| For an excellent analysis of extant records and where they can be found in Australia archives and libraries, see [https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/earlycensus/findpeople '''State Library of Victoria: Early Australian census records''']. | | For an excellent analysis of extant records and where they can be found in Australia archives and libraries, see [https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/earlycensus/findpeople '''State Library of Victoria: Early Australian census records''']. |
| 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. Earlier, in 1882, a fire destroyed the New South Wales census records for 1846, 1851, 1856, 1861, 1871 and 1881, including the household forms from 1861, 1871 and 1881. Therefore, '''census usage in Australian research is different from census research in other countries.''' | | 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. Earlier, in 1882, a fire destroyed the New South Wales census records for 1846, 1851, 1856, 1861, 1871 and 1881, including the household forms from 1861, 1871 and 1881. Therefore, '''census usage in Australian research is different from census research in other countries.''' |