A guide to family history research using the major Victorian resources
A will is the indication of how a person wished his/her estate to be disposed of at death. Probate is the judicial determination of the validity of a will. Wills should always be probated in each state where real estate property was held.
If a person dies without leaving a valid will, particularly when property is left, letters of administration will be issued by a court appointed administrator.
There is no central archive of Australian wills and related documents. Collections are held in each state, in either the relevant state archives office or at the Supreme Court registry.
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1841-2020 |
Public Record Office VictoriaThe Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) hold Wills and Probate files that have been administered by the Victorian Probate office from 1841 to 2020
FamilySearch1853-1951 |
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January 2020- |
Grants of representation filed with the Court on, or after, January 2020 are stored at the Supreme Court of Victoria Probate Office. Fees apply to search a file and photocopy any documents. Further information can be found on the Supreme Court of Victoria, Wills & Probate website. |
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Probate |
The Supreme Court of Victoria maintains an online database of all applications for a grant of probate or administration filed with the Court since 1970. You can search the application index online. You can also search the index of caveats that have been filed with the court since 2009 and the index of wills that have been deposited with the Court for safekeeping. |
Probate records are held at the ACT Supreme Court.
Please go to their Wills and probate - forms webpage for more information.
Supreme Court Registry
4 Knowles Place
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone: (02) 6207 1786
Probate packets from 1817-1980, and 1989 are kept at the Museums of History NSW (which includes the NSW State Archives Collection). For further information please consult their Probate packets & wills guide.
The Supreme Court of NSW holds probate packets from 1980 onward.
More information can be found on their Probate guide.
Supreme Court of New South Wales
GPO Box 3
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone: 1300 679 272
See also this guide in our collection - Supreme Court of N.S.W. probate index.
Probate records are held at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
More information can be found on their Probate webpage.
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
State Square
Darwin NT 0800
Telephone: (08) 8999 6562
See also this guide in our collection - Probate index - 1885-1941
Probate records are kept in the Supreme Court of Queensland.
Further information can be found on their Wills & Estates webpage.
Supreme Court of Queensland
George Street
Brisbane QLD 4000
Telephone: Estates (probates) (07) 3247 5365
Probate records are kept in the Supreme Court of South Australia.
For further information please go to their Probate webpage.
Supreme Court of South Australia
301 King William Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Telephone: (08) 8204 0505
Probate records are held at the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
Further information can be found of their Probate webpage.
Supreme Court of Tasmania
Salamanca Place
Hobart TAS 7000
Telephone: (03) 6233 3716
Probate records are held at the Supreme Court of Western Australia. Go to their Wills & Probate webpage for further information
Supreme Court of Western Australia
14th floor 111 Georges Street
Perth WA 6000
Telephone: (08) 9421 5152
