New Caledonia Civil Registration

Online Collections

 * 1864-1880 - Tables décennales, 1864-1880 - FamilySearch, free. Ten-year indexes for diverse localities of New Caledonia. In French.

Offices to Contact
Town halls issue birth, death and marriage documents. Contact the relevant town hall directly to obtain these documents.

Directorate for the Management and Regulation of Customary Affairs (DGRAC) 16 rue d'Austerlitz Immeuble Scical 98800 Nouméa New Caledonia

Telephone: 23.22.90 FAX: 23.22.99 Email: [mailto:dgrac@gouv.nc dgrac@gouv.nc]

To Write:
 * BP E3
 * 98848 Nouméa Cedex
 * New Caledonia

Koné branch: 636, route de la Néa 98860 Koné New Caledonia

Telephone Koné antenna: 47.70.70 FAX Koné antenna: 47.70 .71 Koné email: [mailto:antenne-nord.sg@gouv.nc antenne-nord.sg@gouv.nc]

Historical Background
The Kanak are the indigenous inhabitants of New Caledonia. Until 1984, Kanak was spelled Canaque. In 1853, France took formal possession of New Caledonia. In 1864, New Caledonia became a penal colony. From the 1860s until 1897 when transportations ended, about 22,000 criminals and political prisoners were sent from France. In 1864, nickel was discovered, and France imported laborers from neighboring islands, the New Hebrides, Japan, the Dutch East Indies, and French Indochina. During WWII, 50,000 American troops were stationed on New Caledonia. 1n 1953, New Caledonians were given French citizenship.

Coverage and Compliance
Time period: 1854-present

90% coverage of the population

Birth Records

 * Date
 * Name of child
 * Names of parents
 * Occupation of parents
 * Religion of parents
 * Name of informant
 * Residence of parents

Marriage Records

 * Date
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Names of parents
 * Occupation of parents
 * Religion of parents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Residence of bride and groom

Death Records

 * Date
 * Name of deceased
 * Names of parents
 * Occupation of parents
 * Religion of parents
 * Residence of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Cause of death
 * Place of burial

Other Types of Death Records
Death inventories (notarial record concerning inheritance), declarations of succession, tombstone transcriptions, obituaries, sexton records, burials, and others.

Location: Administrative offices at various levels and archives.

Time period: 1860-present

Population coverage: 40% of the population

Contents:
 * Names
 * Vital statistics (birth, marriage, and death dates and places)
 * In some sources, names of kin and relationship to the deceased are given.