Pre-1900 records of the Tasmanian Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages are held by the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office. They contain formal registration records for births, deaths, and marriages in Tasmania from the beginning of official registration in Dec 1838. Even though registration was compulsory after 1838, there are many instances of either failure of local returns to be submitted, or neglect by the responsible party to make a registration. Original certificates are not available as they were given to the person making the registration, nor are copies of certificates available, as they were not kept by the Government. Some surviving church records of baptisms, marriages, and burials for the period 1803 to 1838 have been incorporated into the official records maintained by the Registrar.
Copies of registrations can be made from copies of pre-1900 registration books available on microfilm in the Hobart izone, Burnie, Devonport, Glenorchy, and Launceston Libraries and at the Hobart Branch of the Tasmanian Family History Society. Microfilm copies of the records are also available at many locations interstate.
The Tasmanian pioneer index, available on CD-ROM and microfiche, is a searchable index to the pre-1900 registration volumes and provides the reference number necessary to locate the original registration in the microfilm reels. The index is available at most State Libraries and Genealogical Societies within Australia and New Zealand. Once you locate records in this index, either copy your own record from a collection of microfilmed registers or contact TAHO for up to four scanned copies. In order for TAHO staff to locate the record and scan copies you must supply the registration place (e.g. Hobart), the registration number (e.g. 156/1867), and the register number (e.g. RGD33).
Another source of birth, death and marriage information is the Colonial Tasmanian Family Links database, which can be accessed online. This index is not a direct index to records but contains a large amount of information (not necessarily verified) about Tasmanian families. Any information located in this index will need to be crosschecked with the Tasmanian pioneers index and other Church and family records.
Records for the post-1900 period are held by the Department of Justice. The Tasmanian federation index, also available on CD-ROM from most State Libraries and Genealogical Societies within Australia and New Zealand, indexes birth records from 1900-1919 and death and marriage records from 1900-1930.
What will you find in a Tasmanian Birth, Death or Marriage record?
Related links: Births - Outside Tasmania | Recommended websites
Listed here is a selection of further resources.
| Date range | Title | Resource type | ||
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| 1803-1899 | Colonial Tasmanian Family Links Database (Archives Office of Tasmania) |
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| 1803-1899 | Tasmanian pioneer index 1803-1899 |
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| 1900-1930 | Tasmanian federation index: births 1900-1919, deaths and marriages 1900-1930 |
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| Date range | Title | Resource type | ||
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| Up to 1899 | Births in the Horton, Emu Bay, Wynyard, Montagu & Stanley Districts taking in the whole of the Burnie area to the year 1899 / compiled and edited by the Ulverstone Local History Museum |
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| Up to 1899 | Births in the Mersey & Sheffield districts to the year 1899 / compiled and edited by the Ulverstone Local History Museum |
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| Up to 1899 | Births in the Ulverstone District to the year 1899, including the entire Police District of Port Sorell to the year 1875, taking in surrounding country districts and larger towns of Forth & Penguin / compiled & edited by the Ulverstone Local History Museu |
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| 1816-1846 | Index to births, deaths and marriages: from early Hobart Town newspapers including the Hobart Town gazette, the Colonial times and the Hobart Town courier / compiled by Anne M Bartlett |
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| 1835-1850 | The Cornwall Chronicle: a directory of births, deaths and marriages 1835-1850 / edited by Anne M. Bartlett |
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| 1842-1899 | Index to Launceston Examiner / compiled by Muriel & Betty Bissett |
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| 1854-1930 | Indexes to birth, death and marriage notices: The Mercury 1854-1930 / original indexes compiled by J. & F. O'Shea and K & A Whitton |
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| 1877-1912 | Early coastal newspapers 1877-1912: births, deaths and marriages index / compiled by the Tasmanian Family History Society Inc., Burnie Branch |
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| 1887-1916 | The North-West Post (1887-1916): an index for family historians: Tasmanian Family History Society Inc., Devonport Branch |
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| 1890-1922 | The Zeehan and Dundas Herald: births, deaths and marriages index / compiled by the Tasmanian Family History Society Inc, Burnie Branch |
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| 1891-1904 | Index North West coast Tasmania: 1891 - 1904 Wellington Times, Emu Bay Times, Advocate newspapers |
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| 1900-1955 | Index to births, deaths & marriages / compiled by the Launceston Branch of the Genealogical Society of Tasmania from The Examiner newspaper |
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| 1900-1917, 1921-1944 | Index to the Advocate, ...: births, deaths and marriages / compiled by the Genealogical Society of Tasmania Inc., Burnie Branch |
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| 1901-1907 | The Weekly courier: index to photographs, birth, death & marriage notices and personal items of interest to family historians |
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| 1906-1998 | Circular Head Chronicle: births deaths and marriages index 1906-1998 |
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| 1986-1999 | An Index to the Advocate Tasmania: personal announcements / compiled by Audrey Trebilco for Genealogical Society of Tasmania Inc., Devonport Branch |
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