What’s new in 2024: September

Records recently added to the PROV collection include non-issued probate applications and registers, Children’s Court registers, mining tenement files, Urban Land Council and Urban Land Authority board minutes, and Executive Council records. 

Supreme Court - Non-Issued Probate Application Files and Registers

Probate application files contain the various documents required to be lodged with the Registrar of Probate prior to the making of a grant of probate or letters of administration. Files which did not result in a grant of probate are "non-issued". These files may contain affidavits, inventory of estate, publication notice, praecipe and sometimes a will.

In what will be great news for family researchers who regularly delve into non-issued probate records in our collection, the Supreme Court has just transferred to PROV the last of their hard-copy non-issue probate application files (dated 1988 to 2009) and the associated registers which will make identifying files from this series much easier. 

Applications could be non-issued for several reasons, such as the executor dying during the application process, another will being found, or incomplete or incorrect documentation. 

In more good news for researchers, the associated registers date back to 1909 allowing researchers to more easily identify files from the first two consignments of the series for the very first time.

These records can be ordered for viewing in our reading room.
 

Supreme Court – Carlton Children’s Court Registers

A single volume, Children’s Court Register, from the Supreme Court of Victoria, Carlton Courts, dated 1917-1918 has been added to our collection. The Children's Court Register records the case number, the name of the informant or applicant, the name of the accused or defendant, how the defendant was brought to court (arrest warrant or summons), the court fees due, the nature of the information, charge or application, the court's decision and order and any remarks. The payment of fines or fees is often recorded in the remarks column.

Examples to be found within the volume are theft (eg. “did steal money of Fanny Green” and “did steal 2 bottles of lemonade and bottles of hop beer”), behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, and neglected child (eg. found “sleeping out”). Sometimes the child’s age is included, with ages as young as 2 deemed neglected.   

The 1917-1918 volume can be ordered through VPRS 12610/C1 for viewing in our reading room. 

Geological Survey of Victoria – Mining Tenement Files

The 46 boxes, containing 672 individual items, recently transferred into PROV’s collection from Geological Survey of Victoria contain documents that relate to legislative management of mining tenements in Victoria from 1976 to 2019. The tenements are predominantly exploration licences, but also include many mining licences and leases, development leases, search licences and prospecting area licences.

An exploration licence authorises exploration for Crown-owned minerals on or under Crown land. Records in this series reflect the statutory reporting requirements of tenement holders. Some files include detailing drawings and maps of the area such as this one below. 

The records are in VPRS 19163/C2 ready to order and view in our reading room. These new records complement existing mining tenement files in PROV’s collection that are contained in VPRS 19163/C1.

Development Victoria - Urban Land Council and Urban Land Authority Board Minutes

More than 250 records from the Board Minutes of the Urban Land Council and Urban Land Authority, two predecessor agencies of Development Victoria that were tasked with development of Government land for affordable housing, have been added to our collection. 

Discussed in the meetings were project progress reports, legal advice, potential land acquisition, potential housing projects, property sales, urban development and housing affordability policy and legislative changes, as well as relationships between other State and Federal agencies, private contractors, and companies.

See list of records below, available to order for viewing in our reading room. 

Executive Council Records

This transfer consists of 215 items from the Executive Council, some older series that are no longer being created, and some continuing series including minute books, oaths books and registers of letters patent.

The register of letters patent contains original letters patent to various individuals appointed roles of government by the Crown. The patent takes the form of a single printed document addressed to the recipient setting out their particular commission. It is signed by the Governor and a Government representative, usually the Premier, Attorney-General or Chief Secretary. The first in the series, on page one of volume one, is addressed to Gilbert Lawrence Chandler, assigning him the roles of Minister of Agriculture and Vice-President of the Board of Land and Works. The document is signed by Premier Bolte.  

Refer to the list below to order and view the records from the Executive Council.