Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection dates from the years 1829 through 1961.

These records come from the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office. They may include a variety of records, such as: land, school, court, occupation, cemetery, correctional institution, immigration, hospital, military, naturalization, guild and convict records.

Court records contain information about individuals who were involved in a number of matters, including those mentioned below. Details about Australian convicts are often found in court records. Most court records provide names of individuals who served as defendants, plaintiffs, jurors, or witnesses. They may also provide such information as the individual’s residence, occupation, physical description, and family.

Convicts first arrived in Australia in 1788, when the British government established a penal colony at Port Jackson, Sydney Bay. Records about convicts transported to Australia are numerous and play a major role in Australian family history research.

There are four types of convict records:


 * Tickets of leave
 * Certificates of Freedom
 * Pardons
 * Convict Indents

To see definitions of the records see Australia Convict Records for more information.

For a list of record categories currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Prisoner records may include the following information:


 * Profession of recorder
 * Height
 * Age
 * Complexion
 * Portrait of self
 * Full name
 * Nickname
 * Place of birth
 * Marital status

Occupation records may include the following information:


 * Full name
 * Occupation
 * Names of witnesses

Petty pension records may include the following information:


 * Name of offender
 * Offense made
 * Name of magistrate present
 * Names of witnesses

How to Use the Record
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 and 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.

Search the Collection

To search the collection image by image select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate “Record Category” ⇒Select the appropriate “Record Type” ⇒Select the appropriate “Year Range, Archival Number” which will take you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Using the Information
The document that you have found can help you further your research:


 * You can use the age that is listed on the document to calculate the birth year. When you have calculated the birth year, and have found the birth place, search for your ancestor in the Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981 collection.
 * You can use the marriage information that you have found on the document, to search in the Australia, Marriages, 1810-1980

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
There are indexes available in some films in the Browse. For the Index to Prisoners Records there is a separate group of images that is only an index. The Court Records do not have indexes. The Occupation and Guild Records have indexes located at beginning of a group of images. Find your ancestor's name and look for the page number and possibly book number. This will help you find the record you are looking for in the collection.

Related Websites

 * Tasmania Miscellaneous Collections
 * Tasmanian Records on Findmypast.com.au
 * National Library of Australia

Related Wiki Articles

 * Australia Land and Property
 * Australia Schools
 * Australia Court Records
 * Australia Convict Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records, 1829-1961

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. 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.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.