South Australia Civil Registration

How to Find the Records

 * National Library of Australia Website: Australian birth, death and marriage records
 * FamilySearch Webinar: Australia BDM Civil Registration Index online tutorial. Indexes for some states have been added since this class was recorded: Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, Tasmania,

Offices to Contact
South Australian General Registry Office The General Registry Office as a title can cause some confusion. The GRO in the UK refers to the government department responsible for the management of the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths. In South Australia, the GRO has a different function and the local equivalent of the GRO is commonly known as the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages. The General Registry Office currently located at Building 4A, 300 Richmond Road, Netley SA 5037 (formerly 39 Carrington Street Adelaide: pictured) was established as a Records Office to administer the Registration of Deeds Act in South Australia. This mainly allowed for the administration of transactions and dealings effected in General Law Freehold Title to land. General Law Title or the Old System Title was the English land law adopted at the time of foundation of South Australia as a colony in December 1836.

The GRO holds deeds and records to land transactions prior to the implementation of Real Property Act (ie the period 1837–1858). With the introduction of the Real Property Act (often referred to as the Torrens Title System) in 1858, all land transactions were then conducted under this new system of using a land title.

The role of the GRO covered more than property transactions (mortgages, conveyances, leases, land grants, indentures, Wills, probate) in that deeds for a number of actions (inc Deed Poll name changes) could be deposited with the office. Such documents called memorials represent those original deeds registered and held by the GRO, whereas documents known as deposits or enrolments are certified copies held by the GRO.

Material held in the collection can be summarised as follows:

• Registrations of deeds executed. • Enrolments from original deeds or Deposits of original deeds and plans. • Real Property Act application packets containing original general law deeds. • Wills involving land before Feb 1892.

Online Records

 * South Australia Online Database Search
 * 1842 forward: South Australian Births at Ancestral & Local History Research; index only
 * South Australia Baptisms and Confirmations at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * South Australia Stillbirths at FindMyPast; index only ($)
 * 1842 forward: South Australian Marriages at Ancestral & Local History Research; index only
 * 1842 forward: South Australian Deaths at Ancestral & Local History Research; index only


 * Australia, Birth, Marriage, and Death Exchange, index
 * 1776-1980: at FamilySearch; index & images*1788-1922 - Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1792-1981 -, index, incomplete. How to Use this Collection
 * 1792-1981 - Australia, Births and Baptisms, 1792-1981, index - at Ancestry.com ($). Also at FindMyPast ($). Also at My Heritage ($)
 * 1788-1950 - Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1788-1935 - Australia, Marriages, 1788-1935, index - at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1810-1980 -, index, incomplete. How to Use this Collection
 * 1810-1980 - Australia, Marriages, 1810-1980, index - at MyHeritage ($)
 * 1787-1985 - Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, index - at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1816-1980 -, index. How to Use this Collection
 * 1816-1980 - Australia Deaths & Burials, 1816-1980, index - at FindMyPast ($). Also at My Heritage ($)
 * 1851-1997 - Australia Newspaper Vital Notices, 1851-1997 - at Ancestry, ($), index, incomplete.
 * 1860-2019 - Australia Death Notices, 1860-2019, ($), index

British Armed Forces

 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
 * British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at FindMyPast; index & images ($)

Rights of Privacy
Rights of privacy laws limit access to records recent enough to contain information about living persons. You can access any of the following records: For records created since the cut-off dates, only these people have access to a record:
 * births that happened over 100 years ago
 * deaths that happened over 30 years ago
 * marriages that happened over 75 years ago
 * the person named on the birth, marriage or change of name record
 * an immediate family member named on the death certificate, such as a spouse, parent or child
 * a parent, grandparent or guardian of a child over 18 years old who wishes to apply for a birth certificate and who has given written permission.

Information Recorded in the Records
When civil registration first began, there was no common standard of recording information, so the information listed may vary from state to state. Later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones.

Birth records


 * Surname and forenames of child
 * Date and place of birth of child
 * Sex of the child
 * Multiple births
 * Surname and forenames of father
 * Age, birthplace, and occupation or rank of father
 * Maiden surname and forenames of mother
 * Place and year of marriage of parents
 * Age and birthplace of mother
 * Number and sex of previous issue, if deceased
 * Name, relationship, description, and residence of informant

Marriage records


 * Surname and forenames of parties
 * Occupations and places of residence of parties
 * Ages and places of birth of parties
 * Marital status prior to the marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name of celebrant and denomination
 * Names of witnesses
 * Surnames and forenames of parents

Death records


 * Surname and forenames of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Occupation, age, and sex of deceased
 * Place of birth and place and date of marriage of deceased
 * Length of residence in Australia and in what colonies, states, and territories
 * Name of spouse and names and ages of living children of deceased
 * Number and sex of issue, if deceased
 * Name and occupation of father
 * Maiden surname of mother
 * Cause of death and duration of last illness
 * Name of medical practitioner
 * Date and place of burial
 * Religion and name of minister or witness
 * Names of undertaker and informant
 * Residence and relationship or description of informant
 * Date and place of civil registration