Northern Territory Census

Online Records

 * 1881, 1891, 1901 -- Northern Territory of Australia censuses, 1881, 1891, 1901 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1881-1921 - Northern Territory Census at Findmypast ($); index

As Part of New South Wales Prior to 1863

 * 1811-1825 New South Wales, Census and Population Books, 1811-1825 at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1828 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1828 1828 Census inscribed on the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register at New South Wales Archives, images.
 * 1828 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (Australian Copy) at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1828 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (TNA Copy) at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1828 New South Wales, 1828 Census Householders' Returns, at Findmypast, index and images, ($).
 * 1841 1841 New South Wales, Australia, Census at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1841 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1843-1869 Correspondence, etc., 1843-1869 - at FamilySearch, images. Includes 1851 censuses of 3 aboriginal tribes.

As Part of South Australia 1863 to 1911

 * 1836-1915 South Australia Census at Findmypast - index ($), incomplete

As Part of New South Wales Prior to 1863

 * 1861-1867: Bushranger returns, 1861-1867, at FamilySearch, images.

Electoral Rolls/Voting Registers

 * New South Wales Electoral Rolls at Findmypast, index and images, ($).
 * 1842-1864: New South Wales, Australia Historical Electoral Rolls at Ancestry; index & images, ($)

Directories

 * 1858-1933: Sands Directories: Sydney and New South Wales, Australia at Ancestry; index & images, ($)
 * 1861-1930: Sydney and New South Wales, Australia, Sands Street Index at Ancestry; index & images, ($)

Population Musters

 * 1800-1802 Muster and lists, New South Wales and Norfolk Island, 1800-1802 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1806-1849 - New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters at Ancestry; index & images, ($)
 * 1806 - Muster of all females in the colony, August 1806, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1811, 1814, 1819 Population musters, 1811, 1814, 1819 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1825-1840 - New South Wales, Australia, Wives & Children of Irish Convicts at Ancestry; index only ($)

As Part of South Australia 1863-1911

 * at FamilySearch.
 * at FamilySearch.

Finding Records
For an excellent analysis of extant records and where they can be found in Australia archives and libraries, see State Library of Victoria: Early Australian census records: Northern Territory.

History
The area now known as the Northern Territory was administered by New South Wales from 1825 to 1863, and by South Australia from 1863 to 1911. The first country-wide census was taken in 1881. National censuses have been regularly taken by the Australian government since 1911. However, to protect individual privacy, all national censuses were destroyed after statistical information was collected. Earlier, in 1882, a fire destroyed the New South Wales census records for 1846, 1851, 1856, 1861, 1871 and 1881, including the household forms from 1861, 1871 and 1881. Therefore, census usage in Australian research is different from census research in other countries.

No records of individuals exist for Northern Territory censuses after 1921.

Contents
Typically a census is a count and description of the population. Where available, census records can provide an ancestor’s name, age, occupation and/or employer, whether free or bond, religion, ship and date of arrival, marital status, birthplace, and family member relationships. Census returns can also provide clues that lead to other records. A census may list selected people or the whole population. The percentage of people listed depends on the purpose of the census and on how careful the enumerator was.

Census Substitutes
In Australian research, other records can be used in place of census records. They are referred to as "census substitutes," and they list individuals who lived in specific places. It is rare, however, to find an entire family listed. Usually these records list only the head of household’s name, date and place of residence, occupation, age, value of property, and sometimes ship of arrival.
 * Electoral rolls
 * Directories and almanacs
 * Emigration and immigration records
 * Depasturing licenses
 * Rate and valuation books
 * Lists of convicts