Australia Census

Australia Wiki Topics
Beginning Research
Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder Finding Town of Origin Online Learning
Record Types
Biography Business Cemeteries Census Chinese Records Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Convict Records Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogy Heraldry Land and Property	Medical Records Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Occupations Online Records Orphans and Orphanages Periodicals Probate Records Religious Records Schools and Education Records Taxation Voting Records
Australia Background
Church Directories Church History Encyclopedias & Dictionaries Gazetteers	Historical Geography History Languages Maps Social Life & Customs
Cultural Groups
Cultural Groups Chinese Records
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers

Australia

Census

Online Census Records

New South Wales

• 1811-1825 - New South Wales, Census and Population Books, 1811-1825 at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
• 1828 Australia, New South Wales, 1828 Census at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1828 1828 Census inscribed on the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register at New South Wales Archives, images.
• 1828 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (Australian Copy) at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
• 1828 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (TNA Copy) at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
• 1828 New South Wales, 1828 Census Householders' Returns, at FindMyPast, index and images, ($).
• 1841 1841 New South Wales, Australia, Census at Ancesyy, index, browse, and images, ($).
• 1841 Australia, New South Wales, Census (fragment), 1841 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1891 Australia, New South Wales, Census, 1891 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and image
• 1891 1891 New South Wales, Australia Census at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
• 1901 1901 New South Wales, Australia Census at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).

South Australia

• 1836-1915 - South Australia Census at FindMyPast - index ($), incomplete
• 1841 1841 Census for South Australia family history research, index.

Northern Territory

• 1881-1921 Northern Territory Census at FindMyPast ($); index

History

The first country-wide census was taken in 1881. National censuses have been regularly taken by the Australian government since 1911. However, to protect individual privacy, all national censuses were destroyed after statistical information was collected. Because of this policy, census usage in Australian research is different from census research in other countries.

Contents

Typically a census is a count and description of the population. Where available, census records can provide an ancestor’s name, age, occupation and/or employer, whether free or bond, religion, ship and date of arrival, marital status, birthplace, and family member relationships. Census returns can also provide clues that lead to other records. A census may list selected people or the whole population. The percentage of people listed depends on the purpose of the census and on how careful the enumerator was.

Census Substitutes

In Australian research, other records can be used in place of census records. They are referred to as "census substitutes," and they list individuals who lived in specific places. It is rare, however, to find an entire family listed. Usually these records list only the head of household’s name, date and place of residence, occupation, age, value of property, and sometimes ship of arrival.

Records that can be used as census substitutes are:

• Population Musters

Because convicts were transported into Australia, the government found it necessary to survey the population at least annually. These surveys, known as musters, began in 1788. Information contained in the records might include an individual’s residence, status (convict, free, military), sex, name, ship of arrival, trial date, trial place, sentence, and remarks. Some early musters list children, wives, and servants.

• Electoral rolls—See Australia Voting Registers.
• Directories and almanacs—See Australia Directories.
• Emigration and immigration records—See Australia Emigration and Immigration.
• Depasturing licenses—See Australia Land and Property.
• Rate and valuation books—See Australia Taxation.
• Lists of convicts—See Australia Convict Records.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.