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What do I need to know?
You will need to know the name of the Royal Commission or Board of Inquiry to locate records of interest.
PROV holds many record series created by Victorian Royal Commissions, some joint Royal Commissions and Boards of Inquiry dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the present.
For records relating to Commonwealth Royal Commissions, please refer to National Archives of Australia.
Many records are available for public access. However, some records are closed from public access for a specified period. This is to prevent disclosure of private, sensitive and confidential information about persons, commercial-in-confidence matters, internal workings of the inquiry body or legal professional privilege.
How do I search?
1. Type in name of the Royal Commission and the date of interest into the search field below
2. Browse the results
About these records
PROV holds many record series created by a variety of Victorian Royal Commissions, some joint Royal Commissions, and Boards of Inquiry. The records date from the middle of the nineteenth century right through to recent times.
These are records relating to the colony or state of Victoria. Records relating to the Australian federal government, which were created by Commonwealth Royal Commissions, are held by the National Archives of Australia.
Who created these records?
Various agencies.
Next Steps
Order the records of interest and view in our Reading Room. Some records are born digital records and can be accessed directly online via our Digital Archive.
What are in these records?
Reports outlining the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission or board of inquiry.
Some record series will also provide information about the proceedings and other material used to develop the interim and final reports, such as:
- transcripts
- notes of Commissioners
- submissions
- exhibits
- research material
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
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the collection and website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.
PROV provides advice to researchers wishing to access, publish or re-use records about Aboriginal Peoples