External view of the Victorian Archives Centre
About Us

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.

Visit us

Our Locations
Victorian Archives Centre
99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne

Monday to Friday 10am to 4:30pm and every second and last Saturday of the month. Closed public holidays. Visit

Ballarat Archives Centre
Eureka Centre, 102 Stawell St, South Ballarat Central

Monday to Thursday 10am to 4:30pm. Closed public holidays. Visit

Bendigo Regional Archives Centre
1st Floor Bendigo Library, 251-259 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo

Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 4pm. Closed public holidays. Visit

Geelong Library and Heritage Centre
51 Little Malop Street, Geelong

Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm. Closed weekends, Mondays and public holidays. Visit

What's On

Events, talks, exhibitions and publications
Photograph of signwriting on a shopfront
Talk

North Melbourne ghost signs: cultural archaeology in haunted Hotham

Brace yourself to rendezvous with the Sartorial Sultan of Errol Street; gawk at the ludicrous matrimony of milk & cigarettes - the true breakfast of champions; and unravel the cryptic enigma of a “cultural archaeologist”. For Melbourne Rare Book Week 2024 we're hosting a talk by Sean Reynolds, the madcap maestro behind the cult-hit Instagram phenomenon Melbourne Ghost Signs.
25 Jul 18:00 PM - 25 Jul 19:00 PM
Bendigo School of Mines
Talk

Bendigo Regional Archives Centre events

BRAC provides a variety of events that showcase the history of the Bendigo region and the breadth of the region's archival collection. Events coming up include the August workshops 'Discovering History' and 'Handle with Care'.
01 Jan 17:30 PM - 31 Dec 17:30 PM
Black and white photograph taken from a video work
Exhibition

Tahlia Palmer: occupation studies

Now showing at the Victorian Archives Centre is our first Creative in Residence exhibition. Utilising archival footage, field recordings and AI-generated imagery, Tahlia Palmer has created a series of hypnotic video pieces which invite us to reflect on our own relationship with history and challenge us to take steps towards change.
20 Jun 09:00 AM - 19 Jul 17:00 PM
Tour guide at the Victorian Archives Centre
Tour

Behind the scenes tours at VAC

Once a year we open the doors of the archival repository to the public! Book your spot for our Open House Melbourne Tours. You'll learn how records are selected and preserved, and discover the stories contained within the many maps, plans, photographs and documents.
27 Jul 10:00 AM - 27 Jul 15:30 PM

Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the collection and website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

PROV provides advice to researchers wishing to access, publish or re-use records about Aboriginal Peoples