At the end of 2013 I started researching my family tree. This page is a collection of the various sources I’ve used when researching, in the hopes that this might be useful to other people researching their family trees, particularly researchers from Australia.
In addition to the information below, you can find posts in my blog series on Family Research here. Keep up to date by subscribing on the right hand side of this page.
Australian Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages
The various state Registries of Births, Deaths and Marriages are a great starting place when researching family history. A complete listing of all the registries can be found on the Federal Government’s Births, Deaths and Marriages website.
Unfortunately, not all states are created equally and the indexes are managed by different organisations in each state. Some are administered by government bodies, while others are run by genealogy societies or libraries. As such, the amount of information available, cost of certificates and processing times can vary by state. The table below provides a summary of each state.
| State | Births | Marriages | Deaths | Cost | Processing time* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | n/a | 1930-1940 | 1930-1985 | $43 physical copy | 5 business days |
| NSW | >100 years | >50 years | >30 years | $31 digital or physical | Unknown |
| NT^ | – | – | – | $43 physical copy | 3 business days |
| QLD | 1829-1915 | 1829-1940 | 1829-1985 | $20 digital copy | 10 business days |
| SA | 1842-1928 | 1842-1937 | 1842-1972 | $22 for transcription | 1 week |
| TAS | 1803-1933 | 1803-1899 | 1803-1933 | Free digital copy | n/a |
| VIC | 1853-1914 | 1853-1942 | 1853-1988 | $24 digital copy | Unknown |
| WA | 1841-1932 | 1841-1936 | 1841-1971 | $34 physical copy | 2 business days |
| * Processing time is from receipt of request and does not include Australia Post delivery times ^ NT database cannot be searched online, but an application for a certificate can be submitted. Contact the Registrar-General’s Office to confirm if you are authorised to request a certificate. |
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So far my research hasn’t taken me to each of the states, but for those I have used in more detail I will be writing a series of blog posts summarising my experience. Follow a link below to view the individual post.