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What do I need to know?

Any locations or subjects of interest, and approximate dates relating to what you are researching. These records will generally relate to major and arterial roads.

How do I search?

Enter a date range and / or a keyword into the search below.

For a more exact search try to use inverted commas on your search term, for example, "Stoney Creek".

About these records

Various Victorian government departments and agencies have been responsible for transport. The records they created as a result of this work documents a rich variety of details about Victoria's built environment, including the neighbourhoods and structures surrounding transport facilities and infrastructure.

Who created these records?

While most of the records that you will find with this search were created by government agencies associated with road transport and infrastructure, you may also find records that were created by other agencies using this search.

The main agencies that have been associated with road transport are listed below. Click on the VA number to read more about a particular agency and see a complete list of series that the agency created:

  • Central Roads Board, 1853-1858 (VA 2803)
  • Public Works Department, 1855-1987 (VA 669)
  • Department of Railways and Roads, 1871-1877 (VA 2875)
  • Department of Roads and Bridges, 1905-1934 (VA 2964)
  • Royal Commission on Metropolitan Traffic, 1910-1911 (VA 5179)
  • Country Roads Board, 1913-1983 (VA 722)
  • Transport Regulation Board, 1933-1983 (VA 2738)
  • Country Roads Board, Ballarat Division, 1948-1983 (VA 1021)
  • Department of Transport (known as Ministry of Transport 1951 to 1992), 1951-1996 (VA 673)
  • Road Safety Committee I, 1967-1982 (VA 3127)
  • Royal Commission on the Failure of a Portion of the West Gate Bridge, 1970-1971 (VA 4173)
  • Board of Inquiry into the Victorian Land Transport System, 1971-1972 (VA 5180)
  • Motor Accidents Board, 1973-1986 (VA 1055)
  • State Transport Authority, 1983-1989 (VA 1038)
  • Metropolitan Transit Authority, 1983-1989 (VA 1044)
  • Road Construction Authority, 1983-1989 (VA 1054)
  • Road Construction Authority, Ballarat Division, 1983-1989 (VA 1020)
  • Department of Industry, Technology and Resources, 1985-1990 (VA 2661)
  • Roads Corporation (also known as VicRoads), 1989-cont. (VA 2982)
  • Joint Committee on Road Safety II, 1992-2013 (VA 3130)
  • Department of Infrastructure, 1996-2008 (VA 3971)
  • Department of Transport II, 2008-2013 (VA 4853)
  • Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, 2013-2014 (VA 5003)

Next Steps

Order the records of interest and view in our Reading Room. Some records are digital records and can be accessed directly online.

What are in these records?

Because this search covers a number of agencies relating to roads and bridges in Victoria, the records you will be exploring are of diverse types and purposes. You can expect to find records that are:

  • photographs, negatives, slides and transparencies
  • plans, diagrams and drawings
  • maps and surveys
  • indexes to some of the above

There may be some digitised images relating to your search results, to see these at the top of your search results select the Digital option in the View Record filter toggle arrows on the left of the screen. You can also use these to explore only results from particular series or created by particular agencies.

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

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