
8
Online Catalogue – Ordering Inquest Records
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here for a PDF version (63k)
This PROVguide outlines how to order inquest records
for viewing in Public Record Office Victoria's reading room at the Victorian
Archives Centre. Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) holds records of
inquests and other kinds of coronial investigations held in Victoria from 1840
- 1998. For information about accessing Coroner's records created after
1998 contact the State Coroner's Office of Victoria: www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au.
This PROVguide gives detailed information about
accessing VPRS
24 Inquest Deposition Files. PROV also holds VPRS
10010 Body Cards, which are records of coronial investigations, many of
which have not resulted in an inquest.
Viewing records at PROV
Once ordered on PROV's online catalogue at www.access.prov.vic.gov.au,
records are delivered to the VAC reading room on weekdays and on Saturday openings.
Records are held for up to 10 working days
before being returned to the repository. Please see PROVguide 21
Ordering Records for information about our delivery times.
Separate areas in the VAC reading room are available for
researchers who wish to view the records in privacy – just ask our
reference staff. Coroner's records can contain photographs you may not
wish to view. Reference staff can cover photographs on request.
Accessing inquest records 1840-1985
Step 1: Consult the database
Inquest Index, Victoria 1840-1985. This database can be found on
computers in PROV's reading rooms, the State Library of Victoria, and some
genealogical centres and public libraries around Australia.
Step 2: Note the following
information:
·
Full name of the deceased
·
Reference number of the inquest
·
The year in which the inquest was held
Step 3: Log in to PROV’s
online catalogue at www.access.prov.vic.gov.au. See
PROVguide 19
Registering and Maintaining a Public User Account for information on
registering a public user account if you do not already have one.
Step 4: Select Inquests from the Ordering menu. The Ordering Inquests page will be displayed. Enter the
year and inquest number from the index, as in the example below. Up to 4
inquest records can be searched for at a time. Click on the Search button.


Step 5: Your search results will
be displayed, as in the example below.




Step 6: To order a record for
viewing a the Victorian Archives Centre place a tick in the check box next to
the entry for each of the records you wish to order, as shown above. Click
on the Order selected entries button to place the
order. If the records are on open access and not on order to another
researcher the selected records will be ordered. Entries confirming each
of the records ordered will appear in your My Orders:
Current page.
Hint: For the period 1840 to
1880 there are two sequences of files, one for males and the other for females,
as in the 1853/109 example above.
Hint: Inquest records that
formed part of the documentation in a criminal trial will not be found in this
series before 1951. See the series pages on PROV's online catalogue for VPRS
24 Inquest Deposition Files and VPRS
30 Criminal Trial Briefs for information about locating these records in
VPRS 30.
Accessing inquest records 1985
– 1994
Step 1: Consult indexes to
inquests, arranged alphabetically by the surname of the deceased. These are
available in hard copy at the collection desk in the Victorian Archives Centre reading
room or the Ballarat Archives Centre reading room.
Step 2: Locate the person of interest in the index.
Note the following information:
·
Full name of the deceased
·
The file number of the inquest. This might be written next to a
name (eg SMITH, John 376), or be combined with the year of the inquest (eg
SMITH, John 930376). The file number of the inquest, as distinct from the year,
will have a maximum of 4 digits.
Step 3: Use the year and the
file number to order the record on PROV's online catalogue. Follow steps 3 to 6
in the Accessing inquest records 1840-1985 section in
this PROVguide, but note the following:
·
In the year text box, enter the year in full. In the John
Smith example above, the year would be entered as "1993", not
"93". Do not enter zeros that may be at the start of the file
number. For example, the file number would be entered as "376",
not "0376". For example:

·
For inquests registered in 1988 file
numbers need to be entered as 3 digits: "053", not "53",
and entered into the text boxes as follows:

