Guide to finding patents, based on the collections of the State Library of Victoria
State Library Victoria holds some nineteenth century patents for New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. We do not hold Tasmanian patents.
1877 to 1886
Patent numbers 1 to 800 and containing name indexes, subject indexes, abridgements of specifications & drawings.
In eight volumes.
Report of the Registrar of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks by Queensland Registrar
The first patent application in NSW was registered in 1854 and the first grant of a patent was in 1855.The first NSW patents were referred to as Registrations of inventions.
Try to find an approximate year prior to ordering volumes. The indexes listed below give patent numbers for some years.
New South Wales patent indexes
Print index
Index to New South Wales letters of registration of inventions from 1854 to 31st July, 1887
State Library Victoria holds 1854 - 1887 in one volume containing name, keyword and subject (by class) indexes and abridgements of specifications (no drawings)
Online indexes to NSW patents 1855 to 1884
The Australian Society for History of Engineering and Technology website has the name and application number indexes 1855 to 1884 under the heading Downloads. Click on the following links to go to the indexes:
State Library Victoria holds 1876 - 1899 (1876-1895, 1896,1897,1989,1899) in one volume.
The volumes listed include indexes and abridgements of specifications and drawings.
LIBRARY CLOSURE
In line with the stage 3 restrictions announced by the Premier, State Library Victoria closed on Thursday 9 July.
We will advise when there is any update to this situation.
Our Ask A Librarian reference service is still available to assist with your research inquiries.
