Australia Census

Online Records

 * 1811-1925 New South Wales, Census and Population Books, 1811-1825 at Ancestry ($); index and images
 * 1828 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images; also at Ancestry ($), FindMyPast ($)
 * 1828 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (TNA Copy) at Ancestry ($); index and images
 * 1841 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images; also at New South Wales State Archives & Records, Ancestry ($), FindMyPast ($)
 * 1841 South Australia Census at FindMyPast ($); index
 * 1881-1921 Northern Territory Census at FindMyPast ($); index
 * 1891 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images; also at Ancestry - index and images ($); FindMyPast ($)
 * 1901 1901 New South Wales, Australia Census at Ancestry ($); index and images; also at FindMyPast ($)

Online Resources

 * 1811-1825 - New South Wales, Census and Population Books, 1811-1825 at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1828 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1828 1828 Census inscribed on the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World Register at New South Wales Archives, images.
 * 1828 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (Australian Copy) at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1828 1828 New South Wales, Australia Census (TNA Copy) at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1828 New South Wales, 1828 Census Householders' Returns, at FindMyPast, index and images, ($).
 * 1841 1841 New South Wales, Australia, Census at Ancesyy, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1841 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and image
 * 1891 1891 New South Wales, Australia Census at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).
 * 1901 1901 New South Wales, Australia Census at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).

Substitute Records

 * 1861-1867: Bushranger returns, 1861-1867, at FamilySearch, images.

Electoral Rolls/Voting Registers

 * New South Wales Electoral Rolls at FindMyPast, index and images, ($).
 * 1842-1864: New South Wales, Australia Historical Electoral Rolls at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1903-1980 Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 at Ancestry, index, browse, and images, ($).

Directories

 * 1858-1933: Sands Directories: Sydney and New South Wales, Australia at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1861-1930: Sydney and New South Wales, Australia, Sands Street Index at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1901: Australia, New South Wales, The Federal Directory of Newcastle and District at Ancestry; images only ($)
 * 1904 - New South Wales PO Directory 1904 (Wise) at MyHeritage, ($), index.
 * New South Wales Directories at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * Yewens Directory Landholders New South Wales at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * New South Wales Postal Directories at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * New South Wales Public Service List at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * New South Wales Telephone Directories at FindMyPast; index only ($)

Population Musters

 * 1787-1834 - New South Wales, Australia, Settler and Convict Lists at Ancestry; images only ($)
 * 1788-1867 - Convict records for New South Wales and Tasmania, 1788-1867 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1800-1802 - Muster and lists, New South Wales and Norfolk Island, 1800-1802
 * 1806-1849 - New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1806 - Muster of all females in the colony, August 1806, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1811, 1814, 1819 - Population musters, 1811, 1814, 1819 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1825-1840 - New South Wales, Australia, Wives & Children of Irish Convicts at Ancestry; index only ($)
 * 1843-1869 - Correspondence, etc., 1843-1869 - at FamilySearch, images. Includes 1851 censuses of 3 aboriginal tribes.
 * 1880-1883 - Convict returns, 1880-1883 at FamilySearch, images.

Archive Resources Kit

 * Archive Resources Kit
 * Electoral Rolls, 1842-64
 * 1828 Census Householders' Returns
 * 1901 Census collector books


 * Community Access Points A list of libraries and archives which hold microcopies of the Archive Resource Kit records

History
The first country-wide census was taken in 1881. National censuses have been regularly taken by the Australian government since 1911. However, to protect individual privacy, all national censuses were destroyed after statistical information was collected. Because of this policy, census usage in Australian research is different from census research in other countries.

Contents
Typically a census is a count and description of the population. Where available, census records can provide an ancestor’s name, age, occupation and/or employer, whether free or bond, religion, ship and date of arrival, marital status, birthplace, and family member relationships. Census returns can also provide clues that lead to other records. A census may list selected people or the whole population. The percentage of people listed depends on the purpose of the census and on how careful the enumerator was.

Census Substitutes
In Australian research, other records can be used in place of census records. They are referred to as "census substitutes," and they list individuals who lived in specific places. It is rare, however, to find an entire family listed. Usually these records list only the head of household’s name, date and place of residence, occupation, age, value of property, and sometimes ship of arrival.

Records that can be used as census substitutes are:
 * Population Musters—See below.
 * Electoral rolls—See Australia Voting Registers.
 * Directories and almanacs—See Australia Directories.
 * Emigration and immigration records—See Australia Emigration and Immigration.
 * Depasturing licenses—See Australia Land and Property.
 * Rate and valuation books—See Australia Taxation.
 * Lists of convicts—See Australia Convict Records.

Population Musters
See list above. Because convicts were transported into Australia, the government found it necessary to survey the population at least annually. These surveys, known as musters, began in 1788. Information contained in the records might include an individual’s residence, status (convict, free, military), sex, name, ship of arrival, trial date, trial place, sentence, and remarks. Some early musters list children, wives, and servants.