Australia, Tasmania, Military Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include military records from 1878-1903. This record consists of indexes and images of two small series of records from the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office including Registers of Volunteers Enrolled in the Southern Tasmanian Volunteer Artillery (7 Jul 1887-29 May 1903), and the Nominal Roll of Volunteers, Launceston Artillery (29 Apr 1878-4 Apr 1884). The original records are located in the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office, Hobart, Australia.

Record Content
The following information may be found in these records:

Military
 * Given Name or Initials
 * Surname
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Age
 * Physical Description
 * Date of Enrollment
 * Military Rank

How to Use the Record
When searching: As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, estimated age at enrollment, or estimated birth year.

Search the Collection
To search by index: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Using the Information

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the soldier's age and location of the military unit to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the soldier’s place of residence to locate local government or church records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look for additional indexes. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby military units, counties or parishes.
 * Try searching for only the given name or surname, as one may be indexed incorrectly.
 * Some of these records only record initials for the given and middle names, try searching with just the initials or the surname to locate your ancestor.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Australia.
 * Record Finder
 * Australia Research Tips and Strategies

Related Websites

 * [ http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/research/browse-by-category/familyhistory2/fillinggaps/military LINC Tasmania Military Records]
 * [ http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs36.aspx National Archives of Australia Military Records]

Related Wiki Articles

 * Australia Military Records
 * Tasmania Archives and Libraries

Citing This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.