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Author: Public Record Office Victoria

You may be surprised to learn that the Ballarat Archives Centre collection spans records from Karkarook in the far northwest of the state; Horsham in the Wimmera area; Ararat and Stawell in the Grampians area; and all the way to Daylesford, Trentham and Bacchus Marsh in the Central Highlands.

And the collection continues to grow!

Here are some of the newly released records now accessible for researchers to order and view in the Ballarat Archives Centre Reading Room.

Local Government Records
Rate books, council minutes, correspondence files and letter books are among the municipal records that can be found at Ballarat Archives Centre. They provide a wonderful source for family and property research. Rate books typically contain details such as name, address, occupation of occupier and/or owner, property valuations and brief descriptions of properties. Council minutes record the operations and decisions made by council concerning a municipality that can provide valuable information about its communities, residents and workplaces. Correspondence files and letter books can give insightful information on a huge range of local subjects, from both within and outside a particular municipality.

Series Number

Series Title

Agency

Units available

Date Range

VPRS 7303/P1
VPRS 7303/P2

Voter's Rolls

VA 478 Ballaarat (Municipal District 1855-1863; Borough 1863-1870; City 1870-1994)

P1 units 1-25
P2 units 1-5

1875-1916

VPRS 8118/P3

Outward Letter Books

VA 478 Ballaarat (Municipal District 1855-1863; Borough 1863-1870; City 1870-1994)

P3 units 1-2

1856-1861

VPRS 17279/P1

Correspondence and Reports Presented to Council Meetings

VA 536 Avoca II (Road District 1861-1864; United Road District 1864; Shire 1864-1994)

Units 1-9

1912-1952

VPRS 17277/P1

Committee Minutes

VA 658 Creswick II (Road District 1859-1863; Shire 1863-1995)

Units 1-4

1979-1994

VPRS 3797/P4

Engineer's Report Books

VA 658 Creswick II (Road District 1859-1863; Shire 1863-1995)

Unit 1

1904-1919

VPRS 8117/P1

Outward Letter Books

VA 706 Ballaarat East (Municipal District 1857-1863; Borough 1863-1870; Town 1872-1921)

Units 1-16

1860-1921

VPRS 2545/P3
VPRS 2545/P4

Council Minutes

VA 742 Sebastopol (Borough 1864-1994)

P3 units 1-153
P4 unit 1

1975-1994            

VPRS 13356

Rough Council Minutes

VA 742 Sebastopol (Borough 1864-1994)

Units 1-6

1932-1968

VPRS 13492/P2

Council Minutes

VA 2380 Ballarat I (Road District 1856-1863; Shire 1863-1994)

Units 1-2

1860-1863

VPRS 17071/P1

Minute Books

VA 2399 Buninyong I (Road District 1858-1864; Shire 1864-1994)

Units 1-31

1858-1994

VPRS 17072/P1

Committee Minutes

VA 2399 Buninyong I (Road District 1858-1864; Shire 1864-1994)

Units 1-41

1980-1993

VPRS 17563/P1

Council Meeting Minutes

VA 2400 Camperdown (Borough 1952-1959; Town 1959-1994

Units 1-15

1953-1988

VPRS 7221/P1

General Ledgers

VA 2436 Grenville (Shire 1864-1994)

Units 1-6

1891-1941

VPRS 17070/P1

Engineer's Report Books

VA 2457 Lexton (Road District 1860-1864; Shire 1864-1994)

Units 1-2

1915-1932

VPRS 11153/P1
VPRS 11153/P2

Rate Books

VA 2465 Maryborough (Municipal District 1857-1863; Borough 1863-1961; City 1961-1995)

P1 units 1-66
P2 units 1-4

1857-1940

VPRS 17280/P1

Beaufort Commons' Ledger

VA 2496 Ripon (Shire 1863-1994)

Unit 1

1866-1977

VPRS 12323/P2

General Correspondence Subject Files

VA 2496 Ripon (Shire 1863-1994)

Units 1-5

1957-1985

VPRS 6914/P1

Minute Books

VA 2670 Brown's and Scarsdale (Municipal District 1862- 1863; Borough 1863-1915)

Units 1-6

1862-1915

VPRS 7011/P1

Minute Books

VA 2686 Heathcote I (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1892)

Units 1-5

1861-1892

VPRS 16966/P4

Council Agenda

VA 3734 Horsham 111 (Rural City 1995-ct

Units 1-2

2012-2012

VPRS 16967

Council Minutes

VA 3734 Horsham 111 (Rural City 1995-ct

Unit 1

2012-2012

VPRS 17118/P1

General Ledgers

VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966)

Units 1-4

1869-1966

VPRS 17117/P1

Country Roads Board Ledgers

VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966)

Units 1-2

1916-1962

VPRS 17573/P1

Contract Register

VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966)

Unit 1

1933-1936

VPRS 17317/P1

Voter's Rolls

VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966)

Units 1-2

1868-1940

VPRS 17116/P1

Balance Books

VA 4711 Glenlyon (Road District 1860-1865; Shire 1865-1966)
VA 2414 Daylesford and Glenlyon (Shire 1966-1995)

Units 1-2

1937-1969

VPRS 17278/P1

Minute Books

VA 4712 Mount Franklin (Shire 1871-1915)

Units 1-2

1888-1915

 

Court Records
Ballarat Archives Centre holds court records from many localities in the western district of Victoria. Those records on open access can be ordered and viewed by researchers in the Ballarat Archives Centre Reading Room.

