Finding Records at PROV
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(69k)
What Types of Records Are Held by Public
Record Office Victoria?
How Do I Know Which Government
Departments Created Records Relevant to My Research?
Aboriginal
Affairs
Arts,
Sport and Culture
Defence
Education
Health,
Mental Health and Welfare
Immigration and Multicultural
Affairs
Land, Environment and Primary
Industry
Legal, Justice and Consumer
Affairs
Local Government and Planning
Parliament, Premier and Governor
Registration and Licensing
Transport and Infrastructure
Useful Links
What Types of Records
Are Held by Public Record Office Victoria?
As the State's archival authority Public Record Office Victoria
holds records created by Victorian government departments and authorities, the State's
courts, municipalities, schools, public hospitals and other public offices.
The records date from the establishment of the Port Phillip District in the mid
1830s and include information relating to areas of activity managed or regulated
by government such as the administration of justice, health and welfare,
education, Indigenous communities, planning, transport, land and immigration.
PROV holds records that are no longer required by Victorian
government as part of their day to day business. Sometimes your research
will require you to contact a government department to gain access to the
records you are seeking. This can be because the department looks after
access to them, especially where the records contain personal information, such
as case files or employee records.
Read PROVguide 66 PROV’s
Archival Control Model for more information about how PROV describes and
manages its collection.
Browse our PROVguides
to find out more about records held by PROV, and resources and services
available at PROV for your research.
How Do I Know Which
Government Department Created Records Relevant to My Research?
You can explore what part of government may have produced
records you are looking for by Searching
or Browsing
for Details pages in PROV’s online catalogue about Government
Functions. A Function is the term given to an area of responsibility or
activity of government; for example, Water Supply or Education.
When you are in a Function Details page in the online catalogue,
the entry for the Function will display a list of government departments, known
as Agencies, that have carried out this work.
If an Agency is then selected from this list you will be
taken to a Details page about that Agency which will provide a list of Series
(records) held by PROV that were created by that Agency. You can also
find information on PROV’s online catalogue about Groups, which list related
Functions and Agencies.
If you know the name of the government department that
created the kinds of records you are looking for, such as the Supreme Court,
you may wish to Browse
or Search
for that particular Agency.
Defence
Catalogue Details Pages
This link will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Defence:
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies relating to
Defence:
|
Chief Secretaries Department
|
1855 - 1979
|
VA
475
|
|
Department of Defence
|
1883 - 1901
|
VA
2884
|
Education
PROVguides
PROVguide
56 Education Records
Database Indexes
VPRS
907/P0 Teacher Examination Papers, 1863-1872
VPRS
13719/P1 Database Index to Teacher Record Books, 1863-1959
Digitised Records
VPRS 65/P0
Copy of Inward and Outward Correspondence, Board of Education, 1849-1851
VPRS
5675/P0 Index to Special Case Files, Education Department, 1862-1977
VPRS
5676/P0 Register of Special Case Files, Education Department, 1852-1977
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Education.
|
Education
|
VF
19
|
|
School attendance regulation
|
VF
120
|
|
Industrial and apprenticeship training
|
VF
121
|
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies and Groups relating
to Education.
|
Ministry of Employment and Training
|
1980 – 1985
|
VA
704
|
|
Ministry of Education and Training
|
1985 – ct
|
VA
1112
|
|
Education Department
|
1873 - 1985
|
VA
714
|
|
Denominational School Board
|
1855 - 1862
|
VA
703
|
|
Educational Institutions
|
|
VRG
24
|
|
Education
|
|
VRG
35
|
Health,
Mental Health and Welfare
PROVguides
PROVguide 59 Mental
Health Records
PROVguide 60
Adoption, Wardship and Related Records
Database Indexes
VPRS 7882/P1 Public Building Files, 1874 - 1988
Digitised Records
VPRS 7446/P1 Alphabetical Lists of Patients in
Asylums, 1849-1885
VPRS 7427/P1 Nominal Register of Patients, Ararat
Asylum, 1867-1906
VPRS 7426/P1 Nominal Register of Patients, Ballarat
Asylum, 1893-1907
VPRS 7428/P1 Nominal Register of Patients,
Ballarat/Sunbury Asylums, 1877-1907
VPRS 8236/P1 Register of Patients, Ballarat/Sunbury
Asylums, 1877-1920
VPRS 7395/P1 Case Books of Male Patients, Beechworth
Asylum, 1867-1912
VPRS 7396/P1 Case Books of Female Patients, Beechworth
Asylum, 1878-1912
VPRS 7493/P1 Register of Patients, Bendigo Receiving
Ward, 1874-1908
VPRS 7721/P1 Register of Patients, Collingwood Asylum,
1866-1873
VPRS 7425/P1 Nominal Register of Patients, Kew Asylum,
1871-1906
VPRS 7690/P1 Nominal Register of Patients, Kew Asylum,
1871-1914
VPRS 7680/P1 Register of Patients, Kew Asylum,
1871-1919
VPRS 7423/P1 Nominal Register of Patients, Royal Park
Hospital for the Insane, 1907-1913
VPRS 7490/P1 Asylum Records [Case Books], Sunnyside
Licensed House, 1905-1915
VPRS 7422/P1 Index to Male and Female Case Books,
Yarra Bend Asylum, 1848-1912
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Health, Mental Health and Welfare:
|
Health and welfare agencies
|
VF
439
|
|
Mental Health
|
VF
128
|
|
Public Health
|
VF
125
|
|
Public Health, Aborigines
