Victoria Civil Registration -- Vital Records

How to Find the Records
Civil registration in Victoria began July 1853; before 1853 see New South Wales (1836).


 * National Library of Australia Website: Australian birth, death and marriage records: Victoria
 * FamilySearch Webinar: Australia BDM Civil Registration Index online tutorial.

Online Resources

 * Births, Deaths, Marriages Victoria: Family history research
 * Historical lndex of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Victoria State Justice and Registratuion Quick Search
 * 1836-1913 - Victoria Births 1836-1913 - at FindMyPast, Index ($)
 * 1837-1917 - Victoria, Australia, Birth Index, 1837-1917, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1836-1942 - Victoria Marriages 1836-1942 - at FindMyPast, Index ($)
 * 1837-1950 - Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1950, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1836-1985 - Victoria Deaths 1836-1985 - at FindMyPast, Index ($)
 * 1836-1988 - Victoria, Australia, Death Index, 1836-1988, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at MyHeritage ($)


 * Australia, Birth, Marriage, and Death Exchange, index
 * 1776-1980: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1788-1922 - Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1792-1981 -, index, incomplete. How to Use this Collection
 * 1792-1981 - Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at FindMyPast ($). Also at My Heritage ($)
 * 1788-1950 - Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1788-1935 - Australia, Marriages, 1788-1935, index - at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1810-1980 -, index, incomplete. How to Use this Collection
 * 1810-1980 - Australia, Marriages, 1810-1980, index - at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1787-1985 - Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1816-1980 -, index. How to Use this Collection
 * 1816-1980 - Australia Deaths & Burials, 1816-1980, index - at FindMyPast ($). Also at My Heritage ($)
 * 1851-1997 - Australia Newspaper Vital Notices, 1851-1997 - at Ancestry, ($), index, incomplete.
 * 1860-2019 - Australia Death Notices, 1860-2019, ($), index

British Armed Forces

 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at FindMyPast; index & images ($)

Contact an Office
The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Department of Justice) has a website serving family history needs: Research and family history. The online Historical lndex of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, Victoria State Justice and Registratuion contains:
 * Birth records up to 100 years after the date of the birth
 * Death records up to 30 years after the date of death
 * Marriage and Registered relationship records up to 60 years after the date of marriage or relationship registratio
 * Church baptisms, marriages and burials in Victoria from 1836 to 1853.
 * Close relatives can order more recent certificates. See who qualifies at Who can access restricted information.
 * The Marine Index covers births, deaths and marriages on board ships coming to Victoria from 1853 to 1907, including ships' names.

Archive Resources Kit

 * Archive Resources Kit
 * Abstracts of all licences for marriages granted to free persons, 1813-27
 * Registers, 1787-1856
 * Reports of inquests, 1796-1828
 * Indexes and registers of Coroners' inquests and magisterial inquiries, 1834-1942

"The ARK is held by 40 community access points across NSW. The majority of access points are libraries. The ARK consists of microfilm copies of our most popular and heavily used colonial records. Included are records relating to convict arrivals, assisted immigrants, births, deaths and marriages, publicans' licences, electoral rolls, naturalisation, returns of the colony ('Blue Books'), land grants, and the wide range of functions of the Colonial Secretary (1788-1825). You may find that the ARK (or parts of it) are held at a library near you."
 * Community Access Points A list of libraries and archives which hold microcopies of the Archive Resource Kit records

Information Recorded in the Records
When civil registration first began, there was no common standard of recording information, so the information listed may vary from state to state. Later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones.

Birth records


 * Surname and forenames of child
 * Date and place of birth of child
 * Sex of the child
 * Multiple births
 * Surname and forenames of father
 * Age, birthplace, and occupation or rank of father
 * Maiden surname and forenames of mother
 * Place and year of marriage of parents
 * Age and birthplace of mother
 * Number and sex of previous issue, if deceased
 * Name, relationship, description, and residence of informant

Marriage records


 * Surname and forenames of parties
 * Occupations and places of residence of parties
 * Ages and places of birth of parties
 * Marital status prior to the marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name of celebrant and denomination
 * Names of witnesses
 * Surnames and forenames of parents

Death records


 * Surname and forenames of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Occupation, age, and sex of deceased
 * Place of birth and place and date of marriage of deceased
 * Length of residence in Australia and in what colonies, states, and territories
 * Name of spouse and names and ages of living children of deceased
 * Number and sex of issue, if deceased
 * Name and occupation of father
 * Maiden surname of mother
 * Cause of death and duration of last illness
 * Name of medical practitioner
 * Date and place of burial
 * Religion and name of minister or witness
 * Names of undertaker and informant
 * Residence and relationship or description of informant
 * Date and place of civil registration