Record series
Divorce and Matrimonial Court Minute Books
VPRS 5336
1861 - 1975
Open
North Melbourne
Agencies
This record series was created by:
Supreme Court of Victoria ( VA2549 ): 1861 - 1975
Agencies responsible for this record series: Supreme Court of Victoria ( VA 2549 ): 1861 - present
Date Range
Series date range: 1861 - 1975
Series in custody:
1866 - 1888
Contents in custody:
1866 - 1888
Function / Content
Until 1861 in Victoria, divorce was a matter for the ecclesiastical courts as it was in England until 1857 1858. The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act 1861 conferred upon the Supreme Court of Victoria the jurisdiction in matters matrimonial and authority in certain cases to decree the dissolution of the marriage. This continued to be the case until the passing of the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975.This series provides a record of the Court hearing in applications in the divorce and matrimonial causes jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. For each sitting of the Court, details are given of the date, the name of the presiding judge, the names of the parties to the case and of their attorneys, a summary of the evidence in the form of witness lists or lists of exhibits or other documents presented and the decision of the Court in the matter.
How to use the records
Consult the Records Description List for the unit containing the date range for which information is required. For details of the hearing in a specific case consult the alphabetical index of cases.
Recordkeeping system
Entries are chronological by the date of the hearing. An alphabetical index with the names of the parties, indexed to the name of the petitioner, gives the page upon which entries pertaining to that case appear.
