Author: Tara Oldfield
Senior Communications Advisor
An assortment of historic church and marine records, local council and goldfields records, court registers and commercial building plans are among recent transfers to Public Record Office Victoria’s (PROV) collection. All files are in physical format, ready for researchers to order and view in our reading room.
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
A recent significant transfer from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages included a register of vaccinations dating back to 1870, early church records from 1853-1854, a marine register of deaths 1865-1882, and a register of clergy dating back to 1859.
Official government registration of births, deaths and marriages commenced in 1853. Prior to this date, records of baptisms, burials and marriages were kept by churches. After 1853 churches were required to send these documents to the Registrar-General's Office. The early church records recently added to our collection span this first year of transferred documents 1853-1854.
The marine register of deaths, pictured, is a large, rolled book that records deaths occurring on board ships in Victorian waters from 1865 through to 1882. One of the earliest entries is for John Quinn, a master mariner in charge of the schooner “Bertha” traveling from Tasmania to Melbourne. His death is listed as a drowning on 8 September 1870 on the west side of Wilsons Prom. Quinn was one of seven to lose his life aboard the grounded “Bertha.” A man named Luke Cullen was the only survivor, swimming to the beach to safety. Cullen then identified the body of Quinn as he washed ashore. This record proves a sad start for anyone undertaking research into stories of loss, and survival, on Victorian seas.
The full list of records recently transferred to us by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages can be found below.
- Index to Registers of County Births and Deaths, 1869-1900 (VPRS 3653 P1)
- Register of Vaccinations, 1870-1927 (VPRS 3654 P3)
- Correspondence Files, 1944-1976 (VPRS 10481 P1)
- Early Church Records, 1853-1854 (VPRS 18496 P2)
- Record of Registrars of Marriage, 1870-1934 (VPRS 18563 P1)
- Record of Deputy Registrars of Births and Deaths, 1853-1905 (VPRS 18564 P1)
- Marine Register of Deaths, 1865-1882 (VPRS 18567 P1)
- Registration Districts Defined, 1860-1930 (VPRS 18571 P1)
- List of Localities and their Registration Districts, 1960 (VPRS 18575 P1)
- Card Index to Registrars of Births and Deaths, 1854-1956 (VPRS 18638 P1)
- Register of Clergy, 1859-1995 (VPRS 18651 C1)
County Court
Forty letters of approval of guardians for children awaiting adoption have been added to our collection from the County Court. The Adoption of Children Act 1928 specified that upon an application for adoption, the court would appoint a Guardian ad litem of the child to safeguard their interests during adoption proceedings. A 1954 amendment of the Act specified that the Guardian would be either the Secretary or some other responsible officer of the Children's Welfare Department; a representative of an organisation or body approved by the Attorney-General such as an adoption agency; any other person approved by the Attorney-General; or a minister of religion qualified under the Marriage Act 1928 to celebrate marriages.
The records now in our collection date from the amendment period through to 1962. Two years later, the Adoption of Children Act 1964 no longer required Attorney-General approval, instead specifying that the guardian would be the Director-General of Social Welfare until the Adoption Order was made, consent to the adoption was revoked, or the Court made an alternative Guardianship Order.
Order and view the records in our North Melbourne reading room.
Also from the County Court are 1988 Ordinary Summons and Special Summons Registers which record all verdicts, orders and judgements of the Court, as well as a Register of Judgments for 1888-1995.
- County Court Ordinary Summons Register, Melbourne, 1988 (VPRS 12566 C1)
- County Court Special Summons Register, Melbourne, 1988 (VPRS 12567 C1)
- County Court Register of Judgements, 1988-1995 (VPRS 3159 C1)
Supreme Court
More than seventy commercial and common civil law case records have been added to our collection from the Supreme Court. These files include commercial disputes between parties, liquidations, closing of companies, as well as building and engineering disputes. Many of the proceedings relate to failure to pay debts or non-performance of contract.
Darebin City Council
From Darebin City Council we have received ten card and volume registers of building permits, as well as 139 commercial building maps and plans, from their two predecessor councils, City of Northcote and City of Preston.
The large folded commercial building plans include associated permits and correspondence related to building plans in the area. The plans pictured, are from Rosmear Engineering for 726 Heidelberg Road.
- Building Permit Registers (Preston), 1927-1986 (VPRS 22044 C1)
- Building Permit Registers (Northcote), 1966-1991 (VPRS 22045 C1)
- Commercial Building Plans, Permits and Modification Correspondence (Preston), 1963-1994 (VPRS 22046 C1)
Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, Omeo and Cassilis Courts
Records of Omeo and Cassilis Courts, including records from Omeo Historical Society previously stored at the old courthouse, have now been transferred to PROV’s collection. Records range from registers of applications for mining leases of the 1920s through to a maintenance register and court of petty sessions registers of the late 1800s and early 1900s.
A Court of Petty Sessions Register for Cassilis Court is pictured above with a smaller size volume Register of Mining Leases.
The earliest mining lease entry is for Edward Donald and James S Forth who applied for 10 acres in Long Gully (later named Cassilis) in 1888. Long Gully’s goldfield rush was rejuvenated with the discovery of quartz reefs in 1885.
An early entry of the Petty Sessions Register shows the Swifts Creek Butter Factory as a complainant against a H.W. Cusack who is “indebted to the complainant in the sum of £8:8:8 for goods and chattels sold and delivered.” On the next page, a Charles C. Rogers is on summons as:
“the Defendant on or about the first day of September 1909 at S(?) West not being the holder of a licence as a gold buyer did buy gold from persons calling themselves Frank Pearson and Edward Bray contrary to the provisions of the Gold Buyers Act 1907.”
This register provides an incredible insight into the goings on in the region at the time.
Order these records and others from Omeo and Cassilis below, and view at the North Melbourne reading room.
- Register of Applications for Mining Leases, 1923-24 (VPRS 22435 C1)
- Licensing Court Register, 1900-1908 (VPRS 22436 C1)
- Register of Mining Leases, 1888-1889 (VPRS 22437 C1)
- Register of Leases and Licenses, 1892-1913 (VPRS 22438 C1)
- Court of Petty Sessions Registers Omeo, 1890-1952 (VPRS 22439 C1)
- Court of Petty Sessions Registers Cassilis, 1904-1915 (VPRS 22440 C1)
- Maintenance Register, Neglected Children’s Act, 1908-1911 (VPRS 22513 C1)
Pyrenees Shire Council
Council minutes dating back to 1965 from Pyrenees Shire Council, of central west Victoria, have also recently been added to our collection.
Nillumbik Shire Council
The Nillumbik Shire Council has transferred Eltham rate records and voters rolls. The rate record is a record of the levying and payment of rates on rateable properties with the region. The Eltham voters rolls date back to 1969 and include information such as the number on the roll, name of the voter, residence, whether they are an owner or occupier, description of the property (eg. hse for house or ld for land), yearly value of the property, unimproved capital value and number of votes entitled.
Both valuable records for family researchers.
Order and view these records in the reading room.
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
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