Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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

This collection of records come from the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office. The collection contains land, school, court, occupation, 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.

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.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These records may include the following information:

Prisoner Records


 * Profession of recorder
 * Height
 * Age
 * Complexion
 * Portrait of Self
 * Full Name
 * Nickname
 * Place of birth
 * Marital Status

Occupation Records


 * Full name
 * Occupation
 * Names of witnesses

Petty Pensions


 * Name of Offender
 * Offence made
 * Name of Magistrate Present
 * Names of witnesses

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of ancestor
 * Place of birth

Searching the Images

To browse this collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the “Record Category” category ⇒Select the “Record Type” category ⇒Select the “Year Range, and Archival Number” category which will take you to the images.

Look at each image one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person 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

Can't Find the Information
There are indexes available in some of the records. 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 &amp; 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
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.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records 1829-1961," images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org: accessed 14 March 2012), Occupation and Guild records &gt; Copies of certificates of service as a mine winding engine driver &gt; 1893-1894, LID23/1/2 &gt; Image 50 of 140 Images &gt; certificate number 219, John Robinson, 2 September 1834; citing Australia, Tasmania, Heritage Office, Miscellaneous Records, Tasmanian Archive, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.