Australia, Tasmania, Coroner's Inquest Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

Australia Tasmania

What is in the Collection?
This collection includes inquest files from the coroner’s office in Tasmania. When the cause of death is unknown or seems unnatural, a judicial officer, known as a coroner, is involved to determine certain information. They usually seek to find out the identity of the deceased, the cause of death and the circumstances in which it may have occurred. Inquest files are reports and associated files pertaining to investigations regarding the cause of certain deaths. The collection includes records from 1868-1914. The original records are located in the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office in Hobart, Tasmania.

Sample Images
Inquest files may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Cause of death
 * Date of death
 * Place of death
 * Age of deceased
 * Date of Inquest
 * Names of any witnesses
 * Testimonies of witnesses

How Do I 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.

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, age, and family relationships. 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.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * The place of death may have been the residency or close to it.
 * Pay attention to witness names, as they may be family members.
 * You may need to search using an alternate or nickname.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military unties, counties, parishes, etc.).

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. Collection Citation:

Image Citation