Births, Deaths & Marriages
Indexes of birth, death and marriage registrations can be very useful for finding family members. You might be content with the information in the indexes for the usually approximate dates of births, deaths and marriages. Or, you might like to order the actual certificate, or a transcription of the certificate, where that service is available.
Certificates (and transcripts) can be useful for confirming someone is who you think (or hope) they are. They are also useful for confirming details of someone’s parents or children.
Transcription organisations often offer an additional service whereby, if someone else has ordered a transcript of the same certificate you’ve ordered, you will be provided with each other’s contact details. This service will usually only be provided if both parties have given permission for the swap of details to occur.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT government provides online indexes for historical ACT deaths and marriages. Access basic details of death registrations from more than 30 years ago here, and basic details of marriage registrations from more than 75 years ago here. Certificates for births more than 100 years ago, deaths more than 30 years ago and marriages more than 75 years ago, may be issued if you can prove a family link and, in the case of marriage certificates, if you can prove both parties are deceased.
New South Wales
The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages provides online indexes for births more than 100 years ago, deaths more than 30 years ago and marriages more than 50 years ago. The indexes are updated daily such that records up to ‘yesterday’s’ date, are available for searching. You can also use the date fields to narrow down the specific date of the event, in most cases.
You can order certificates from the site for a fee. Alternatively, if you are happy to have a transcript of the certificate details, rather than an official certificate, there are a few transcription agents who will provide transcripts of certificates, on which you’ll get all of the information, but at a lesser cost. Transcription agents for NSW records are Joy Murrin Family History Services and NSW Family History Transcriptions.
Northern Territory
There are no online indexes for historical Northern Territory birth, death and marriage registration records. However, the Northern Territory Government site does give information about how to search for and obtain birth, death and marriage certificates.
Queensland
The Queensland Government site provides online indexes for births more than 100 years ago, deaths more than 30 years ago and marriages more than 75 years ago. After you pay, you can download and view the images of the details in the register immediately.
South Australia
Genealogy SA offers many online databases and indexes including for the following:
- extensive newspaper birth (including birthdays), death and marriage notices
- birth registration certificates from 1837 to 1928
- marriage registration certificates from 1842 to 1950
- death registration certificates from 1842 to 1994
- South Australian cemetery records
- South Australian Church records
- biographical index of South Australians
If you are a member of Genealogy SA, you are able to view more details in the indexes. Transcription and lookup services are available for the indexes also, for a fee.
Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government provides online access to a ‘names index’, which includes access to many records, including those for:
- births between 1803 and 1933
- baptisms between 1900 and 1933
- marriages between 1804 and 1899
- deaths between 1803 and 1939
- burials between 1900 and 1933
You can view online images of the records and download them at no cost.
Victoria
Births, Deaths and Marriages, Victoria, provides online indexes for births from 1853 to 100 years ago, marriages from 1853 to 60 years ago and deaths from 1853 to 30 years ago. The indexes are updated daily such that records up to ‘today’s’ date, the relevant number of years ago, are available for searching.
Church baptisms, marriages and burials in Victoria from 1836 to 1853 are also included in the indexes. An ‘Events at sea’ index is also available, for births, marriages and deaths that occurred between 1853 and 1920 onboard international and coastal ships bound for port in Victoria.
Once paid for, images of the details in the register can be downloaded and viewed immediately.
Western Australia
Western Australia’s Department of Justice offers an online index for births between 1841 and 1924, marriages between 1841 and 1949, and deaths between 1841 and 1994.
Copies of certificates can be ordered online.