Records Useful For Genealogical Research

The following records are those most frequently consulted by genealogists and some of these are indexed in the various card indexes in the search room.

Governor's Office

Among the records of the Governor's Office are the despatches exchanged between the Governor's and the Secretaries of State for the period 1818 to 1933. There are also many related series such as the Governor's and Private Secretary's correspondence, registers and indexes. Of particular interest to genealogists are the despatches which include memorials from individual settlers, applications from convicts for their wives and families to be sent from England and the lists of convicts seeking free and conditional pardons which were forwarded to England at regular intervals. Précis books, listing the inward and outward despatches in chronological order, are available in the search room and a Guide, giving a description of each series of records within the Governor's Office, has been published.

Colonial Secretary's Office

This group of records contains an extraordinary variety of documentation of everyday affairs and also provides the background to the more important events. Subjects covered include requests by settlers for land, assigned servants and civil service appointments. All correspondence from other government officials passed through the Colonial Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor. A Guide to these records has been published.

Immigration and Emigration

Information relating to immigration can be found among the records of several agencies. The Marine Board of Hobart has a large series of passenger lists which commences in 1829 [MB 2/39]. The lists are arranged chronologically by date of the ships arrival. Information given includes a brief description of the ship, port and date of departure and on most occasions names of passengers. The information given on each passenger is very brief, often without given names. Similar records do not exist for ports in the northern part of Tasmania.

In 1837 Governor Franklin suspended assisted immigration, his reasons being lack of finance and too little demand for labour. However by 1840 the settlers were complaining about the rapidly diminishing labour supply caused by Franklin's decision in 1837 and the cessation of the convict Assignment System. In August 1840 Franklin instituted the Bounty System of immigration. Between 1840 and 1886 the System was reviewed and amended both administratively and in terms of the benefits and conditions applying to immigrants. The Board maintained quite detailed records of the immigrants including name, age, marital status, religion, education, trade and native place of each person plus details of employment in the colony [CB 7/12]. Most nominal records created by the Immigration Board have been indexed and the cards are in the Arrivals Index in the search room. Other less complete series of records listing passengers can be found among the records of the Governors office, Colonial Secretary's office and the Customs Department. A Guide to all records of free immigration is available

The Government, as a general rule, did not keep records of departures. However, there are several series of Police records which do list crew and passengers departing from Launceston for the period 1833 - 1837 [POL 458] and 1848 to 1854 [POL 220]. The information supplied includes the ship to the Colony and the status of the passenger (ie whether crew or ex-convict). The card index to departures also includes references from early newspapers and from several records of passengers leaving Hobart for the period 1817 - 1833 [CSO 63; CUS 33; Crowther's Port Officers Book L11].

The records of the Convict Department and the administration of the Convict System are detailed in the Guide to the Public Records of Tasmania Section 3. More than 74,000 convicts were transported to Tasmania between 1803 and 1853. It was not until Governor Arthur?s arrival that detailed records were kept of all convicts. In 1825 Edward Cook, a law-stationer who arrived in 1825 under a life sentence was employed to compile a series of Black Books containing particulars of convicts who had arrived since the Calcutta. Cook worked at the Chief Police Magistrate's residence at New Norfolk under the direction of Josiah Spode, the Muster Master. It was this officer who had the responsibility of maintaining these records now to be found in CON 31 and CON 40. (Conduct registers of male/female convicts arriving in the period of the Assignment System 1803 - 1843.)

Until June 1840 convicts were either assigned to settlers or sent to work on public works. The assignment system was replaced with the probation system and the records for this system can be found in CON 33 and CON 41. (Conduct records of male/female convicts arriving in the period of the probation system 1843 - 1858.) The idea was that on arrival the convicts should go into gangs to work. The length of time in the gang depended on the length of their original sentence. Various modifications were proposed to this system during succeeding years until transportation ceased in May 1853. The information contained in the conduct records (Black Books) can be supplemented by using other series of records such as indents, descriptions and muster rolls.

The Convict Department in Tasmania did not retain butts of indulgences such as Tickets of Leave and Conditional Pardons but simply noted the fact that the indulgence had been granted on the conduct record.

Naturalisations

The Archives Office holds records relating to the application by non-British subjects for certificates of denization and naturalization for the period 1835 to 1905. The applications can be found in the files of the Colonial and Chief Secretary's Department and the Oaths of allegiance and the copies of certificates are among the records of the Supreme Court [SC 218; SC 415; SC 416]. The first Act enabling the Lieutenant Governor to grant letters of Denization was passed in 1835. This legislation was repealed in 1861 by the Aliens Act. It was predominantly males who applied for naturalization probably because any women married to a natural born subject or person naturalized was deemed to be naturalized herself and thereby have all the rights and privileges of a natural born subject. An alphabetical list of applications for naturalisation is available on-line.

Birth, Death, Marriage, and Inquest Records

The pre-1900 records of the Tasmanian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages are available on microfilm in the Archives Office search room and in Libraries and Genealogical Societies within Australia and in New Zealand. The microfilm includes both indexes and registers and contains all the information recorded at the time of registration. No additional information is available from either the Registrar-General or the Archives Office. The information on the various registrations is as follows:

Births: Prior to 1896 the following details were recorded:

Given name (if known at time of registration) and surname.
Date and place of birth.
Names of parents.
Maiden surname of mother.
Fathers occupation.

