Australia Church Records: Difference between revisions

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''[[Australia|Australia]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Australia Church Records|Church Records]]''  
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|Topic Type=Records
|Records=Church Records
|Rating=Standardized
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| link1=[[Australia Genealogy|Australia]]
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| link5=[[Australia Church Records|Church Records]]
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''For information about records for non-Christian religions in Australia, go to the [[Australia Religious Records|Religious Records]] page.''
==Online Records==
*'''1788-1922''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1778/ Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922], index - at Ancestry ($)
*'''1792-1981''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9776/ Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981], index - at Ancestry ($). Also at [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/australia-births-and-baptisms-1792-1981 Findmypast] ($). Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30217/australia-births-baptisms-1792-1981 My Heritage] ($)
*'''1788-1950''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1780/ Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950], index - at Ancestry ($)
*'''1788-1935''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/australia-marriages-1788-1935 Australia, Marriages, 1788-1935], index - at Findmypast ($)
*'''1810-1980''' [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30219/australia-marriages-1810-1980 Australia, Marriages, 1810-1980], index - at MyHeritage ($)
*'''1787-1985''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1779/ Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985], index - at Ancestry ($)
*'''1816-1980''' [https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/australia-deaths-and-burials-1816-1980 Australia Deaths & Burials, 1816-1980], index - at Findmypast ($). Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30218/australia-deaths-burials-1816-1980  My Heritage] ($)
*'''1850-1966''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62861/ Australia, Australian Lutheran Publications, 1850-1966] at Ancestry — index & images ($)
*[[Australia Civil Registration|'''Australia Civil Registration''']] - links to indexes of church records included in civil registration
*{{FSC|117600|item|disp='''Thomas Davies Mutch card indexes online'''}}


==Finding Church Records==
Church records were kept locally. You must know your ancestor’s religion and the town where he or she lived. You must also determine the parish of your ancestor’s town so that you will know which registers to search. For information on finding a parish, go to [[Australia Gazetteers]]. [[Australia Church Directories]] also gives information about finding a parish.
*Original parish registers usually are located in one of five places:
:*still at the local church
:*the diocesan record office
:*church archives
:*state archives
:*a library<br>
*Church records were created locally. Many of them remain with the local churches.
*It helps if you know your ancestor’s religion and the town where he or she lived. Also, larger towns can have more than one parish.
*The following book, found in the FamilySearch Library, lists the various denominations by town and indicates where the records are held:  {{FSC|530974|item|disp='''Parish Registers in Australia: A list of all known originals, transcripts, microforms &amp; indexes of Australian Parish Registers'''}}


===Copies of Church Records in Civil Registration===
There are books available that will help you locate church records. The following book lists the various denominations by town and indicates where the records are held:
*[[Australia Civil Registration|'''Australia Civil Registration''']] - links to indexes of church records included in civil registration<br>
 
Prior to the start of civil registration, the government required most churches to send copies (called "Clergy Returns") of their birth, marriage, and death records to the Registrar of the Supreme Court. The dates of these records are as follows:  
Vine Hall, Nick. ''Parish Registers in Australia&nbsp;: A list of all known originals, transcripts, microforms &amp; indexes of Australian Parish Registers.'' Middle Park, Victoria, Australia: North Vine Hall, 1989. (Family History Library Call Number [http://webview/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=433610&disp=Parish+registers+in+Australia&columns=*,180,0 994 K23vh].)
 
'''Records at the Family History Library'''. The Family History Library has some Australian church records on microfilm and microfiche. They are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:
 
AUSTRALIA - CHURCH RECORDS
 
AUSTRALIA - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS
 
AUSTRALIA, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS
 
AUSTRALIA, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS
 
AUSTRALIA, [STATE], [TOWN] - CHURCH RECORDS
 
'''Records Not at the Family History Library'''. Copies of church records for the various states for the pre-civil registration time period were given to each state’s registrar general and are often kept in the state archives. The dates of these records are as follows:  


*New South Wales 1788–1856  
*New South Wales 1788–1856  
Line 50: Line 30:
*Australian Capital Territory See New South Wales
*Australian Capital Territory See New South Wales