Series Number

Series Title

Agency

Units Available

Date Range

VPRS 3113/P1

Mining Warden's Register

VA 479 Daylesford Courts 1866-1948

Unit 1

1866-1948

 

VPRS 5459/P1

Court of Petty Sessions Cause List Books (1868-1888): Court of Petty Sessions Registers (1888-1951)

VA 553 Clunes Courts 1868-1968

Unit 1

1951-1968

VPRS 17027/P1

Mining Warden's Register

VA 527 Blackwood Courts 1871-1911

Unit 1

1871-1911

VPRS 5656/P1

Court of Petty Sessions Police/Arrest Registers

VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1935-1960

Units 1-4

1935-1940

VPRS 5658/P1

Court of Petty Sessions Default Registers

VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1930-1955

Units 1-7

1930-1939

VPRS 6435/P1

Special Complaints Registers

VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1940-1966

Units 1-2

1929-1940

VPRS 17026/P1

Court of Petty Sessions Gold Buyers Register

VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1908-1936

Unit 1

1908-1936

VPRS 3899/P1

Court of Petty Sessions Indexes to Convictions

VA 687 Avoca Courts 1890-1963

Unit 1

1932-1963

VPRS 17024/P1

Licensing Court Registers

VA 728 Gordon Courts 1899-1932

Units 1-13

1899-1932

VPRS 17308/P1

Court of Petty Sessions Indexes to Convictions

VA 728 Gordon Courts 1899-1933

Unit 1

1907-1923

VPRS 1362/P1

County Court Registers

VA 730 Smythesdale Courts 1862-1869

Unit 1

1862-1869

VPRS 10585/P0

Children’s Court Registers

VA 731 Linton Courts 1908-1915

Unit 1

1908-1915

VPRS 10752/P0

Children’s Court Registers

VA 741 Elmhurst Courts 1914-1915

Unit 1

1914-1915

VPRS 17307/P1

Court of Petty Sessions Indexes to Convictions

VA 745 Ballarat East Courts 1888-1921

Units 1-5

1888-1921

VPRS 5025

Children’s Court Registers

VA 917 Stawell Courts 1907-1954

Unit 1

1907-1915

VPRS 17073/P1

Court Of Petty Sessions Special Complaints Register

VA 2292 Birchip Courts 1893-1982

Unit 1

1929-1980

 

Land Records
We hold a comprehensive range of records that document the administration and occupation of Crown land in Victoria some of which are held at the Ballarat Archives Centre.

Series Number

Series Title

Agency

Units Available

Date Range

VPRS 7009/R1

Application Book, Survey Office Heathcote

VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey 1881-1885

Unit 1

1881-1885

VPRS 17025/P1

Register of Lessees, Stawell, Section 19 Land Act 1869

VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey 1879-1891

Unit 1

1879-1891

VPRS 13669/P2

Register of Deeds, Creswick

VA 865 Department of the Treasurer (also known as Treasury and Treasurer's Office) 1859-1900

Unit 1

1859-1871

 

Mining Records
Ballarat and district is renowned for its gold mining activity since the early 1850s. Ballarat Archives Centre has many mining records relating to Ballarat and its surrounds for researchers to explore.

Series Number

Series Title

Agency

Units Available

Date Range

VPRS 10653

Mining Warden's Register of Applications for Mining Leases, Avoca Mining Division

VA 3803 Maryborough Mining District 1901-1916

Units 1-2

1901-1916

 

Water Records
Some water records are not unlike municipal records in that they record water usage by people residing in various places. This could be a valuable way of finding people where there may not be access to rate records or any other source of information available.

Series Number

Series Title

Agency

Units Available

Date Range

VPRS 7272/R2

Rates Cash Books

VA 2098 Heathcote Waterworks Trust 1908-1953; VA 3996 Coliban Region Water Authority 1992-

Units 1-2

1908-1953

VPRS 5633/P0

Consumer's Ledgers

VA 1018 Ballarat Water Commissioners (previously known as The Ballarat and Ballarat East Water Commissioners 1872-1880)

Units 1-99

1922-1946

 

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