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About Public Record Office Victoria
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) is the archive of State and Local Governments in Victoria. We hold over 100 km of digital and physical records from 1836 to the present day. Many records are accessible to the public either online or for viewing in our Reading Rooms. PROV also sets mandatory recordkeeping standards for state and local government agencies and provides advice on recordkeeping to government.
2024 Creative in Residence at the Victorian Archives Centre
Congratulations to Tahlia Palmer, our inaugural Creative in Residence recipient, at the Victorian Archives Centre! Following a competitive judging process of more than 70 applications from artists, musicians and writers across the state, Tahlia has begun working with PROV’s map and photographic collections to explore identity and perception, and interrogate the impact of colonisation on people and Country. Stay tuned for updates on her project and upcoming exhibition.
2023 Victorian Community History Award winners
A history of St Kilda’s “golden age” between 1841 and 1900 has won the top prize at the prestigious Victorian Community History Awards, which were presented at the Arts Centre Melbourne on the 2nd of February 2024. Award winners in 12 categories spanned a wide breadth of the state’s history, covering diverse topics including 19th century St Kilda, the 1970s Pram Factory, the loss of “Marvellous Melbourne” and contemporary social media takes on the urban environment.
Carmel McKenzie was awarded the Victorian Premier’s History Award for her book St Kilda 1841-1900: Movers and Shakers and Money-Makers, detailing how St Kilda was a bastion of aristocratic privilege prior to the 1890s. The judges described the book as “a beautifully presented and profusely illustrated social history”.
A Local History Grant project
The Boîte is Victoria's iconic multicultural music organisation. Their archival collection consists of posters, audio tapes, film footage and photographs that tell the story of the organisation, right back to its earliest days in the 1970s. Learn about their history project, funded by a Local History Grant and awarded a Victorian Community History Award in 2020.
Look history in the eye
In this award-winning podcast series by Public Record Office Victoria we interview the people who delve into public archives and uncover interesting truths about Melbourne and Victoria's past. Hear about the amazing monuments that were never built, Victoria's queer history, Pentridge Prison escapes, how Melbourne went from deadtown to musictown and more!
Delve into the archives
Stay up to date with the latest records and interesting stories uncovered from the collection. This blog will offer you a snapshot into the world of historical research featuring the extraordinary tales of Victorian people captured within Victorian Government archives.
Records management
Personal information is at risk when agencies do not have an effective disposal program in place and continue to hold public records for longer than the required minimum legal retention period. See our advice for managing personal information in records.
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Monday to Friday 10am to 4:30pm and every second and last Saturday of the month. Closed public holidays. Visit
Monday to Thursday 10am to 4:30pm. Closed public holidays. Visit
Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 4pm. Closed public holidays. Visit
Upcoming closure: Wednesday 20 March 2024.
Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm. Closed weekends, Mondays and public holidays. Visit