Avoca, Victoria

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Victoria, Australia as they pertain to the Pyrenees Shire.

The Pyrenees Shire is located in the Central West of Victoria, about 130 kms north west of Melbourne. Major towns in the shire are Avoca and Beaufort

Historical background

Major Mitchell explored the area in 1836 and named the mountains nearby as they reminded him of the Pyrenees in Europe.

The area became more closely settled in the 1850s after a succession of gold rushes.

Today the economy of the shire is mostly primary industry. Thirty percent of those employed work in agriculture. Local production includes wool, cereal, hay crops and meat. Grapes are grown and there is a local wine industry. There is still some mining of gold.

Repositories and their holdings

• Avoca and District Historical Society

Records

The shire is covered by Victorian birth, marriage and death records. These can be searched on-line for a small fee.

Record losses

Detailed census records do not survive for Avoca.

Maps

• Map of the localities within Pyrenees Shire published by the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria (pdf)