In 1896 the date and place of the parents' marriage were added.

In 1902 the ages and birthplaces of the parents were added.

In 1909 previous children were added.

Deaths: Prior to 1897 particulars recorded were:

Name of deceased.
Date and place of death.
Age of death.
Occupation.
Cause of death.

In 1897 the birthplace of the deceased was added.

Marriages: Prior to 1896 particulars recorded were:

Names of parties being married.
Date and place of marriage.
Age at marriage (sometimes only 'under' or 'over' age ie 21).
Occupation and status (eg. bachelor and spinster).
Names of witnesses to the marriages.

Names of parents and places of birth of the parties being married were not added until 1896.

The Tasmanian Pioneers Index, published in 1993, provides more details than the original indexes and is available on CD ROM or microfiche

Inquests: Findings, depositions and associated papers relating to Coroners' inquests are filed in the Supreme Court. The records cover the period 1828-Mar 1977 [SC 195]. An index to the records exists for the period 1865 - 1961 [SC 499] and index cards have been made for the period prior to 1865. These are filed in the General Index in the search room. Additional records relating to coronial inquiries can be found among the Attorney-Generals records, however, no public access is allowed to these files unless they are more than seventy five years old [AGD 20].

Property and Census Records

The correspondence of the Lands and Surveys Department [LSD 1] includes applications for land grants, requests for surveys and surveyor's reports as well as other matters relating to the management and disposal of Crown Land.

The Lands Department was responsible for the surveying, management and disposal of Crown Lands. It has also been involved with State survey work generally and this interest has included both the conducting of surveys on behalf of some other departments and the co-ordination of all public survey documents. Mapping has been another important activity of the Department throughout its history.

The Archives Office holds many series of records from the Lands Department and these are listed in the Series Titles List. As well as LSD I genealogists also find LSD 354 useful when researching information on early settlers (Copies of land grants issued for the period 1804-1823).

In 1832 the Caveat Board was set up to establish titles to land both in regard to disputed claims and to any new claims. The documents maintained by the Board are a useful source of information for those researching properties [SC 285]. Deeds of land grants give descriptions of property purchased by settlers for the period Nov 1832 - Aug 1935 [RD 1].

Census: Census returns have survived for some districts for census taken in the following years: 1842 - 43, 1848, 1851 - 52 and 1857. Each census contains similar questions which were to be answered by the proprietor or householder.

These include the name of the householder; name of employer of servants; name of person in charge; place of residence, the name of the head of the house or establishment, its proprietor, whether the house was built of stone, brick, or of wood, whether it was complete or unfinished, whether it was inhabited or not; when the proprietor was present, number of persons generally residing there; and the number of these persons who were free. The return also contains a statistical form showing the age, sex, religion, occupation, condition and trade or calling of the persons residing in the house. The returns [CEN 1] have been indexed in a card index in the search room.

A census for the district of New Town was taken in 1837. Each return records the names of male and female free persons over the age of fourteen, the religious sect to which each belongs, the same particulars about free persons under fourteen, and is signed by the householder or head of the family. The form states that only the number of convicts employed or assigned need to be given, but in many cases they are named. The address of the house (and sometimes its name) is also shown [POL 361].

Assessment and Valuation Rolls which give the location, area and description of a property plus name of occupier and name and address of proprietor are published annually in the Government Gazette. The first roll is for Hobart only published in 1847, the next list, including both Hobart and Launceston, appears in 1853 and from 1858 all districts are included more or less annually.

Education

Among the records of the Education Department is a series of general correspondence files for teachers employed by the Department from 1862-1905. The files usually contain an application form detailing the applicants previous experience and includes, age, date and place of birth, if not born in Tasmania, length of residence in the Colony and name of referee. Among the correspondence in the files are referees reports, notification of dates and results of examinations conducted for teachers and of appointments [ED 2].

A register for the period 1855 - 1916 contains details of the appointments held by teachers whilst employed by the Department [ED 44] and there are personal history cards recording similar information to ED 44 for the period c1886 - c1945 [ED 238].

The Archives Office holds admission records and other registers for many Infant, Primary, and High Schools and some Matriculation Colleges in Tasmania. With few exceptions most school records do not exist prior to 1915.

Wills and Probate

A range of records relating to the administration of probate is held in the Archives office.

There are three main series of records -

Records relating to the granting of probate which includes a copy of the will
Records relating to the granting of Letters of Administration authorising the administration of intestate estates and recording the granting of probate
Records relating to Elections to Administer for small intestate estates.

Most records are publicly available and Brief Subject Guide No. 12 gives a complete list of the records. An index to these records, initially covering the period 1824 ? 1915, is being developed and is available in the public search room and also on the Archives Office website

Employment

Records relating to an individual's employment can be found within many Agency's records. The Government Gazette lists hotel keepers and further lists appear among the records of the Licensing Court and Treasury [LC 31 and TRE 50]. The Blue Books and Statistics list civil servants from 1822 and registers and forms detailing employment of Civil Servants from 1907 can be found among the records of the Public Service Board [PSC 8 & 7]. Salary registers in the Audit Department [AUD 17: 1852 - 1956] and Education Department [ED 45: 1895 -1939] also contain information on employment and payments made to Civil Servants.