Accessing inquest records 1994 - 1998
If you know all or part of
the name of the person whose inquest records you are looking for, no index is
required.
Step 1: Log in to PROV’s
online catalogue at www.access.prov.vic.gov.au. See
PROVguide 19
Registering and Maintaining a Public User Account for information on
registering a public user account if you do not already have one.
Step 2: Select Search
within a Series from the Searching menu at www.access.prov.vic.gov.au.
The Search within a Series page will be displayed:

Step 2: Enter the number 24 into
the VPRS text field, and the name of the deceased in the second text
field. Click on the Search button, and the
Search Results page will be displayed (see the previous section for an example
of a search result).
Hint: There is no need to change
the default Physical / Digital selections by unticking these boxes.
Using Advanced Search to narrow your search
If you return a large number of results you can narrow your
search by using an Advanced Search (from the Searching menu). In Advanced
Search select Item, and enter the surname and the first name of the deceased in
the Exact Phrase text field.
Hint: Selecting Item will automatically place a tick in the Physical
records box and Location boxes. There is no need to change these
selections by ticking or unticking these boxes.
Hint: Try swapping the names
around, eg. Jane Smith or Smith Jane, as the format can vary.
Step 3: In a Search Result, tick the box next to the
entries relating to the inquest records you wish to order, and click on the Order Selected Entries button to place your order.
Step 4: You will be prompted to log in if you are not
already logged in. If the records are on open access and not on order to
another researcher the selected records will be ordered. Entries confirming
each of the records ordered will appear in your My Orders:
Current page.
Accessing records of other kinds of coronial investigations
PROV holds the series VPRS
10010 Body Cards 1959 - 1998, which contain the documentation created in
the course of a coronial investigation, many of which did not result in an
inquest. Between 1959 and May 1986 these files document investigations
conducted by the Melbourne Coroner.
Since June 1986, these files document investigations throughout
Victoria conducted by the State Coroner's Office. As well as the findings
of the Coroner, files can include documentation such as the Victoria Police
report of the death, autopsy and other medical reports, photographs and
correspondence.
Melbourne metropolitan area 1959 - 1990, and 1993 - 1994 and
Beyond the Melbourne metropolitan area June 1986 - 1988
Step 1: Consult hard copy
indexes available from the collection desk at the Victorian Archives Centre
reading room to obtain the file reference number.
Step 2: Search for a file on
PROV's online catalogue using a Search in a Series. Enter the series
number 10010 into the first (VPRS) field, and the file reference number you
obtained from the index into the second field. See the example in the
previous Search in a Series section for details.
Hint: You may need to try
different formats for the reference number such as 1971/130, 1971/0130 or
19710130.

Beyond the Melbourne metropolitan area June 1989 - 1990 and 1993 - 1996
Contact the State Coroner's Office for the reference numbers
for records. When you have the reference numbers you can search for a
file using a Search in a Series, as shown above.
Melbourne metropolitan area 1991 - 1992, and 1995 - 1998 and
Beyond the Melbourne metropolitan area June 1991 - 1992 and 1997 - 1998
If you know all or part of
the name of the person whose records you are looking for, no index is required.
You can use a Search in a Series by entering the series number
10010 into the first (VPRS) field, and the person's name in the second
field.

How do I get a copy of a record?
PROV does not offer a research or copying service in
response to phone or written requests. We can assist you to place your
copy order when you visit the reading room at the Victorian Archives Centre to
view the records you have ordered online. See PROVguide 2
Copying Services for information about PROV's copying services.
Digital Cameras
You can use your own digital camera free of charge to make
copies, provided that conditions of use are observed. PROVguide
24 Use of Digital Cameras in PROV Reading Rooms for details.
Search Agents
If you are not able to visit the Victorian Archives
Centre to view records and place your copy order, you may wish to hire a search
agent to undertake this on your behalf. See PROVguide 15
Search Agents for contact details.
Further information
See PROVguide 71
Inquest Records for more information about Coroner's records held by
PROV. See PROVguide
20 Searching for Records Online, and PROVguide 21
Ordering Records for more information about ordering records on PROV's
online catalogue.