Victoria Census

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Australia

Victoria

Victoria Census

Online Records

*1836 - Abstract of the returns of population at Port Phillip in the New South Wales census of 1836 at FamilySearch, images. Lists by name the householders of Port Phillip District, now the state of Victoria, Australia.

• 1838 - of Port Phillip, 1838 at FamilySearch, images. Lists by name the householders of Port Phillip District, now the state of Victoria, Australia.

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. 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.
No records of individuals exist for Victoria censuses after 1853.

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

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