In the records of the Supreme Court are registers and documents relating to the admission of legal practitioners [SC 207 and SC 208 1824 - 1913] and the Minutes of Meetings of the Medical Council includes information on Medical Practitioners and Pharmacists [CB 12/1 1841 - 1901; 1908 - 1923]. The records of the Mines Department include not only registers of applications for leases such as gold mining but there is also a register of Mine Managers [MIN 71 Feb 1900 - Apr 1955].

From 1885 the officers of the Inspection of Machinery Department were responsible for issuing certificates of competency to individuals who operated heavy machinery such as land engines and mining plant. Copies of the certificates can be found in the department's records eg. Copies of Certificates of competency to operate a mine winding engine Dec 1890 - Aug 1961 [LID 24].

A register of the appointment, transfer, resignation and dismissal of members of the Police establishment exists for the years 1832 - 1844 and 1855 - 1955 [POL 324]. However between 1858 and 1865 there was a de-centralisation of the Police Force as the various Municipalities assumed responsibility for appointing and maintaining the force in their area. The register mentioned above does not include policeman employed by the Municipalities. This de-centralised system existed until 1898.

Information on lighthouses and those employed on them can be found among the records of the Hobart Marine Board eg. Light House returns of men employed 1879 - 1892 [MB 2/19]. The Marine Board of Hobart had responsibility for issuing certificates of service and competency to ships' officers, masters and mates of foreign - going ships. The relevant legislation was passed in 1875 and the various registers and butts of certificate cover the period 1874 - 1923 [MB 2/26 and others].

Information on crews engaged on ships trading out of the Port of Hobart can be found among the records of the Hobart Marine Board and the Customs Department. There are registers of crew engaged on various vessels for the period 1861 - 1899 (incomplete) [MB 2/4] and a register of crew discharged from various vessels 1856 - 1918 (incomplete) [MB 2/35]. There is also a large series of agreements between masters of vessels and crews signed on at Hobart [MB 2/33 1846 - Oct 1935]. The information on these documents includes the signature, age and native place of the master and crew, ship in which the crew member last served and the date and place of joining the present vessel. Also included is the capacity in which employed and amount of pay. These documents have not been indexed and are arranged in boxes in alphabetical order by ship.

Within the records of the Customs Department is another series of unindexed records relating to ships clearances. The records include cargo, passenger and crew lists and manifests [CUS 36 1841 - 1887]. These records, like the series mentioned above, are arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the ship.

In 1860 the government passed the Superannuation Act which entitled people who had been in permanent positions in the civil service of the colonial government for more than ten years to be paid a pension. Individuals with less than ten years service who were severely injured on duty were also entitled to a payment. The applications and decisions are filed among the correspondence files of the Chief Secretary's Department and indexed under the heading of Pensions in that Agency's index.

Medical Records

Records of some public hospitals including the Royal Hobart and Royal Derwent Hospitals are held by the Archives Office. Most records containing information on a patient's medical history are on closed access for seventy five years. The records held are listed in the Series Titles List under the name of the hospital.

Welfare Records

There are several series of records of the Queens Orphan School which are consulted frequently by genealogists. The register of children admitted and discharged from the Orphan School 1828 - 1863 [SWD 28] is particularly useful because children who were born to convict women or accompanied their mothers on a convict ship were often admitted to the School until their parents could care for them or the child was old enough to work. Information given includes name of child and parents (if known), ship the mother arrived on and date of discharge of child and to whom. For a later period there are applications for admission to the Orphan School [SWD 26]. These include such information as name and residence of applicant, names, ages and religion of the children, details of the parents including name of ship to the Colony and whether arrived free or as a convict and occupation. The applications are usually accompanied by supporting letters and any subsequent correspondence about the child is filed with the application. The records cover the period 1859 - 1879.

Police and Court Records

Records of the Supreme Court and the Lower Courts are held in the Archives Office. A complete list of holdings can be found in the Series Titles List, however, it is necessary to know when a person appeared in Court to avoid an extensive search.

Records are held for most Police Stations however it is a matter of chance as to what has survived. Most Stations have for example, crime and occurrence books and charge books for some years and a few have registers of male and female ticket of leave holders residing in the district (eg. New Norfolk Station).

Private Records

Records are also held of a number of Tasmanian companies, churches, associations and individuals. These include minutes, correspondence, share registers, baptism, marriage and burial registers, diaries, ship's logbooks and financial records.

Photographs

The Archives Office has a collection of photographs of events, places and people of Tasmanian interest ranging from the beginning of photography in the 1850s to the present day. A card index to the photographic collection is available in the search room.

Newspapers

The Archives Office holds an almost complete sets of all colonial newspapers published in Tasmania. Most have now been microfilmed and copies of the microfilms can be purchased.