Australia Probate Records

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Australia

Probate Records

Online Records

• 1832-1989: Probate records of Western Australia, 1832-1989(*) at FamilySearch Catalog; images
• 1841-1926: Australia, Victoria, Wills, Probate and Administration Files, 1841-1926 at FamilySearch; index & images
• 1841-2009: Victoria, Australia, Wills and Probate Records, 1841-2009 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1844-1916: Australia, South Australia, Will and Probate Records at FamilySearch; index
• 1911-1994: Northern Territory, Australia, Probate Index, 1911-1994 at Ancestry - index ($)
• 1948-1992: Alphabetized index cards of probates, wills, grants, etc., 1948-1992(*) at FamilySearch Catalog; images
• Western Australia Blue Books at Findmypast - index & images ($)

New South Wales

• 1787-1976 New South Wales, Australia, Miscellaneous Records, 1787-1976 at Ancestry, contains some probate records, images ($)
• 1790-1875 Probate Records - Supplementary Index, 1790 to 1875 at New South Wales Archives, index. This index is for supplementary (early) probate records that are not part of the main probate series. It records the name, date, item number and page number.
• 1790-1814 Probate papers 1790-1814, New South Wales Supreme Court at FamilySearch, images.
• 1800-1931 Registers of copy wills in New South Wales, 1800-1931 at FamilySearch, images.
• 1821-1937 New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937 at Ancestry, index, browse, and images ($).
• 1834-1958 Office copy of wills. New South Wales. Registrar-General. 1834-1958 at FamilySearch, images of index. Contains an index to the Registrar General's Office list of wills for 1834-1958. Each volume has an A-Z listing.
• 1859-1958 New South Wales, Australia, Index to Deceased Estate Files, 1859-1958 at Ancestry, index, browse, and images ($).
• 1880-1939 Australia, New South Wales Deceased Estates Index, 1880-1939 at MyHeritage, index only ($)
• 1880-1958 Card index to deceased estate files (probate), 1880-1958 at FamilySearch, images of index.

Queensland

• Queensland Intestacies & Wills at Findmypast, Index ($)
• 1857-1940 Wills 1857-1940, index.
• 1857-1940 Queensland Wills Index 1857-1940 at Findmypast, Index ($)
• 1859-1900 Queensland Intestacies, Insolvencies & Wills, 1859 - 1900 at MyHeritage Index ($)
• 1889-1929 Queensland, Trustee Files 1889-1929 at Findmypast, Index ($)
• 1896-1916 Queensland Intestacy Returns Index 1896-1916 at Findmypast, Index ($)

South Australia

• Australia, South Australia, Will and Probate Records at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
• 1840 to 2018 South Australian Public Trustees/Deceased Estates, 1840 to 2018 in Genealogy SA Online Database Search.
• 1844-1891 Index to GRS 1334/1 - Probate files (wills), 1844-1891 State Archives
• 1844-1890 Australia, South Australia, Probate and administration books, numerical series, 1844-1890 at FamilySearch, index and images.
• 1875-1935 Australia, South Australia, Succession duty "Old Act and "New Act" files, 1875-1935 at FamilySearch, images.
• 1875-1892 GRG84/9 - Index to succession duty 'Old Act' files, 1875 - 1892 A - Z, arranged alphabetically by surname State Archives
• 1892-1916 Australia, South Australia, probate and administration books, 1892-1916 at FamilySearch, index and images.
• 1893-1927 GRG84/9 - Index to succession duty 'New Act' files, 1893 - 1927 A - Z, arranged alphabetically by surname State Archives

Tasmania

• Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office, indexed and digitized probate records
• 1824-1990 Wills (1824-1990) at Libraries Tasmania, index and images. Wills and letters of administration of estates registered for probate.
• 1824-1989 Tasmania Wills & Letters Of Administration 1824-1989 at Findmypast, Index ($)
• 1833-1871 Citations and bonds for the granting of letters of administration 1833-1871 at FamilySearch, images.

