Research Guides: Companies in Australia: Historical information

Sources for historical company

Public Record Office Victoria
Company registration documents. The documents relating to companies at PROV are primarily, but not limited to, documents of those companies that were deregistered prior to 1976.
Morningstar DatAnalysis Premium
Extensive information on ASX listed and delisted companies. Content includes each company's annual reports, quarterly and half-yearly reports, all company announcements, financial statements, director statements, business summary, company, operational and dividend history, listing details, descriptions of capital table, capital history, top and substantial shareholders, distribution of shareholders, directors interests, controlled entities, segment performance, and 10-year financial statements. Excellent source of prospectuses in pdf format. Now includes history for share prices, market capitalisation and shares on issue. Daily data is available from 1 January 2000. Month end data is available from January 1988.
Access to Morningstar DatAnalysis Premium is provided for users' private research or study purposes only and not for users' business, commercial or work related purposes.
ASX Company Announcements Collection on CD-ROM (1980-1996)
Visit the Library to search the index to ASX company announcements and reports, profiles, financial statements, directors' statements and prospectus. Original documents are available as images (in TIFF format) along with the index.
Please note: Ask staff about arranging access to the discs.

ASIC Connect
Access to search facility for Australian Securities and Investments Commission business registers. Some information free, more detailed documents can be purchased online
Annual report file [microform] / Australian Graduate School of Management.
Annual reports of various Australian and New Zealand companies held at the AGSM, University of New South Wales. Coverage is not comprehensive. SLV holdings 1950-1994. SLV no longer receiving issues.
The Australian Financial Gazette 1890-1950
Recording the financial position of registered investment companies, each issue contains companies’ share price, dividend, issued capital and retained profits data.
Need to be ordered from Offsite storage.
Business Who's Who of Australia 1965/1966 - 2008
Directory of all publicly listed and the larger private companies. It provides information pertaining to the companies' addresses, names and positions of key personnel, associated companies, agencies, trade names and product range.
Need to be ordered from Offsite storage allow 2 business days turnaround time.
Company announcements : company profiles and balance sheets [1989-1996]
Annual reports (red), quarterly reports (green) and other company announcements (blue) of companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. The microfiche are filed by the names of the companies as of 1996 [at MF469]. When ordering items from this microfiche collection, please ensure you include the name of the company or companies.
Guide to Australian Business Records 19th and 20th centuries
Website lists records of archival holdings and published histories of Australian businesses, people and industry bodies. Includes links to other sources of business archives
Jobson's Year Book
Annual publications (1920-2000) covering companies listed on Australian stock exchanges
Volumes contain a summary for each company which includes a brief history, all directors, auditors, capital structure and dividends paid. The summary can also include a few details on senior management, financial information and production data. The publications had a strong continuity in terms of content, there were changes in title and publisher over the decades. After 1957, there were two year books, one for resource companies and one for industrial & financial companies. As there have been several title changes, see catalogue record for various titles names to match the period being researched.
Jobson's year book of public companies (Sydney, N.S.W.) 1997-2000 -- Need to be ordered from Offsite storage allow 2 business days turnaround time.
Kompass Australia 1970-2009
Directory of selected Australian public listed and private companies with a focus on vendors of manufactured products. Information includes company name, contact details, product or service range, names of key personnel and brand names. Includes a highly detailed product classified index. Importers, exporters, distributors, and overseas companies agents can be searched and identified.State Library holdings at Offsite storage. Kompass ceased print publication but information accessible via Australian B2B online to subscribers.
The Mining Shareholders Index
Lists 9000 Australian mining companies and over 228,000 names and addresses of mining company shareholders. Data includes name of shareholder, address, occupation (after 1872), number of shares purchased, value of shares, name of company, location of mining operations, date and Gazette reference. Covers period: 1857 - 1886. Viewable on PCs NFH1-NFH5 in Newspaper & Family History Reading Room.
The Stock Exchange official record
Covering companies listed on the Melbourne Stock Exchange, each issue contains company profiles with summary financials, monthly share price data, production data, notices of share issues, news items and company announcements. Early years are incomplete; SLV holds v. 22, no.1 (1929 Jan.)-v. 55, no.1 (1962 Jan). Subsequent titles have changed over time various related interstate journals merging to form Australian Stock Exchange Journal [SLV holdings: 1972- 1983]. See catalogue record for previous and subsequent names.
Need to be ordered from Offsite storage allow 2 business days turnaround time.

Company files

Prior to 1991, the states had jurisdiction for company registration.

On Jan 2nd 1991 the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC, was formed to replace the National Companies & Securities Commission and the states' corporate affairs commissions.

The states' files on companies that were currently registered at the end of 1990 were given to the new body, ASIC.

In addition, files of Victorian companies that had registered post 1976 and subsequently deregistered were also transferred to ASIC, where they are available in microfiche format.

Files of Victorian companies deregistered up until 1976 are retained by Public Record Office Victoria.

Companies in Australia

Sources for historical company

Company files

State Library Victoria