Birth, Death and Marriage Resources

:: Australian Registries ::

Australian Capital Territory - ACT Registrar-General's Office is part of the Department of Justice and Community Safety.

New South Wales - Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages, a division within the New South Wales Attorney General's Department.

Northern Territory - The Northern Territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is a section within the Department of Justice Registrar-General's Office.

Queensland- Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is part of the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

South Australia - The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Office is part of the South Australian Office of Consumer and Business Affairs.

Tasmania - Tasmanian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages comes under the Department of Justice.

Victoria - The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is part of the Victorian Department of Justice.

Western Australia - Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is part of the Department of the Attorney General.

:: NSW Transcription Agents ::

Marilyn Rowan

Joy Murrin

Laurie Turtle

:: Overseas Registries ::

:: Additional Resources ::

Church Registers - online transcriptions of church baptism, marriage and burial registers from the Hawkesbury region.

Early Church Record Codes - Early church reference codes used in NSW.

Ryerson Index - an index to death notices appearing in current Australian newspapers. It also includes some funeral notices, probate notices and obituaries.

FreeBMD - a free online project transcribing the Civil Registration index of births, marriages and deaths for England and Wales.

FreeREG - a free online project transcribing baptism, marriage, and burial records from parish and non-conformist registers of the U.K.

Hawkesbury BDM Resources

Australian State Registers

Within Australia each State has different regulations concerning unrestricted access to historical records. Records can be accessed covering periods within the restricted years, but several forms of identification will need to be cited before access is given.

Event	ACT	NSW	NT	QLD	SA	TAS	VIC	WA
Birth	100	100	80	100	75	75	100	75
Marriage	60	50	60	80	60	75	65	60
Death	30	30	30	50	25	25	32	25

Table: Number of years before unrestricted access to
historical records is allowed, by State

Certificates can be obtained from each of the State Registers and usually require reference numbers that can be obtained from each States BDM indexes. Indexes mentioned below are available to search for free in the Local Studies section at Hawkesbury City Library, Windsor.

Australian Capital Territory

Certificates cost $35 each and can be ordered online.

New South Wales

Available indexes:

New South Wales Pioneers Index 1788-1889 [CD-ROM]
New South Wales Federation Series Index 1890-1918 [CD-ROM]
New South Wales Between The Wars Index 1918-1945 [CD-ROM] - marriages and deaths only

Prior to civil registration in 1856, baptisms, marriages and burials were handled by the church. Using the registration numbers found in the indexes, church registers can be looked up on microfilm and the information transcribed for free. Early church reference codes can also be consulted in order to obtain the denomination and church parish being referenced.

Online historical indexes can be searched for free. Certificates from the registry cost $26 each when a registration number is provided, or $34 when no registration number is provided. Certificates can be ordered online.

An alternative to obtaining a certificate for family history purposes is a transcription. There are currently three registered transcription agents in New South Wales. Full transcriptions are available from $15 and can contain additional information (column notes, etc.) that are not normally available on an official certificate.

Northern Territory

Certificates cost $25 each. Application forms available online and once filled in can be posted or faxed.

Queensland

Available indexes:

Queensland Pioneers Register 1829-1889 [CD-ROM]
Queensland Federation Index 1890-1914 [CD-ROM]

An historical index is also available online to search for free and covers the years 1829 to 1914. Certificates cost $26 each, application forms are available online.

South Australia

Available indexes:

South Australian Births 1842-1906 [CD_ROM]
South Australian Births 1907-1928 [CD_ROM]
South Australian Marriages 1842-1916 [CD_ROM]
South Australian Marriages 1917-1937 [CD_ROM]
South Australian Deaths 1842-1915 [CD_ROM]

Certificates cost $36.75 each with application forms being available online.

Tasmania

Available indexes:

Tasmanian Pioneers Index 1803-1899 [CD-ROM]
Indexes to Tasmanian Births 1900-1905 [Microfiche]
Indexes to Tasmanian Deaths & Marriages 1900-1914 [Microfiche]
Indexes to Tasmanian Deaths & Marriages 1915-1919 [Microfiche]

Prior to civil registration in 1836, baptisms, marriages and burials were handled by the church.

Certificates cost $35 each. Application forms are available online.

Victoria

Available indexes:

Victorian Pioneers Index 1837-1888 [CD_ROM]
Victorian Federation Index 1889-1901 [CD-ROM]
Victorian Edwardian Index 1902-1913 [CD-ROM]
Victorian Great War Index 1914-1920 [CD-ROM]
Victorian Marriage Index 1921-1942 [CD-ROM]
Victorian Death Index 1921-1985 [CD-ROM]
Victorian Marine Index 1853-1920 [CD-ROM]

Historical indexes can be searched onlilne for a small fee. Certificates can be ordered and downloaded as uncertified images of the original register entry for a fee of $17.50.

If a Victorian BDM event occurred at sea, the Victorian Marine Index (1853-1920) can be consulted. This particular CD-ROM also contains images of the registry entry and can be accessed for free at Hawkesbury City Library.

Western Australia

Historical indexes from 1841 can be searched online for free. Certificates range from $30-$42 with application forms available online.

United Kingdom

The recording of baptisms, marriages and burials in parish registers began in England in 1538. Civil registration in began in 1837.