===Thomas Davies Mutch Card Indexes===
After civil registration began, many church records were kept in local custody. Others are found in state repositories and church archives. For the address of a given church, see [[Australia_Church_Records|Australia Church Records / Directories]]. The following is a good directory to use in locating church archives:  
*{{FSC|117600|item|disp='''Thomas Davies Mutch card indexes online'''}}<br>
The Thomas Davies Mutch Card Index is a genealogical card index of births, deaths and marriages, 1787-ca. 1957. The index is divided into two time periods, 1787-1814 and 1815-1957. The card index for 1787-1814 covers St. Philip's, Sydney; St. John's, Parramatta and St. Matthew's, Windsor church registers. The period 1815-1957 covers all Church of England registers to 1828 which were indexed from the Kerrison James index. From 1828 indexing is less complete but includes St. Mary's Roman Catholic records and Presbyterian Church records.
===Writing for Records===
Originals of parish records may still be held at the local church. <br>See the [[Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy|Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy]] for help in composing a letter requesting information from a local church.<br>
Address directories for major religious groups are listed here. Baptist, Pentecostal, and Reformed churches have multiple umbrella organizations. For those, use Google.
*[https://www.anglicandirectoryaustralia.com.au/parish/ Anglican Directory Australia Parishes]
*[http://www.catholicdirectory.com.au/findachurch/findChurch.php Catholic Find A Church, Australia]
*[https://www.churches-of-christ.net/world/australia.html Churches of Christ in Australia]
*[https://greekorthodox.org.au/churches/ Greek Orthodox Churches in Australia]
*[https://apps.jw.org/ui/E/meeting-search.html#/weekly-meetings Jehovah's Witnesses Find a Meeting in Australia]
*[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/maps/meetinghouses/@-36.673071,114.464831,5&ll=-41.016711,172.864487&z=5&m=google.road&layers=meetinghouse,temple&find=%7Bn:'New+Zealand',ll:'-40.900557,174.885971'%7D&id=::::Australia:-54.833766,110.951034,-9.187026,159.287222 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Find a Ward]
*[https://www.lca.org.au/find-a/find-a-church/ Find a Lutheran Church Australia]
*[https://www.oca.org/files/PDF/DOC-PUB/SB/2006/06.13oca-australian.parishes.pdf OCA Orthodox Church Parishes in Australia]
*[http://www.rocor.org.au/?page_id=2 Russian Orthodox Church Directory of Parishes and Monasteries in Australia]
*[https://preskey.org.au/ PresKey OnLine Directory, Find a Presbyterian Church in Australia]
*[https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/locations/type/ch/ Salvation Army Churches in Australia]
*[https://www.adventistdirectory.org/SearchResults.aspx?CtryCode=AU&EntityType=C Seventh-day Adventist Congregations in Australia]
*[https://nswact.uca.org.au/find-a-church/ Uniting Church Congregations of Australia (Congregational)]
==Diocese Maps==
===Anglican Dioceses===
[[File:Anglican diocese of Australia.png|1000px]]


===Catholic Dioceses===
*Ansell, L. J. ''Register of Church Archives in Australia''. Church Archivists Society. [Australia]: Downs Printing Company, Pty. Limited, Toowoomba, Australia. 1982. (Family History Library Call Number [http://webview/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=288960&disp=Register+of+church+archives&columns=*,180,0 994 K23r].)
[[File:Catholic Dioceses of Australia.svg.png|750px]]


== Information Recorded in the Records ==
For information on state repositories, see [[Australia Archives and Libraries]].  
The information recorded in church or parish registers varies somewhat from religion to religion, and later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones. Most church registers for the Anglican, Catholic, and Presbyterian denominations provide the following information:


=== Baptisms ===
=== Indexes to Church Records ===


*Birth and baptism dates
There are two excellent indexes to church records. The ''Thomas D. Mutch Index'' (called [http://webview/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=117600&disp=Thomas+Davies+Mutch+card+indexes&columns=*,180,0 ''The Mutch Index'']) is a card index of birth, marriage, and death entries compiled from parish registers. Though it covers later time periods, it is most effective for the pre-1830 time frame. The ''Kerrison James Index'' covers pre-1830 christenings, marriages, and burials copied from English church records.
*Place of baptism
*Christian name of the child
*Christian and surname of the father
*Christian name of the mother (some include maiden surname)
*Parents’ abode
*Occupation of the father
*Name of the officiating minister


Children were generally baptized within a few days of birth. If a child died soon after birth, death information was sometimes added as a note.  
For several years, various states have worked to produce ''Pioneer Indexes'', which include some parish registers in addition to civil registration records. To learn more about these indexes, see [[Australia Civil Registration- Vital Records|Australia Civil Registration]].  


