Tasmania Census

Online Resources

 * Early Australian census records including Tasmania Index
 * 1837-1857 - Census (1837-1857). Householders in the 1840s and 1850s at Libraries Tasmania, not complete for all districts.

As Part of New South Wales Prior to 1825

 * 1811-1825 - New South Wales, Census and Population Books, 1811-1825 at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1848 - Census returns, 1848 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1851 - Census returns, 1851 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1842-1852 - Index to Tasmania census returns (various districts), 1842, 1843, 1848, 1851-52 at FamilySearch, images.

Electoral Rolls/Voting Registers

 * at FamilySearch.
 * Tasmanian Electoral Rolls
 * New South Wales Electoral Rolls at FindMyPast, index and images, ($).

Directories

 * at FamilySearch.
 * The Australasian federal directory of commerce, trades & professions at FamilySearch, images.

Population Musters

 * 1800-1802 - Muster and lists, New South Wales and Norfolk Island, 1800-1802 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1806-1849 - New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1806 - Muster of all females in the colony, August 1806, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1811, 1814, 1819 - Population musters, 1811, 1814, 1819 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1825-1840 - New South Wales, Australia, Wives & Children of Irish Convicts at Ancestry; index only ($)

Immigration Records

 * at FamilySearch.
 * Tasmania, Australia, Passenger Arrivals, 1829-1957 at Ancestry ($), index and images.

Convict Lists

 * Indexes to Convict Records at State Library of Tasmania - List of convict databases
 * 1787-1859 - New South Wales and Tasmania: Settlers and Convicts 1787-1859 at FindMyPast, Index ($)
 * 1800-1899 - Tasmania, Australia, Convict Court and Selected Records, 1800-1899 at Ancestry, Index ($)
 * 1800-1893 - Tasmania Convict Records 1800-1893, at FindMyPast, Index ($)
 * 1803-1893 - Records of the Tasmanian Convict Department 1803-1893 e-book
 * 1806-1849 - New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1806-1849 at Ancestry, Index ($)
 * 1833-1854 - Tasmania, Australia, Baptisms of Children of Convicted Women, 1833-1854 at Ancestry, Index ($)
 * 1834-1859 - New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia, Convict Pardons and Tickets of Leave, 1834-1859 at Ancestry, Index ($)

Finding Records
For an excellent analysis of extant records and where they can be found in Australia archives and libraries, see State Library of Victoria: Early Australian census records: Tasmania.

History
The first country-wide census was taken in 1881. National censuses have been regularly taken by the Australian government since 1911. However, to protect individual privacy, all national censuses were destroyed after statistical information was collected. Earlier, in 1882, a fire destroyed the New South Wales census records for 1846, 1851, 1856, 1861, 1871 and 1881, including the household forms from 1861, 1871 and 1881. Therefore, census usage in Australian research is different from census research in other countries. No records of individuals exist for Tasmania censuses after 1857.

Contents
Typically a census is a count and description of the population. Where available, census records can provide an ancestor’s name, age, occupation and/or employer, whether free or bond, religion, ship and date of arrival, marital status, birthplace, and family member relationships. Census returns can also provide clues that lead to other records. A census may list selected people or the whole population. The percentage of people listed depends on the purpose of the census and on how careful the enumerator was.

Census Substitutes
In Australian research, other records can be used in place of census records. They are referred to as "census substitutes," and they list individuals who lived in specific places. It is rare, however, to find an entire family listed. Usually these records list only the head of household’s name, date and place of residence, occupation, age, value of property, and sometimes ship of arrival.

Records that can be used as census substitutes are:
 * Population Musters
 * Because convicts were transported into Australia, the government found it necessary to survey the population at least annually. These surveys, known as musters, began in 1788. Information contained in the records might include an individual’s residence, status (convict, free, military), sex, name, ship of arrival, trial date, trial place, sentence, and remarks. Some early musters list children, wives, and servants.


 * Electoral rolls—See Tasmania Voting Records.
 * Directories and almanacs—See Tasmania Directories.
 * Emigration and immigration records—See Tasmania Emigration and Immigration.
 * Depasturing licenses—See Tasmania Land and Property.
 * Rate and valuation books—See Tasmania Taxation.
 * Lists of convicts—See Tasmania Convict Records.