Victoria

• Victoria Wills & Probate at Findmypast - index ($)
• 1841-2016 Wills and Probates PRO Victoria, index and images.
• 1841-2009 Victoria, Australia, Wills and Probate Records, 1841-2009 at Ancestry, index & images ($)
• 1841-1926 Australia, Victoria, Wills, Probate and Administration Files, 1841-1926 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1841-1989 Australia, Victoria, Index to Probate Registers, 1841-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1850–2009 Australia, Victoria, Will and Probate Index 1850-2009 at MyHeritage, index ($)
• 1840-1925 Australia, Victoria, Inquest Deposition Files, 1840-1925 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1853-1959 Index to probate applications, 1853-1959, Victoria. Probate Office at FamilySearch, images of index.

Western Australia

• 1832-1989 Probate records of Western Australia, 1832-1989 at FamilySearch - images
• 1948-1992 Alphabetized index cards of probates, wills, grants, etc., 1948-1992 at FamilySearch - images

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Probate records are court records that describe the distribution of an individual’s estate after he or she dies. Information in the records may include the death date, names of heirs and guardians, relationships, residences, an inventory of the estate, and names of witnesses.

An individual who left a will is said to have died "testate." Someone who did not leave a will (or a valid will) died "intestate." The probate process is essentially the same for both and may take many years to complete.

Availability of Probate Records

Wills or probate records were kept by each state in Australia, beginning in the 1800s. If the deceased had property in another country, the will may have been probated in the other country.

The FamilySearch Library has a solid collection of probate records from Australia; however, many of them cannot be circulated to FamilySearch Centers. Probate records are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

AUSTRALIA, [STATE]- PROBATE RECORDS

Offices to Contact

New South Wales

Records begin in 1800.

Supreme Court of New South Wales
Probate Division
G.P.O. Box 3
Sydney
New South Wales 2000
AUSTRALIA
Internet: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/sc

The Archives Office of New South Wales (see the "Archives and Libraries" article for address) holds copies of some wills and some indexes.

Victoria

Records begin in 1841.

Registrar of Probates
Probate and Administration Office
471 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
AUSTRALIA
Web site: www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au

Directory Listing: http://www.archivists.org.au/directory/data/326.htm

The records prior to 2004 are also held by the Public Record Office of Victoria (see the "Archives and Libraries" article in this wiki for address). See the online guide to PROV probate records, or search the 1841-1925 index.

Explore Wills and probates.

Queensland

Three district courts—records begin as early as 1857; prior to 1859, probate was under the jurisdiction of New South Wales

The Registrar
Southern District
Supreme Court of Queensland
George Street
Brisbane
Queensland 4000
AUSTRALIA
Internet: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/Pages/Default.aspx

The Registrar
Northern District
Supreme Court of Queensland
Walker Street
Townsville
Queensland 4810
AUSTRALIA
Internet: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/Pages/Default.aspx

The Registrar
Central District
Supreme Court of Queensland
East Street
Rockhampton
Queensland 4700
AUSTRALIA
Internet: http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/Researchers/Pages/Default.aspx

The Queensland State Archives (see the "Archives and Libraries" article in this wiki for address) holds early records as well as some indexes.

South Australia

Records begin in 1832.

Probate Registry
1 Gouger St.
Adelaide
South Australia 5000
Australia
Phone: +61 8 8204 2444
Email: nquiry@courts.sa.gov.au

Tasmania

Records begin in 1824.

Probate Registry
Supreme Court of Tasmania
Salamanca Place
Hobart
Tasmania 7000
AUSTRALIA
Internet: http://www.courts.tas.gov.au/supreme/

Australian Capital Territory

Records begin in 1911.

Registrar of Probate
Law Courts of the Australian Capital Territory
1st Floor
Knowles Place
Canberra City
Australian Capital Territory 2601
AUSTRALIA
Internet: http://www.courts.act.gov.au/

Northern Territory

Records begin in 1911.

Registrar of Probates
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Law Courts Building
Mitchell Street
Darwin
Northern Territory 0800
AUSTRALIA
Internet: http://www.nt.gov.au/ntsc/

Western Australia

Records begin in 1832.

Supreme Court Registry and Central Office

Probate Office
Level 11 David Malcolm Justice Centre
28 Barrack Street
Perth
Western Australia 6000
AUSTRALIA
Phone: (08) 9421 5333 (option 1)
Email: supremecourt.probate@justice.wa.gov.au
Website