Subject Search Guides
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.
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!
Geological records of Victoria
Historic records of the Geological Survey of Victoria have been added to PROV's collection. The records include geological and mining maps and plans, records of mining and extractive industry licences, and data from drilling activity and geophysical surveys. They date from 1852 through to more recent exploration. The records have been, and still are, important resources for those working in the fields of geoscience, geological investigations, minerals and energy surveys and understanding the State’s geological systems, as well as for people with an historical interest in those areas.
Researching teacher and author Olga Ernst
"While I accepted the anecdotes relayed to me as truth, I was aware that bias, time, memory and even retellings may change any narrative or family story..." On our blog, Robyn Floyd discusses the value of PROV's primary sources to confirm first person memory and flesh out details such as dates, locations and perspectives. Anyone with a teacher in their family tree will find this article particularly enlightening.
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.
Visit us
Monday to Friday 10am to 4:30pm and every second and last Saturday of the month. Closed public holidays. Visit
Upcoming closures: Closed for Christmas/New Year period from 12.30pm Friday 22 December reopening 10am Tuesday 2 January 2024.
Monday to Thursday 10am to 4:30pm. Closed public holidays. Visit
Upcoming closures: Closing Thursday 21 December at 4pm, reopening 10am on Tuesday 2 January 2024.
Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 4pm. Closed public holidays. Visit
Upcoming closures: Wednesday 27 December and Thursday 28 December 2023.
Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm. Closed weekends, Mondays and public holidays. Visit
Upcoming closures: Closed from Monday 25 December, reopening Tuesday 2 January.
What's On
Reclaiming the slums
Yarra: Stories of Melbourne's River
Old Treasury Building presents the history of the Yarra, featuring records from PROV's collection such as William Thomas correspondence and plan de
Collective City
Disrupt, persist, invent
From the 8th of December 2023, the National Archives of Australia will be showing their 'Disrupt, persist, invent' exhibition at the Victorian Arch