Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
If a person is of non British origin he or she may have been naturalized. British origins included everywhere that is in the Commonwealth today as well as Ireland. People of non British origin included Continental Europeans, Chinese and Americans. Naturalization allowed the person in question to vote, stand for election and to own property depending on the applicable laws at the time.
Naturalizations are sometimes mentioned in Government Gazettes. See Government Gazettes.
For Chinese and Indian Victorians also see Alien Records.
Victoria was the Port Phillip District of the Colony of New South Wales until 1851.
MUSEUMS OF HISTORY NEW SOUTH WALES, STATE ARCHIVES COLLECTION - NATURALIZATION INDEX 1834-1903 (NRS 1042)
Naturalization records for the Port Phillip District of the Colony of New South Wales are held by New South Wales State Archives.
https://mhnsw.au/archive/subjects/naturalisation-and-citizenship/?filter=indexes
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - REGISTER OF PATENTS AND REGISTER OF CERTIFICATES OF NATURALIZATION 1847-1852 (A725)
Naturalization records for the Port Phillip District of the Colony of New South Wales and the colony of Victoria are held by the National Archives of Australia. The volume of enrolled certificates with index has been digitized.
ANCESTRY - NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, CERTIFICATES OF NATURALIZATION, 1849-1903
These records are provided in association with State Records Authority of NSW. They may be browsed and they are searchable.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=1549
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - REGISTER OF PATENTS AND REGISTER OF CERTIFICATES OF NATURALIZATION 1847-1852 (A725)
Naturalization records for the Port Phillip District of the Colony of New South Wales and the colony of Victoria are held by the National Archives of Australia. The volume of enrolled certificates with index has been digitized.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - VICTORIAN NATURALIZATION RECORDS 1851-1903
Naturalization records for the colony of Victoria are held by the National Archives of Australia. A person could be naturalized for each colony they lived in: for example, if a person was living in Victoria when it was part of New South Wales and had been naturalized and then when Victoria became a separate colony they may have been naturalized again. The following is National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet 68.
https://www.naa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/fs-68-Naturalisation-records-held-in-Canberra.pdf
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - LETTERS OF NATURALISATION 1851-1903 (A712)
These are the memorials. They are indexed through the catalogue. Some records have been digitised and can be seen online.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - REGISTERS OF CERTIFICATES OF NATURALISATION 1852-1864 (A726)
These have been digitized.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - VOLUMES OF ENROLLED LETTERS OF NATURALISATION 1863-1903 (A727)
These have been digitized. These are certificates.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - NATURALISATION INDEX, VICTORIA - REGISTER OF PATENTS WITH INDEX 1851-1861 (A3977)
This has been digitized.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - NATURALISATION INDEXES, VICTORIA - REGISTER OF PATENTS WITH INDEX 1861-1903 (A728)
These have been digitized.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - CANCELLED CERTIFICATES OF NATURALISATION 1853-1903 (A801)
This series consists of certificates of naturalization issued in Victoria between 1853 and 1903 which were subsequently cancelled. They are the original certificates which were given to the naturalized person but which, on cancellation of the naturalization, were returned to the possession of the colonial government. The great majority refer to persons of Chinese origin, but there are also many other nationalities such as German, Austro-Hungarian, Italian, Scandinavian and American.
They are indexed through the catalogue.These often include photographs. Some records have been digitised and can be seen online.
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, INDEX TO NATURALISATION CERTIFICATES, 1851-1928
These are searchable.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=60711
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - AUSTRALIAN NATURALIZATION RECORDS 1904-PRESENT
Naturalization records for Australia from 1904 are held by the National Archives of Australia. Some are indexed through the catalogue. Some records have been digitised and can be seen online. The records are not available for 20 to 30 years after their creation unless access is approved under the Freedom of Information Act or the Archives Act.The following is National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet 68.
https://www.naa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/fs-68-Naturalisation-records-held-in-Canberra.pdf
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - CORRESPONDENCE FILES (INCLUDES NATURALISATION FILES) 1903-1938 (A1)
These include naturalization applications. They are indexed through the catalogue and are mostly digitized.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - CORRESPONDENCE FILES 'A' SERIES 1910-1910 (A63)
These include naturalization applications. They are indexed through the catalogue and some have been digitized.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - VOLUMES OF DUPLICATE CERTIFICATES OF NATURALIZATION 1904-1917 (A40)
These have been digitized.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - REGISTER OF DEFERMENTS AND REFUSALS OF CERTIFICATES OF NATURALISATION 1921-1939 (A245)
These have been digitized.
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, INDEX TO NATURALISATION CERTIFICATES, 1851-1928
These are searchable.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=60711
From 1917, applicants were required to advertise their intention to seek naturalization in at least one newspaper circulated in the district of residence. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
From 1918, a person's name, address and date of naturalization were published in the Commonwealth Government Gazette.
Prior to 1936 if a woman who was a British subject in Australia, married an alien she acquired his nationality. From 1936 women were able to declare for British nationality independently. From 1937, the details of women declaring for the acquisition of British nationality or the retention of rights as a British subject were also published in the Commonwealth Government Gazette.
See Commonwealth Government Gazettes.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - CITIZENSHIP IN AUSTRALIA: A GUIDE TO COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT RECORDS BY DAVID DUTTON, 2000.
This guide introduces readers to Commonwealth government records on citizenship held by the National Archives and provides advice to interested researchers.
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