Victoria Court and Criminal Records

Online Resources

 * Victoria Petty Sessions Registers at FindMyPast, Index ($)
 * Victoria Prison Registers at FindMyPast Index ($)
 * Capital case and capital sentence files PRO Victoria, index.
 * 1837-1993 - Victoria, Australia, Selected Trial Brief and Correspondence Registers and Other Images, 1837-1993 at Ancestry ($), index and images.
 * 1840-1925 - Victoria, Australia, Coroner Inquest Deposition Files, 1840-1925 at Ancestry ($), index and images.
 * 1840-1853 - Register, Police Magistrate, Portland, 1840-1853 PRO Victoria, index.
 * 1844-1849 - Notification of pardons of exiles, 1844-1849 PRO Victoria, index.
 * 1847-1853 - Register of prisoners under sentence of hard labour, 1847-1853 PRO Victoria, index.
 * 1855-1947 - Register of Male and Female Prisoners (1855-1947) PRO Victoria, index.
 * 1857-1948 - Alphabetical index to central register of female prisoners, 1857-1948 PRO Victoria, index.
 * 1858-1985 - Australia, Victoria Petty Sessions registers : COLLECTION RECORD, 1858-1985 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1860-1940 - Victoria, Australia, Divorce Records, 1860-1940 at Ancestry ($), index and images.
 * 1861-1938 - Victoria Divorce Cause Books 1861-1938 at FindMyPast Index ($)
 * 1868-1947 - Alphabetical index to central register of male prisoners, 1868-1947 PRO Victoria, index and images.

Prison Records

 * Victoria Prison Registers at FindMyPast Index ($)
 * 1847-1853 - Victoria Register Of Prisoners Under Sentence Of Hard Labour 1847-1853 at FindMyPast Index ($)

Police and Government Gazettes

 * Victoria Government Gazettes at FindMyPast ($), index.
 * Victoria Police Gazettes at FindMyPast ($), index.
 * 1851 - Victorian Government Gazette 1851 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1854-1930 - Police gazette, 1854-1930 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1855, 1864-1924 - Victoria, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1855, 1864-1924 at Ancestry ($), index.
 * 1858 - Victorian Government Gazette 1858 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1859 - Victorian Government Gazette 1859 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1863 - Victorian Government Gazette 1863 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1864 - Victorian Government Gazette 1864 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1865 - Victorian Government Gazette 1865 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1878 - Victorian Government Gazette 1878 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1887 - Victorian Government Gazette 1887 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1888 - Victorian Government Gazette 1891 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1889 - Victorian Government Gazette 1889 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1890 - Victorian Government Gazette 1890 at MyHeritage ($), index.
 * 1891 - Victorian Government Gazette 1891 at MyHeritage ($), index.

