Australia, Victoria, Wills, Probate and Administration Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records from 1841 to 1925. The collection consists of probate registers for Victoria located in the Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV), North Melbourne, Australia. Probate records are court records created after an individual's death. The estate or property of the deceased person is divided among the heirs. This takes place regardless of whether there is a will or not. The Probate Registry is responsible for overseeing the probate process and selecting a personal representative for the deceased person.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Probate Records in this collection may contain the following information:
 * Name of testator
 * Death date
 * Place of birth
 * Inventory of assets
 * Place of residence and address
 * Occupation
 * Date of testament
 * Declaration
 * Names of children or heirs
 * Name of spouse
 * Name of administrator of will
 * Guardians and relationships
 * Nature of grant
 * Witnesses

How Do I Search the Collection?
Depending on the length or type of testament you can find genealogical information to extend research for additional generations of ancestors. Wills may provide historical family information not found elsewhere. They are often the only record for the time period before census records became available, where all members of a family might be listed, or before the civil registration was implemented.

To begin your search, it is helpful to know the name and some other identifying information such as the birth place or birth date.

When searching: It is helpful to know such information as:
 * Your Ancestor's name
 * The date of your ancestor's death
 * Names of family members

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for death records
 * Search for death or burial information in the BillionGraves Index or at Find A Grave
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname
 * Search the records of nearby areas
 * Use the information to identify names of guardians, heirs and relatives
 * Use the information to locate census, vital records, and land records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the probate entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the probate 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
 * Search the records of nearby localities
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

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

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.