Western Australia Census

Online Resources

 * 1832 - A colony detailed : the first census of Western Australia, 1832 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1837 - 1837 census of Western Australia at FamilySearch, images. Arranged alpphabetically.
 * 1837 - Census 1837, extracted from volume 58 of inward correspondence of the Colonial Secretary's Office of Western Australia by staff of the Battye Library at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1837 - Census returns Western Australia, 1837 at FamilySearch, images of original document.

Electoral Rolls/Voting Registers

 * Western Australia Electoral Rolls at FindMyPast - index ($)
 * 1893-1949 - Australia Electoral Rolls, 1893-1949 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1903-1980 - Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 including Western Australia at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1903, 1912, 1922 - Electoral Roll for the Great Southern Region of Western Australia at cosy.com/au; 12700 records
 * 1939-1949 - Find your ancestors in Western Australia Electoral Rolls 1939-1949 at FindMyPast - index ($)

Directories

 * 1874, 1880, 1885 - Herald Western Australian almanack, and commercial directory for 1874, 1880, 1885 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1898? - The Western Australia Post Office directory (Wise's) at FamilySearch, images.


 * The Australasian federal directory of commerce, trades & professions at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1831 - Australian almanack, for the year of our Lord 1831 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1835 - Australian almanack and general directory, for the year of our Lord 1835, e-book.
 * 1869 - Indian and colonial mercantile directory for 1869 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1873 - Australian handbook & almanac & shipper & importers directory, e-book.
 * 1888 - The Australasian federal directory of commerce, trades & professions at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1893 - The Australian handbook (incorporating New Zealand, Fiji, and New Guinea) shippers and importers' directory & business guide for 1893, e-book

Immigration Records

 * 1829-1890 - Card index to passengers arriving in Western Australia 1829-1890 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1851-1869 - Inwards assisted migrants lists from Britain to Western Australia 1851-1869 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1873-1924 - Alphabetical register of all inward passengers to Albany, 1873-1924 at FamilySearch, images.

Land Records

 * 1829-1921 - Land records of Western Australia, 1829-1921 at FamilySearch, images.
 * 1829-1881 - Original land applications, 1829-1881 at FamilySearch, images.

Finding Records
For an excellent analysis of extant records and where they can be found in Australia archives and libraries, see State Library of Victoria: Early Australian census records: Western Australia.

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. Earlier, in 1882, a fire destroyed the New South Wales census records for 1846, 1851, 1856, 1861, 1871 and 1881, including the household forms from 1861, 1871 and 1881. Therefore, census usage in Australian research is different from census research in other countries.

No records of individuals exist for Western Australia censuses after 1837.

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
 * 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.


 * Electoral rolls—See Western Australia Voting Registers.
 * Directories and almanacs—See Western Australia Directories.
 * Emigration and immigration records—See Western Australia Emigration and Immigration.
 * Depasturing licenses—See Western Australia Land and Property.
 * Rate and valuation books—See Western Australia Taxation.
 * Lists of convicts—See Western Australia Convict Records.