Early Australian census records

Several reports were produced. Each report is available in multiple formats:

- Abstract from general muster book (enclosure 1a and 1b)
Name, age, place of birth, occupation of male and female settlers who had arrived by 31 December 1829. Also mentions children.
- List of persons who have claimed land, including a description of their families, servants and property imported in to the colony (enclosure 2a and 2b)
Names of heads of families only.
- Returns relative to the settlement of the Swan River
All three reports are available in:
-- Extract of a despatch from Lieutenant-Governor Stirling to ... Sir George Murray dated Perth, Western Australia, 20th January 1830: containing information relative to the progress of the settlement at Swan River (pamphlet, available online, digitised by State Library Victoria) see pages 8-28.
-- Returns relative to the settlement on the Swan River (pamphlet, available online, digitised by State Library of Western Australia) see pages 10-30.
-- Official papers relating to the settlement at Swan River, West Australia. December, 1826—January, 1830 (book, online, made available by Project Gutenberg) see Chapter 48 and enclosures.
-- Historical records of Australia. Series III. Despatches and papers relating to the settlement of the states (book) see Volume 6, p622-640.
-- House of Lords sessional papers (microfilm) see 1830-31, Vol 288, Paper 41, page 299 onward. When ordering microfilm, specify Reel 86 in order notes box.

- A return of all persons appointed to place and situations at the Swan River
Report available in:
-- Returns relative to the settlement on the Swan River (pamphlet, available online, digitised by State Library of Western Australia) see page 4.
-- House of Lords sessional papers (microfilm) see 1830-31, Vol 288, Paper 41, page 299 onward. When ordering microfilm, specify Reel 86 in order notes box.

- Further returns relative to the settlement of the Swan River
Report available in:
-- House of Lords sessional papers (microfilm) 1830-31 Vol 288, Paper 66, page 331. When ordering microfilm, specify Reel 86 in order notes box.

- Returns as to any grants of land that have been made, and the persons to whom the same have been granted, in the proposed settlement on the Swan River in Western Australia
-- House of Lords sessional papers (microfilm) House of Lords sessional papers 1829 Vol 258, Paper 65, page 111. When ordering microfilm, specify Reel 76 in order notes box.

Book. Cross-references records from the first census taken in WA with other original records including passenger lists, land grant applications, official correspondence, and diaries. The census records are transcribed and provide name, age, marital state, place of birth, country or town (of birth?), profession, ship, and who people migrated with. Men, women and children are included.

Microfilm. Australian Joint Copying Project reel 301 (CO 18/16). See p78-97 for most areas - King George's Sound, Murray and Augusta are elsewhere on the reel. Includes name, age, occupation and place of residence.

Book. Arranged alphabetically by surname. It indicates if residents were aged over or under 12, if they were married or single, their occupation, where they lived, and their place of birth (this may be detailed, giving a town name, or just list a county or country).

This booklet references reports and statistics from the censuses of 1837, 1848, 1854, 1859, 1861, 1870, 1881, 1888, 1891 and 1901. For more details search our catalogue by 'subject' for Western Australia--Population--Statistics. These reports do not include information about individuals.
The reports and statistics are available:
- online on the Historical census and colonial data archive (does not include 1837)
- on microfiche in the Family History & Newspapers Room at LTMF 53.

These census reports were published in 1835 as UK House of Commons parliamentary paper Vol XXXIX (39), no 422. You can access this paper in the UK Parliamentary Papers database at the Library, or at home if you are a registered Victorian library user.