All Australia

 * Australian court databases

Online New South Wales Records, Including Victoria Prior to 1851

 * New South Wales Police Gazette at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * 1788-1822 - Minutes of proceedings, 1788-1822 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1788-1824 - Records, 1788-1824, New South Wales. Court of Criminal Jurisdiction, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1788-1856 - New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Papers at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1789-1826 - In-letters, 1789-1826 at FamilySearch, index and images. Includes among other records constables and their families, civil and military officers, jurors.
 * 1810-1820 - Musters of prisoners, 1810-1820 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1810-1825 - Petitions for mitigation of sentence, 1810-1825 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1810-1826 - Petitions for mitigation of sentence, 1810-1826 : Colonial Secretary's in-letters
 * 1818-1930 - New South Wales, Australia, Gaol Description and Entrance Books at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1821-1937 - New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1822-1857 - New South Wales, Australia, Returns of the Colony at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1824-1826 - Trial records, 1824-1826, New South Wales. Police Magistrates at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1826-1827 - Trial records, 1826-1827, New South Wales. Benches of Magistrates at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1826-1856 - New South Wales, Australia, Colonial Secretary's Letters at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1826-1870 - Returns of prisoners tried, 1826-1870, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1827-1825 - Trial records, 1827-1835, New South Wales. Police Magistrates at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1830-1945 - New South Wales, Australia, Criminal Court Records at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1832-1863 - New South Wales Government Gazette Indexes at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * 1832-1880 - New South Wales Government Gazettes at FindMyPast; PDF document
 * 1836-1922 - Register of cases, 1836-1922 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1840-1856 - Colonial secretary's correspondence regarding prisoners, 1840-1856 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1840-1925 - Australia, Victoria, inquest deposition files : COLLECTION RECORD, 1840-1925 at FamilySearch, index and images.
 * 1853-1899 - New South Wales, Australia, Government Gazettes at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1854-1930 - New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes at Ancestry; index & images ($). Also at FamilySearch, free.
 * 1856-1875 - Commutation of death sentences, 1856-1875 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1867-1923 - Calendar of persons tried on criminal charges in Sydney courts, 1867-1923, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1869-1873 - Return of prisoners released under remission of sentence, 1869-1873, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1871-1969 - New South Wales Gaol Photographic Description Books at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * 1878-1921 - Register of criminal cases tried at Sydney Quarter Session (Sydney deposition books), 1878-1921, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1898-1909 - Registers of fines and forfeitures imposed by Sydney and Country Quarter Sessions, 1898-1909, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1883-1948 - Registers of Quarter Sessions criminal cases heard before Supreme Court on Circuit, 1883-1948, New South Wales. Supreme Court (Criminal Jurisdiction), at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1901 - Returns of prisoners tried and convicted at Quarter Sessions, Sydney and country, 1901, New South Wales. Court of the Quarter Sessions of the Peace, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1903-1922 - Registers of appeals from Courts of Petty Sessions to Sydney and Country Quarter Sessions, 1903-1922, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1916-1921 - Returns of criminal cases heard at Country Quarter Sessions, 1870-1920 and register of criminal depositions received, 1916-1921, New South Wales. Court of the Quarter Sessions of the Peace, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1924-1939 - Inquest records, register of deaths by poisoning, 1924-1939, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1942 - Card index to inquests and magistrates' inquiries, Jul 1942 to Dec 1942, A - Maples only, at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1957-1982 - Australia, Victoria, Cause lists with jury, 1957-1982, at FamilySearch, index and images.

Archive Resources Kit, Including Victoria Records Prior to 1851

 * Community Access Points A list of libraries and archives which hold the microform copies of the Archive Resource Kit records.
 * The Archive Resources Kit includes the following immigration and convict records:

Immigration Records

 * Indexes to ships arrived, 1837-1925
 * Assisted immigrants, 1828-42
 * Assisted immigrants (Port Phillip), 1839-51
 * Assisted immigrants Sydney, 1838-96, and Moreton Bay, 1848-59
 * Persons on bounty ships to Sydney, Newcastle and Moreton Bay, 1848-91
 * Unassisted Passengers arriving in Sydney, 1826-53, 1854-1900
 * Wage agreements & entitlement certificates (Sydney), 1844-45
 * Germans on bounty ships (Sydney), 1849-52
 * Wives and families of convicts on bounty ships (Sydney), 1849-55
 * Ships musters: passengers departing, 1816-25

Convict Records

 * Index to Convict Indents, 1837-42
 * Convict Indents, 1788-1842
 * Musters and other papers relating to convict ships, 1790-1849	NRS 1155
 * Registers of convicts' applications to marry, 1825-51
 * Assignment Registers, 1821-24
 * Register of Tickets of Leave, 1824-27
 * Ticket of Leave butts, 1827-67
 * Registers of Conditional Pardons, 1791-1825
 * Registers of convicts recommended for Conditional Pardons, 1826-56
 * Registers of Absolute Pardons, 1791-1843 and Registers of recommendations for Absolute Pardons, 1826-46
 * Convict Deaths, 1828-79

"The ARK is held by 40 community access points across NSW. The majority of access points are libraries. The ARK consists of microfilm copies of our most popular and heavily used colonial records. Included are records relating to convict arrivals, assisted immigrants, births, deaths and marriages, publicans' licences, electoral rolls, naturalisation, returns of the colony ('Blue Books'), land grants, and the wide range of functions of the Colonial Secretary (1788-1825). You may find that the ARK (or parts of it) are held at a library near you."

Background
Court records contain information about individuals who were involved in a number of matters, including those mentioned below. Details about Australian convicts are often found in court records. Most court records provide names of individuals who served as defendants, plaintiffs, jurors, or witnesses. They may also provide such information as the individual’s residence, occupation, physical description, and family.