Possession Records

GENERAL RECORDS

PROBATE AND ADMINISTRATION RECORDS

If the person you are researching left a will or estate that required administration, an inventory of their assets as well as their liabilities should be seen in their probate or administration records. See Probate and Administration Records.

MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS

If the person you are researching died whilst serving in the armed forces their military service record may contain a list of possessions returned to their family.

See Military Service Records.

LUNATIC ESTATE RECORDS

ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, LUNATIC ESTATES AND REGISTER, 1867-1906

This collection contains an inventory book of estates belonging to mental health patients as well as a register of patients in mental health facilities in Victoria, Australia.

https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=60712

INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY RECORDS

If the person you are researching became insolvent an inventory of their assets as well as their liabilities should be seen in their insolvency records.

See Insolvency and Bankruptcy Records.

FIRE INQUESTS

Fire inquest deposition files are created during fire inquests conducted by the Victorian Coroner's Court into the cause and origin of fires. Each investigation relates solely to the cause and origin of a fire and not into any deaths caused by a fire. These records do not include fire inquests which led to criminal charges. These are included in criminal trial briefs.

See Inquests and Coronial Records.

BILLS OF SALES

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - BILLS OF SALES 1880-1902 (VPRS 8350)

Bills of sale were mortgages against chattels. Bills of sale were filed with the Registrar-General's Department as they gave the grantee (mortgagee) priority against the chattels in the event of the grantor (mortgagor)'s default; the grantee would otherwise have been unsecured creditor. An inventory of the chattels in question is given in the file; the chattels may be furniture or motor cars. Bills of sale may be searched through the catalogue at Public Record Office Victoria.

https://prov.vic.gov.au/

SPECIFIC RECORDS

REAL ESTATE RECORDS

See Land Records.

Lost documents detailing ownership of real estate were advertised in government gazettes and newspapers. See Government Gazettes. Also see Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

BUSINESS AND SHAREHOLDER RECORDS

See Business Records.

Lost share certificates were advertised in government gazettes and newspapers. See Government Gazettes. Also see Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

CONVICT BANK BOOKS

ANCESTRY - NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, CONVICT SAVINGS BANK BOOKS, 1824-1886

https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=1245

MONEYLENDING ACTIVITIES

For mortgages secured by real estate see Land Records.

For bills of sale secured by chattels see Bills of Sale.

PENSION PAYMENTS

See Pensioners under Occupational Records.

DIARIES AND LETTERS

Between 1854 and 1864 unclaimed letters were advertised in newspapers and government gazettes; this was a requirement by law. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals. Also see Government Gazettes.

TROVE - DIARIES, LETTERS, ARCHIVES

This includes:

• Unpublished (includes content from the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), letters, diaries, handwritten notes, personal photographs, scrapbooks, draft manuscripts and organisational records)
• Published (includes biographical files of press clippings, ephemera collections such as menus, programmes and advertising material and organisational documents)
• Government publications (includes published reports and reviews on subjects of interest to community organisations for their records)

To find these using keywords: use the pulldown menu to do a specific search for "Diaries, Letters, Archives".

https://trove.nla.gov.au/

LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

Lost life insurance policies were advertised in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

LIVESTOCK

Stock brands were listed in police gazettes. See Police Gazettes.

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES - MARION BUTTON STOCKHOLDERS' BRANDS IN POLICE GAZETTES 1858

https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection

Lost livestock were advertised in newspapers and government gazettes. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals. Also Government Gazettes.

Impounded livestock were advertised in newspapers and government gazettes. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals. Also see Government Gazettes. Pounds were run by local councils; for pound records see Local Government.

The theft of livestock was reported in police gazettes and newspapers. Court cases may have involved stolen livestock. See Government Gazettes. Also see Newspapers, Magazines and Journals. Also see Court Records.

The following may be found in newspapers:

• Livestock were shown in local agricultural shows. The winning animals and their owners may be seen in newspapers.
• The services of stud animals were advertised in newspapers.
• Lists of racehorses, trotters or race ponies that were entered in races and their owners are listed in newspapers. The winners of such races and their owners are also listed.
• Livestock sales were held locally or in Melbourne. These were reported in newspapers.
• Livestock were advertised for sale in newspapers.
• Clearing sales were held when people sold their properties or ended the lease on their properties or retired; they may have sold their livestock. Clearing sales may be advertised in newspapers.

See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

DOGS

Dogs were required to be registered within towns in the colony of New South Wales from the 1830s. Dog registers may be found in local council records. See Local Government. If a dog was unregistered the owner could be taken to court for failing to register their animal. See Court Records.

BALLARAT HERITAGE SERVICES - BALLAN DOG REGISTRATIONS 1871-1873 (PANDORA)

This is no longer online; this version is sourced from Pandora dated 10 March 2018.

https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20180310015727/http://ballaratheritage.com.au/data-searches.html

The following may be found in newspapers:

• Dogs were shown in local agricultural shows or in dog shows. The winning animals and their owners may be seen in newspapers.
• Lists of greyhounds that were entered in races and their owners are listed in newspapers. The winners of such races and their owners are also listed. From at least the 1930s transfers of ownership of greyhounds were listed in newspapers.
• Dogs were advertised for sale in newspapers.

See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

WATCHES, TRINKETS, JEWELLERY, CLOTHING, FURNITURE, HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS, FARMING IMPLEMENTS, PLANT, TOOLS, HARNESS, AND SADDLERY

Clearing sales were held when people sold their properties or ended the lease on their properties or retired; they may have sold furniture, household effects, farming implements, plant, tools, harness and saddlery. Clearing sales may be advertised in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

People advertised lost items in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

The theft of watches, trinkets, jewellery, clothing, furniture, household effects, farming implements, plant, tools, harness and saddlery were reported in police gazettes and newspapers. Court cases may have involved stolen property. See Police Gazettes. Also see Newspapers, Magazines and Journals. Also see Court Records.

MOTOR CARS, TRUCKS OR OTHER VEHICLES

Registration numbers of motor vehicles and their owner's names and addresses were listed in police gazettes. See Police Gazettes.

Motor vehicles or horse drawn vehicles were advertised for sale in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.

SHIPS AND BOATS

See Shipping Records.