Australia, Tasmania, Civil Registration (District Registers) - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records from 1839 to 1938.

The collection includes civil registration and church records from the Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office. The collection contains district registers, counterfoils of marriage certificates, and some church records. A counterfoil was the part of a marriage certificate or "stub" that was retained as the record.

Sample Images
The birth registry may contain the following information:
 * Name of child at birth
 * Date and place of birth
 * Father's name, age, and birthplace
 * Mother's name, maiden name, when and where married, age, birthplace, and number of children, either living or deceased
 * Father's occupation
 * Informant
 * Date of registration

The marriage registry may contain the following information:
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name and surname of parties being married
 * Ages of the bride and groom
 * Rank or profession
 * Signature of parties being married
 * Name of the clergyman
 * Date of Registration

The marriage notice may contain the following information:
 * Name of bride and groom
 * Occupation
 * Age
 * Address of residence
 * Where the marriage took place
 * Marriage date
 * Names of the clergyman

The marriage certificate may contain the following information:
 * Names of bride and groom
 * Age
 * Residence
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Names of parents
 * Witnesses' names
 * Date of marriage
 * Name of clergyman

The death registry may contain the following information:
 * Date of death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Sex
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Cause of death
 * Signature of the informant
 * Date of registration

Coverage Table
For a table showing what records by locality and type are included in this collection see: Australia, Tasmania, Vital Records Coverage Table (FamilySearch Historical Records).

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor’s name.
 * District where your ancestor resided

To search the collection by image: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "record type" ⇒Select the appropriate "place" ⇒Select the appropriate “year" which takes you to the images

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

The following examples show ways you can use the information:
 * Use the information found on the birth record to locate the marriage record for the parents
 * Use the information found on the marriage record to locate the parents of the bride and groom
 * When you locate your ancestors in any of the above records, look for additional records in the are where they resided, such as land and probate

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have lived in the same area
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur
 * Check for variant spellings of the names
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military unties, counties, parishes, etc.)
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

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:
 * - They might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name
 * - A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband


 * 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, Civil Registration (District Registers), 1839-1938." Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing The Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office, Hobart.

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