South 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 Records

 * South Australia Online Database Search
 * South Australia Baptisms and Confirmations at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * South Australia Stillbirths at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * 1842 forward: South Australian Births at Ancestral & Local History Research; index only
 * 1842 forward: South Australian Marriages at Ancestral & Local History Research; index only
 * 1842 forward: South Australian Deaths at Ancestral & Local History Research; index only


 * Australia, Birth, Marriage, and Death Exchange, index
 * 1776-1980: at FamilySearch; index & images
 * 1788-1922 - Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1792-1981 -, index, incomplete. How to Use this Collection
 * 1792-1981 - Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981, index - at Ancestry.com ($). 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 -, index, incomplete. How to Use this Collection
 * 1810-1980 - Australia, Marriages, 1810-1980, index - at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1787-1985 - Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1816-1980 -, index. How to Use this Collection
 * 1816-1980 - Australia Deaths & Burials, 1816-1980, index - at FindMyPast ($). Also at My Heritage ($)
 * 1851-1997 - Australia Newspaper Vital Notices, 1851-1997 - at Ancestry, ($), index, incomplete.
 * 1860-2019 - Australia Death Notices, 1860-2019, ($), index

British Armed Forces

 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at FindMyPast; index & images ($)

Offices to Contact
South Australia Principal Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages Department of Public and Consumer Affairs G.P.O. Box 1351 Adelaide South Australia 5001 Australia
 * Website
 * Researching your family history
 * Apply for a birth certificate
 * Apply for a marriage or relationship certificate
 * Apply for a death certificate

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: For records created since the cut-off dates, only these people have access to a record:
 * births that happened over 100 years ago
 * deaths that happened over 30 years ago
 * marriages that happened over 75 years ago
 * 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.

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