=== Marriages  ===
To find indexes that are available at the Family History Library, look in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:


*Date and place of marriage
[http://webview/supermainframeset.asp?display=topicdetails&subject=354290&subject_disp=Australia+-+Church+records+-+Indexes&columns=*,180,0 AUSTRALIA - CHURCH RECORDS - INDEXES]
*Full names of the bride and groom
*Parish of residence of the bride and groom
*Marital status of the bride and groom prior to this marriage
*Married by banns or license
*In the case of a minor, whether with consent of parents
*Name of the officiating minister
*Signatures or marks of the bride and groom
*Signatures or marks of witnesses


Marriage registers may also include other information about the bride and groom such as their ages, occupations, and names of parents. In cases of second and later marriages for a woman, they may include her former married names along with her maiden name.
AUSTRALIA, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS - INDEXES


Marriage registers sometimes include the published banns. These were announcements of intent to marry which were made for two or three Sundays prior to the marriage, and gave an opportunity for anyone to come forward who knew of any reason why the couple should not be married.
{{Template:Pros-AU}}
 
=== Burials  ===
 
*Dates of death and burial
*Place of burial
*Name of the deceased
*Place of abode at time of death
*Age of the deceased
*Occupation of the deceased
*Name of the officiating minister


Occasionally parents' names, cause of death, and even the date and place of birth are given for the deceased. Burials were recorded in the records of the church where the person was buried. The burial usually took place within a few days of death. Burial records exist for individuals for whom no birth or marriage record exists. In addition, stillbirths may have been recorded in a burial register when no baptism occurred.
{{Place|Australia}}  
 
{{Template:Pros-AU}}  


[[Category:Australia]] [[Category:Church_Records_by_Country]]
[[Category:Australia]]
[[Category:Church Records in Australia]]]]

Revision as of 15:22, 26 September 2012

Australia Gotoarrow.png Church Records

Church records were kept locally. You must know your ancestor’s religion and the town where he or she lived. You must also determine the parish of your ancestor’s town so that you will know which registers to search. For information on finding a parish, go to Australia Gazetteers. Australia Church Directories also gives information about finding a parish.

There are books available that will help you locate church records. The following book lists the various denominations by town and indicates where the records are held:

Vine Hall, Nick. Parish Registers in Australia : A list of all known originals, transcripts, microforms & indexes of Australian Parish Registers. Middle Park, Victoria, Australia: North Vine Hall, 1989. (Family History Library Call Number 994 K23vh.)

Records at the Family History Library. The Family History Library has some Australian church records on microfilm and microfiche. They are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

AUSTRALIA - CHURCH RECORDS

AUSTRALIA - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

AUSTRALIA, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS

AUSTRALIA, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

AUSTRALIA, [STATE], [TOWN] - CHURCH RECORDS

Records Not at the Family History Library. Copies of church records for the various states for the pre-civil registration time period were given to each state’s registrar general and are often kept in the state archives. The dates of these records are as follows:

  • New South Wales 1788–1856
  • Tasmania 1803–1838
  • Queensland 1829–1856
  • Western Australia 1829–1856
  • South Australia 1836–1842
  • Victoria 1837–1858
  • Northern Territory See New South Wales and South Australia
  • Australian Capital Territory See New South Wales

After civil registration began, many church records were kept in local custody. Others are found in state repositories and church archives. For the address of a given church, see Australia Church Records / Directories. The following is a good directory to use in locating church archives:

  • Ansell, L. J. Register of Church Archives in Australia. Church Archivists Society. [Australia]: Downs Printing Company, Pty. Limited, Toowoomba, Australia. 1982. (Family History Library Call Number 994 K23r.)

For information on state repositories, see Australia Archives and Libraries.

Indexes to Church Records[edit | edit source]

There are two excellent indexes to church records. The Thomas D. Mutch Index (called The Mutch Index) is a card index of birth, marriage, and death entries compiled from parish registers. Though it covers later time periods, it is most effective for the pre-1830 time frame. The Kerrison James Index covers pre-1830 christenings, marriages, and burials copied from English church records.

For several years, various states have worked to produce Pioneer Indexes, which include some parish registers in addition to civil registration records. To learn more about these indexes, see Australia Civil Registration.

To find indexes that are available at the Family History Library, look in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

AUSTRALIA - CHURCH RECORDS - INDEXES

AUSTRALIA, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS - INDEXES


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