Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
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See Members of Parliament and Senators.
Also see Electoral Rolls.
A parliamentary paper is a document from the working of the executive government which has been tabled in a parliament. They include:
Parliamentary petitions may be from individuals, occupational groups, residents, church congregations, ratepayers and local councils. Petitions usually include signatures and addresses.
Victoria was a British colony from 1851 to 1901. From 1788 to 1851 it was part of the British colony of New South Wales. In 1901 the colony of Victoria joined the Commonwealth of Australia and became the state of Victoria.
United Kingdom Parliamentary Papers 1801-2003/4 are available through Proquest with a State Library of Victoria membership card. They include House of Commons sessional papers which are full page searchable images.
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. Representative government began in New South Wales in 1842 and the Port Phillip District sent elected representatives to the Legislative Council in Sydney. In 1851 Victoria separated from New South Wales.
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/home.aspx
The First Legislative Council archive contains documents from 1824 to 1855. It includes tabled papers, Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reports of debates, and documents relating to the administration of the First Council (classified as "non-tabled papers"). These have been indexed by document type and date.
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/hansard/pages/first-council.aspx
There is a comprehensive index to all parliamentary documents available online. This page contains links to all New South Wales Hansard, House Papers and Tabled Papers which are available online, including indexes to those records. Reports of debates prior to 1880 are currently unavailable online.
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.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/
PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA - PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS 1851-2013
The Victorian Parliamentary Papers are searchable. While some peoples' names have been indexed and are searchable this does not include every mention.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/vufind/
PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA - TABLED DOCUMENTS DATABASE 2012-PRESENT
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/assembly/tabled-documents/search-tabled-documents-database
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES - VICTORIAN PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS
This includes the following indexes:
https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection
FAMILY HISTORY CONNECTIONS - VICTORIA PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS INDEX 1852-1899
This is searchable online at the Family History Connections website. For members only.
https://www.familyhistoryconnections.org.au/index.php/resources
FINDMYPAST - VICTORIA PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS INDEX 1852-1899
The Victorian Parliamentary Papers have been indexed by the Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies (now Family History Connections). The index is searchable.
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/victoria-parliamentary-papers-1852-1899
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - ORIGINAL PAPERS TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 1856-2014 (VPRS 3253)
This series comprises the original documents tabled in the Legislative Assembly. Original papers tabled include reports, petitions, returns, messages, division lists, writs, evidence and estimates. These include annual reports of departments of state or statutory authorities required to submit their reports under the Annual Reporting Act; or the reports of other public bodies required under specific Acts to table their reports. Originals of both published and unpublished papers are included in the series.
Petitions usually include signatures and addresses. Petitions may be from individuals, occupational groups, residents, church congregations, ratepayers and local councils. Petitioners and the subject of the petition may be searchable through the catalogue.
WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE PETITION 1891
In an effort to gain the right to vote for all Victorian women, a handful of dedicated women took to the streets in 1891 to collect signatures for a petition to present to the Parliament of Victoria. The result was an impressive collection of close to 30,000 signatures from women from all walks of life. This is searchable.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/the-history-of-parliament/womens-suffrage-petition
The colony of Victoria joined the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901 becoming the state of Victoria.
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