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Australia Civil Registration: Difference between revisions
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===Offices to Contact=== | ===Offices to Contact=== | ||
== Locating Civil Registration Records == | |||
Birth, marriage, and death records may be obtained from the state civil registration offices or archives in Australia. | |||
Pre-civil registration records from many towns are in the various state archives and registrar general’s office. Many of these records have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library. However, for more recent records, and for those not yet microfilmed, contact the appropriate state archives. | |||
If your request is unsuccessful, search for duplicate records such as church registers. For more information on church registers, see the [[Australia Church Records|Church Records]] article. | |||
To order a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate, contact the registrar general for the state and territory where the event occurred. Click on a link to learn more. | |||
*Australian Capital Territory | |||
*New South Wales | |||
*Northern Territory | |||
*Queensland | |||
*South Australia | |||
*Tasmania | |||
*Victoria | |||
*Western Australia | |||
The following are the addresses of civil registration offices where requests may be made: | |||
:'''New South Wales'''<br>Office of the Registrar General of Births, Deaths, and Marriages<br>G.P.O. Box 30<br>Sydney<br>New South Wales 2001<br>AUSTRALIA <br>Internet: [http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/subjects/government/austhist.html#WPTOHTML11 http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/subjects/government/austhist.html] | |||
Statistics on births, marriage and deaths are published by the Registrar General as follows: | |||
*''Registration. Annual report from the Registrar General.'' 1856-1866 | |||
*''Vital statistics.'' 1867-1894 | |||
*''Annual report on vital statistics.'' 1895 | |||
*''Vital statistics'' 1896-1898 | |||
*''Statistician's report on the vital statistics on NSW.'' 1899-1900 | |||
These reports are found in section N.6 of the ''Colonial Statistics ''[http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/subjects/government/austhist.html#WPTOHTML1 Introduction] above. They can also be found in the ''Journals of the Legislative Council'' at G.NSW/J. | |||
microfiche at MIC319.4/70 described in the | |||
Fisher MIC ARCHIVES Authority of New South Wales<br>929.394 The genealogical research kit<br>8 Sydney 1984 +<br> | |||
The research kit is a microform reproduction of selected NSW colonial archives, including Register of baptisms, burials and marriages, list of convicts 1788-1823. | |||
Fisher MIC NEW South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and<br>929.394 Marriages<br>1 NSW Registry of births, deaths and marriages<br>pre 1956 to 1905.<br>Sydney: W and F Pascoe 1982-<br><br>Internet: http://www.caslon.com.au/registersnote1.htm | |||
==Historical Background== | ==Historical Background== | ||
Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages was introduced in England in 1837 but was not made compulsory until 1875.<ref>Chas. H. Wickens, "Messenger Prize Essay (1905)" (1909) 43 (1) '''Journal of the Institute of Actuaries''' PP 23-84 accessed via JStor lt; http://www.jstor.org/stable/41136529gt; accessed 15 July 2013, p. 38.</ref> As was often the case, the colonial legislators considered applying Imperial legislative innovations and began to pass their own laws establishing civil registration. However, the schemes implemented were ahead of the mother Parliament by requiring from the beginning '''compulsory''' civil registration soon after the event. The dates of commencement of civil registration in each colony/state and territory are: <ref>[http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/?a=260750 Deaths outside Tasmania] Government of Tasmanaia. LINC Tasmania, bringing together the State Library of Tasmania, Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office (TAHO), Adult Education and Online Access Centres. Accessed 15 Jul 2013.</ref> | Civil registration of births, deaths and marriages was introduced in England in 1837 but was not made compulsory until 1875.<ref>Chas. H. Wickens, "Messenger Prize Essay (1905)" (1909) 43 (1) '''Journal of the Institute of Actuaries''' PP 23-84 accessed via JStor lt; http://www.jstor.org/stable/41136529gt; accessed 15 July 2013, p. 38.</ref> As was often the case, the colonial legislators considered applying Imperial legislative innovations and began to pass their own laws establishing civil registration. However, the schemes implemented were ahead of the mother Parliament by requiring from the beginning '''compulsory''' civil registration soon after the event. The dates of commencement of civil registration in each colony/state and territory are: <ref>[http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/?a=260750 Deaths outside Tasmania] Government of Tasmanaia. LINC Tasmania, bringing together the State Library of Tasmania, Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office (TAHO), Adult Education and Online Access Centres. Accessed 15 Jul 2013.</ref> | ||
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At first, civil registration required the clergy to make copies of marriage, baptism, and burial records. These records are known as civil transcripts of church records. Because churches were involved in early civil registration, it is difficult to clearly distinguish between civil registration and church records. Later, about 1856, the responsibility for civil registration was placed in the hands of government employees independent of the church. Civil registration then required people to report all births, marriages, and deaths to a civil registrar. | At first, civil registration required the clergy to make copies of marriage, baptism, and burial records. These records are known as civil transcripts of church records. Because churches were involved in early civil registration, it is difficult to clearly distinguish between civil registration and church records. Later, about 1856, the responsibility for civil registration was placed in the hands of government employees independent of the church. Civil registration then required people to report all births, marriages, and deaths to a civil registrar. | ||
== Information Recorded in | ==Coverage and Compliance== | ||
==Information Recorded in the Records== | |||
When civil registration first began, there was no common standard of recording information, so the information listed may vary from state to state. Later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones. | When civil registration first began, there was no common standard of recording information, so the information listed may vary from state to state. Later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones. | ||
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A compilation of most of these Pioneer Indexes was produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a set of four compact discs entitled ''Australian Vital Records Index 1788–1905''. It is available for purchase, except in Australia, through the Salt Lake Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104-4233, USA and online http://www.ldscatalog.com,[http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10151&categoryId=13703&langId=-1&cg1=13669&cg2=13701&cg3=&cg4=&cg5= Vital Records Indexes]. | A compilation of most of these Pioneer Indexes was produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a set of four compact discs entitled ''Australian Vital Records Index 1788–1905''. It is available for purchase, except in Australia, through the Salt Lake Distribution Center, 1999 West 1700 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84104-4233, USA and online http://www.ldscatalog.com,[http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10151&categoryId=13703&langId=-1&cg1=13669&cg2=13701&cg3=&cg4=&cg5= Vital Records Indexes]. | ||
== Ryerson Index == | == Ryerson Index == | ||