the Genealogy InTime Magazine website.
Use the Trove - Historic Australian Newspapers archive to locate birth, marriage and death notices in newspapers. For further information on how to search for notices go to the How to find items in newspapers research guide.
If the newspaper is not available on Trove, search the library catalogue to see if there is an index to that particular newspaper title e.g. Births, deaths and marriages printed in the Hamilton spectator 1859-1920.
Search the Ryerson Index to death notices and obituaries in Australian newspapers. Originally created by the Sydney Dead Persons Society, its strength lies in notices from NSW papers however more Victorian notices are now being indexed.
Search Victoria Funeral Notices,1981-1997. Available in the library on the FindMyPast Australasia database, this index is built from funeral notices from the Melbourne Herald Sun.
