Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records from 1829 to 2001.

These records come from the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office. They may include a variety of records, such as: land, school, court, occupation, cemetery, correctional institution, immigration, hospital, military, naturalization, guild and convict records.

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.

Convicts first arrived in Australia in 1788, when the British government established a penal colony at Port Jackson, Sydney Bay. Records about convicts transported to Australia are numerous and play a major role in Australian family history research.

There are four types of convict records:


 * Tickets of leave
 * Certificates of Freedom
 * Pardons
 * Convict Indents

To see definitions of the records, go to Australia Convict Records for more information.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Prisoner records


 * Profession of prisoner
 * Crime for which incarcerated
 * Height
 * Age
 * Complexion
 * Portrait of self
 * Full name
 * Nickname
 * Place of birth
 * Marital status

Occupation records


 * Full name
 * Occupation
 * Names of witnesses

Petty pension records


 * Name of offender
 * Offense made
 * Name of magistrate present
 * Names of witnesses

Land records


 * Name of Grantor
 * Name of Grantee
 * Location
 * Date of Record
 * Date of Registration
 * Document Number
 * Signature

Cemetery records


 * Date of Death and Burial
 * Place of Death and Burial
 * Name and Age of Deceased
 * Cause of Death

Military records


 * Name or initials of soldier
 * Date of enrollment
 * Age at enrollment
 * Occupation
 * Discharge date

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Given name and surname
 * Residence and age
 * Gender

Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Record Category
 * 2) Select Record Type
 * 3) Select Year Range, Archival Number to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for death records
 * Search for death or burial information in the BillionGraves Index or at Find A Grave
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname
 * Search the records of nearby areas

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname
 * Search the records of nearby areas
 * Check for other names. An individual might appear under an unexpected name for a variety of reasons:
 * A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband

Record Finder

 * Consult the Australia Record Finder to find other records

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation: "Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records, 1829-1961" Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 8 September 2016. Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office, Hobart.

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