Australia Civil Registration

How to Find the Records

 * National Library of Australia Website: Australian birth, death and marriage records
 * FamilySearch Webinar: Australia BDM Civil Registration Index online tutorial. Indexes for some states have been added since this class was recorded: Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Tasmania,

Online Birth, Marriage, and Death Indexes

 * 1788-1922 - Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1792-1981 - Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at FindMyPast ($). Also at My Heritage ($)
 * 1788-1950 - Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1788-1935 - Australia, Marriages, 1788-1935, index - at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1810-1980 - Australia, Marriages, 1810-1980, index - at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1787-1985 - Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1816-1980 - Australia Deaths & Burials, 1816-1980, index - at FindMyPast ($). Also at My Heritage ($)

Australian Capital Territory

 * Australian Capital Territory Marriages - at FindMyPast ($). Index.
 * Australian Capital Territory Deaths - at FindMyPast ($). Index.

New South Wales

 * New South Wales Birth, Death, and Marriage Index

South Australia

 * South Australia Online Database Search

Queensland

 * Queensland Family history research service for births, marriages, and deaths. Index (free) and images ($).

Tasmania

 * 1803-1933 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1839-1938 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1899-1912 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Victoria

 * Births, Deaths, Marriages Victoria: Family history research
 * 1837-1917 - Victoria, Australia, Birth Index, 1837-1917, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1837-1950 - Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1950, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1836-1988 - Victoria, Australia, Death Index, 1836-1988, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at MyHeritage ($)

Western Australia

 * Western Australia Online Index Search Tool

Pioneer Indexes

 * 1788–1918 - New South Wales Pioneers Index, 1788–1918
 * 1824 - 1859 - Queensland Early Pioneers Index, 1824 - 1859 - at MyHeritage ($)
 * Western Australia Online Index Search Tool

Offices to Contact
For instructions, forms, fees, and addresses for writing for records, find your state at this website: Each government state index listed above will be followed by instructions for ordering any record found listed in the index.
 * Australian Government: Births, deaths and marriages registries for each state/territory

Transcription Services
In some states you can use a transcription service to record what is on a certificate. Transcriptions provide the same information as certificates and are usually cheaper and quicker, but can’t be used for legal purposes.
 * For a list of New South Wales agents, see Ancestry research help and support: Hire a transcription agent
 * Research Agents

Rights of Privacy
Rights of privacy laws limit access to records recent enough to contain information about living persons. You can access any of the following records:
 * births that happened over 100 years ago
 * deaths that happened over 30 years ago
 * marriages that happened over 75 years ago

For records created since the cut-off dates, only these people have access to a record:
 * the person named on the birth, marriage or change of name record
 * an immediate family member named on the death certificate, such as a spouse, parent or child
 * a parent, grandparent or guardian of a child over 18 years old who wishes to apply for a birth certificate and who has given written permission.

Historical Background
The starting dates of civil registration in each colony/state or territory of Australia are:

*However, these dates do not reflect the earliest dates for Australian civil records. Church records predate civil registration, and as registrar's offices assumed responsibility for registration, they requested copies of earlier church records to incorporate into their collections. Indexes may go back even further for the following colonies:
 * New South Wales — 1788
 * Tasmania — 1803
 * Queensland — 1829
 * Victoria — 1836

Copies of church records for the various states for the pre-civil registration time period were given to each state’s registrar general and are often kept in the state archives. The dates of these records are as follows:


 * New South Wales 1788–1856
 * Tasmania 1803–1838
 * Queensland 1829–1856
 * Western Australia 1829–1856
 * South Australia 1836–1842
 * Victoria 1837–1858
 * Northern Territory See New South Wales and South Australia
 * Australian Capital Territory See New South Wales

After civil registration began, many church records were kept in local custody.

Information Recorded in the Records
When civil registration first began, there was no common standard of recording information, so the information listed may vary from state to state. Later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones.

Birth records


 * Surname and forenames of child
 * Date and place of birth of child
 * Sex of the child
 * Multiple births
 * Surname and forenames of father
 * Age, birthplace, and occupation or rank of father
 * Maiden surname and forenames of mother
 * Place and year of marriage of parents
 * Age and birthplace of mother
 * Number and sex of previous issue, if deceased
 * Name, relationship, description, and residence of informant

Marriage records


 * Surname and forenames of parties
 * Occupations and places of residence of parties
 * Ages and places of birth of parties
 * Marital status prior to the marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name of celebrant and denomination
 * Names of witnesses
 * Surnames and forenames of parents

Death records


 * Surname and forenames of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Occupation, age, and sex of deceased
 * Place of birth and place and date of marriage of deceased
 * Length of residence in Australia and in what colonies, states, and territories
 * Name of spouse and names and ages of living children of deceased
 * Number and sex of issue, if deceased
 * Name and occupation of father
 * Maiden surname of mother
 * Cause of death and duration of last illness
 * Name of medical practitioner
 * Date and place of burial
 * Religion and name of minister or witness
 * Names of undertaker and informant
 * Residence and relationship or description of informant
 * Date and place of civil registration