Record series
Divorce And Matrimonial Causes Jurisdiction Court Books
VPRS 5515
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:
1890 - 1945
Contents in custody:
1890 - 1945
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 consists of the volumes listing the causes for hearing at each sitting of the Court with the name of the judge presiding and the date of the sitting. The series provides a summary of each case which was heard by the Court. Details listed are the date the cause was entered (in VPRS 5334 Divorce Cause Books), the date and order number of the trial, the names of the petitioners and respondents, the number of the action (as allocated in VPRS 5334 Divorce Cause Books), the proctors (or attorneys) for each of the participants, the day the cause was tried and the verdict including the grounds for divorce.
