Record series
Divorce Case Files, Geelong
VPRS 19542
1936 - 1975
Closed, Open
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
Supreme Court of Victoria ( VA2549 ): 1936 - 1975
Geelong Courts ( VA2775 ): 1936 - 1975
Agencies responsible for this record series: Supreme Court of Victoria ( VA 2549 ): 1936 - present
Date Range
Series date range: 1936 - 1975
Series in custody:
1936 - 1975
Contents in custody:
1936 - 1975
Function / Content
This series comprises case files of divorce proceedings heard at the Supreme Court of Victoria in Horsham.The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act 1861 (Vic) conferred upon the Supreme Court of Victoria the jurisdiction in matrimonial matters, and authority in certain cases to decree the dissolution of a marriage. This continued to be the case for all divorce petitions until the proclamation of the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975.
Case files mostly comprise of documents from the pre-hearing process and can vary in documentation included. Divorce cases can include the following documents:
- Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
- Affidavit for Petitioner verifying the Petition
- Praecipe for Citation
- Appearance on behalf of the Respondent
- Praecipe for Search
- Affidavit of Service for Citation
- Respondents Answer
- Affidavits verifying Answers
- Copy of Proceedings
- Praecipe to set cause down for hearing
- Notices to Produce
- Decree Nisi
- Costs of Petitioner
- Search for Decree Absolute
How to use the records
Cases can be searched or browsed by surname and year.Cases dated between 1956 and 1975 can also be identified by referring to VPRS 19131 Index to Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Book and Divorce Proceeding Book, Geelong as well as VPRS 19130 Divorce Proceedings Books, Geelong (1961 onwards).
