Fiji Civil Registration

Civil Registration
Civil records of birth, marriage, and death uniquely identify individuals and connects them to other family members. Civil registration begins late, about 1870, in Melanesia as compared to other areas of the world but it is the most complete source for genealogical purposes. Records can be found at local and national civil registry offices (some copies in France for New Caledonia and Vanuatu).

Birth, marriage, and death records give the date of the event, including time of day for births; name of principal and parents; occupation and religious preference of parents; name of informant for births and names of witnesses for marriages; place of residence for parents of new born, of the groom and bride for marriages, and of the deceased for deaths; age at death, cause of death, and place of burial in death records.

Death-Related Records
These records include inventories of personal and real property, notarial records (generally outlining inheritance and distribution of property), declarations of succession, tombstone transcriptions, obituaries, sexton records, burials, and other materials. Records generally exist from 1860 to the present and can be found at administrative offices and archives.