|
VF
389
|
|
Public Health, Infant and Maternal
|
VF
248
|
|
Intellectual Disability Services
|
VF
249
|
|
Physical and Sensory Disability Services
|
VF
250
|
|
Welfare Services
|
VF
252
|
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Groups relating to Health
and Mental Health:
Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs
PROVguides
PROVguide 52 Immigration
Records
PROVguide 53
British Post World War II Immigration Records
PROVguide 54 Ships
and Shipping Movements
Database Indexes
Unassisted
Inward Passenger Lists to Victoria 1852-1923
Assisted
British Immigration 1839-1871
Outward Passengers to Interstate, U.K. and Foreign
Ports, 1852-1856
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Immigration and Multicultural Affairs:
|
Immigration (monitoring arrivals)
|
VF
99
|
|
Immigration (19th century)
|
VF
8
|
|
Immigration (20th century)
|
VF
138
|
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies relating to Immigration
and Multicultural Affairs:
|
Department of Trade and Customs
|
1851 - 1901
|
VA
704
|
|
Ministry of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs
|
1977 - 1991
|
VA
1042
|
|
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, State
Office, Victoria
|
1996 - ct
|
VA
4369
|
Land, Environment and
Primary Industry
PROVguides
PROVguide 55 Land
Records
Database Indexes
VPRS
7/P0 Treasurer’s Correspondence Relating to Pastoral Runs, 1838 -1855
VPRS
8851/P1 Database of Records in VPRS 8850 of the Royal Melbourne Zoological
Gardens and Related Organisations, 1857-1991
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Land, Environment and Primary Industry:
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies and Groups
relating to Land, Environment and Primary Industry:
|
Lands
|
|
VRG
18
|
|
Chief Secretary`s Department
|
ND - 1872
|
VA
475
|
|
Department of Agriculture
|
1872 - 1985
|
VA
618
|
|
Department of Crown Lands and Survey
|
1857 - 1983
|
VA
538
|
Legal, Justice and Consumer
Affairs
PROVguides
PROVguide 57 Convict
Records
PROVguide 61 Divorce
Records
PROVguide 58 Prison
Records
PROVguide 70
Wills and Probate Records
PROVguide 71 Inquest
Records
PROVguide 68
Ordering Wills and Probate Records
PROVguide 8
Ordering Inquest Records
Database Indexes
VPRS 815/P0 Court of Insolvency Records, Geelong,
1853-1928
VPRS 75/P0 Certificate of Discharge, Court of
Insolvency, Melbourne, 1848-1875
Digitised Records
VPRS
110/P0 Register of Convicts, c1838-1852
VPRS 108/P0 Register, Police Magistrate, Portland,
1840-1853
VPRS 5335/P0 Index to Divorce Cause Books, 1861-1924
VPRS 10867/P0 Alphabetical Index to Central Register
of Male Prisoners, 1868-1947
VPRS
10879/P0 Alphabetical Index to Central Register of Female Prisoners, 1857-1948
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to Legal,
Justice and Consumer Affairs:
|
Civil and Criminal Justice
|
VF
428
|
|
Consumer Affairs Consultation
|
VF
350
|
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies and Groups relating
to Legal, Justice and Consumer Affairs:
|
Courts
|
|
VRG
4
|
|
Department of Justice
|
1992 - ct
|
VA
3085
|
|
Attorney-General’s Department
|
1851 - 1992
|
VA
2825
|
Local Government and Planning
PROVguides
PROVguide 64
City of Melbourne
Digitised Records
VPRS
8904/P1 Subject Index to Town Clerks Correspondence Files, City of Melbourne,
1913-1983
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Local Government and Planning:
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies and Groups relating
to Local Government and Planning:
|
Municipalities
|
|
VRG
12
|
|
Town and Country Planning Board
|
1946 - 1981
|
VA
516
|
|
Planning and Local Government
|
|
VRG
126
|
Parliament, Premier and
Governor
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to Parliament,
Premier and Governor:
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies relating to
Parliament, Premier and Governor:
|
Legislative Council
|
1851 - ct
|
VA
471
|
|
Legislative Assembly
|
1856 - ct
|
VA
2585
|
|
Colonial Secretary’s Department
|
1851 - 1855
|
VA
856
|
|
Chief Secretary’s Department
|
1855 - 1979
|
VA
475
|
|
Governor
|
1851 - ct
|
VA
466
|
|
Department of the Premier
|
1936 - 1982
|
VA
2717
|
|
Department of the Premier and Cabinet
|
1982 - ct
|
VA
1039
|
Registration and Licensing
Database Indexes
VPRS
7/P0 Treasurer’s Correspondence Relating to Publicans, 1838 -1855
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Registration and Licensing:
This link will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies relating to
Registration and Licensing:
|
Office of the Registrar-General and the Office of Titles
|
1873 – ct
|
VA
862
|
Transport and Infrastructure
PROVguides
PROVguide 62 Public
Transport – Railways
PROVguide 63 Public
Transport – Tramways
Database Index
VPRS
12800/P1 Photographic Collection Alpha-Numeric Railway Negative Systems
Catalogue Details Pages
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Functions relating to
Transport and Infrastructure:
These links will take you to Details pages in PROV’s
online catalogue about selected Victorian Government Agencies and Groups relating
to Transport and Infrastructure:
|
Public Works
|
1855 - 1987
|
VRG
28
|
|
Transport
|
1856 - ct
|
VRG
49
|
|
Railways
|
1851 - 1855
|
VRG
32
|
|
Department of Infrastructure
|
1855 - 1979
|
VA
3971
|
|
Department of Transport
|
1851 - ct
|
VA
673
|
Useful Links
Alphabetical List of Victorian Government Websites
http://www.atoz.information.vic.gov.au/
Freedom of Information
http://www.foi.vic.gov.au/
Information Victoria
http://www.information.vic.gov.au/index.html
National Archives of Australia
http://www.naa.gov.au/
Victoria Online
http://www.vic.gov.au/index.jsp