Census Records

NEW SOUTH WALES CENSUS RETURNS

Victoria was part of the colony of New South Wales from 1788 to 1851. There were two failed attempts at settlement; these were in 1803-1804 and 1826-1828. Victoria was the Port Phillip District of the Colony of New South Wales from 1836 to 1851. In 1851 Victoria separated from New South Wales and became the colony of Victoria. Indigenous Victorians were not included in the census returns; separate population counts of Indigenous Victorians were prepared by welfare authorities. See Indigeneous Victorian Records.

1836 CENSUS

Census of the Port Phillip District dated 9 November 1836.

A transcription can be found in the book “Historical Records of Victoria” Volume 3 Edited by Michael Cannon. Pages 422-426. There is an index at the back of the volume.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - 1836 CENSUS (VPRS 4 P0)

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/46DFE5EC-F7F4-11E9-AE98-8B0A0411D3ED?image=1

PORT PHILLIP DISTRICT WEBSITE - 1836 CENSUS

This is a transcription with further information.

https://www.portphillipdistrict.info/1836_Census.htm

1838 CENSUS (1)

Census of Melbourne dated March 1838.
Only heads of households are named.

A transcription can be found in the book “Historical Records of Victoria” Volume 3 Edited by Michael Cannon. Pages 428-431. There is an index at the back of the volume.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - 1838 CENSUS (1) (VPRS 4 P0)

This has erroneously been included in the Census of the Port Phillip District dated 12 September 1838; it is the last seven pages of this.

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/540ADE4D-F7F4-11E9-AE98-9BF746893740?image=1

PORT PHILLIP DISTRICT WEBSITE - 1838 CENSUS (1)

This is a transcription with some further information.

https://www.portphillipdistrict.info/1838_Census_of_Melbourne.htm

1838 CENSUS (2)

Census of the Port Phillip District dated 12 September 1838.
This is incomplete and includes only Melbourne and Williamstown.

A transcription can be found in the book “Historical Records of Victoria” Volume 3 Edited by Michael Cannon. Pages 432-448. There is an index at the back of the volume.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - 1838 CENSUS (2) (VPRS 4 P0)

The last seven pages are erroneously included and are a Census of Melbourne dated March 1838.

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/540ADE4D-F7F4-11E9-AE98-9BF746893740?image=1

1841 CENSUS

Census of New South Wales which included Port Phillip District dated 1841.
Only heads of households are named.

MUSEUMS OF HISTORY NEW SOUTH WALES, STATE ARCHIVES COLLECTION - 1841 CENSUS INDEX (NRS 1281, NRS 1282)

https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/archives/collections-and-research/guides-and-indexes/census-1841

PORT PHILLIP DISTRICT WEBSITE - 1841 CENSUS

There is a transcription and index.

https://www.portphillipdistrict.info/1841%20Census%20of%20the%20Port%20Phillip%20District.htm

FAMILYSEARCH - 1841 CENSUS

Images and index for 1841 census householder's returns from New South Wales. Records are included for the following districts: Illawarra, Port-Phillip, County of Bourke (South Melbourne), Western districts of Port-Phillip. Original records are located in the State Library of New South Wales, Australia.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2317857

Digitized images in sequence.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/246573?availability=Family%20History%20Library

ANCESTRY - 1841 NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, CENSUS

These records were provided by the State Records Authority of New South Wales. They may be browsed and are searchable.

https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=1214

FINDMYPAST - NEW SOUTH WALES 1841 CENSUS

These records were provided by the State Records Authority of New South Wales. They include transcriptions and images. They are searchable.

https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/new-south-wales-1841-census

STATISTICAL INFORMATION FROM NEW SOUTH WALES CENSUSES

Victoria was known as the Port Phillip District of the Colony of New South Wales until 1851. It then became the Colony of Victoria.

AUSTRALIAN DATA ARCHIVE - STATISTICAL INFORMATION NEW SOUTH WALES CENSUSES 1836, 1841, 1846 AND 1851

This can be seen in Historical Census and Colonial Data Archive.

https://ada.edu.au/

VICTORIAN CENSUS RETURNS

In 1851 Victoria separated from New South Wales and became the colony of Victoria; it had previously been part of the colony of New South Wales from 1788. Victoria was the Port Phillip District of the Colony of New South Wales from 1836 to 1851. The colony of Victoria existed from 1851 until it joined the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. It then became the state of Victoria. Indigenous Victorians were not included in the census returns; separate population counts of Indigenous Victorians were prepared by welfare authorities. See Indigeneous Victorian Records.

STATISTICAL INFORMATION FROM VICTORIAN CENSUSES

AUSTRALIAN DATA ARCHIVE - STATISTICAL INFORMATION VICTORIAN CENSUSES 1854, 1857, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 AND 1901

This can be seen in Historical Census and Colonial Data Archive.

https://ada.edu.au/

AUSTRALIAN CENSUS RETURNS

The colony of Victoria joined the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 becoming the state of Victoria. Indigenous Victorians were not included in the census returns until 1967; before this separate population counts of Indigenous Victorians were prepared by welfare authorities. See Indigeneous Victorian Records.

Manpower and property censuses held during World War 1 and manpower, civilian and property censuses held during World War 2 are held by the National Archives of Australia. These are not online.

STATISTICAL INFORMATION FROM AUSTRALIAN CENSUSES

AUSTRALIAN DATA ARCHIVE - STATISTICAL INFORMATION AUSTRALIAN CENSUSES 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, AND 1986

This can be seen in Historical Census and Colonial Data Archive.

https://ada.edu.au/

AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS - STATISTICAL INFORMATION AUSTRALIAN CENSUSES 1911, 1921, 1933, 1947, 1954, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 AND 2016

https://www.abs.gov.au/

AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS - STATISTICAL INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL REGISTER 1939 AND A SUPPLEMENTARY CIVILIAN REGISTER 1943

https://www.abs.gov.au/

OTHER POPULATION COUNTS

At various times there were other population counts for specific members of society; these include:

1. Counts of the number of indigenous people. See Indigeneous Victorian Records.
2. Counts of the number of convicts. See Convict Records.
3. Counts of the number of aliens (these are people who were not British subjects or were not naturalized). See Alien Records.

FAMILYSEARCH - CENSUS REGISTER TARRAVILLE 1853

Original records were in possession of the Port Albert Maritime Museum, Port Albert.

https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/60349?availability=Family%20History%20Library