Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
Also see Teachers.
Also see Private School Proprietors.
To access the early school records, knowing the religion of the pupil may be helpful. Early school names may not correspond with current names. It should also be noted that before free education began in 1873 one third of children did not attend school.
The people mentioned in school records include lists of students (particularly when the school was established), lists of parents (supplying money and labour to establish the school and in petitions to the government), lists of school trustees/ school committee members and lists of teachers.
Pupil registers may be held by the current school if it is operational. Public Record Office Victoria holds about 1,000 pupil registers; these are mainly from schools that have closed. Pupil registers may also be held in libraries, historical societies and genealogical societies.
There are many mentions of schools in the Inward Correspondence of the Superintendent of Port Phillip District.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - INWARD CORRESPONDENCE, SUPERINTENDENT OF PORT PHILLIP DISTRICT 1839-1851 (VPRS 19 P1)
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS19
There were two educational systems in the Port Phillip District of New South Wales (now Victoria): Denominational Schools Board which oversaw Denominational Schools that were run by churches and the Board of National Education, New South Wales which oversaw National Schools that were run by the state.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - BOARD OF NATIONAL EDUCATION, NEW SOUTH WALES INWARD AND OUTWARD CORRESPONDENCE 1849-1851 (VPRS 65)
These are held by the State Archives of New South Wales. The records relating to the Port Phillip District of New South Wales have been digitised.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS65
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS BOARD INWARD REGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE 1848-1862 (VPRS 61)
These are not online.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS61
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AND PUPIL RECORDS
This is a finding aid for government school and pupil records. The records are not online.
BALLARAT AND DISTRICT GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY - BUNINYONG SCHOOL REGISTER 1850 (TROVE)
This was a Presbyterian school.
There were two educational systems in Victoria: Denominational Schools Board which oversaw Denominational Schools that were run by churches and the National School Board which oversaw National Schools that were run by the state.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS BOARD INWARD REGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE 1848-1862 (VPRS 61)
These are not online.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS61
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - NATIONAL SCHOOLS BOARD INWARDS REGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE 1852-1862 (VPRS 880)
These are not online. School names are searchable through the catalogue.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS880
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - NATIONAL SCHOOLS BOARD OUTWARDS LETTER BOOKS 1852-1862 (VPRS 878)
These are not online.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS878
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - REGISTER OF SPECIAL CASE FILES 1852-1977 (VPRS 5676)
This series was created to register the special case files (VPRS 892) created by the Education Department and its predecessors and to record the registration numbers of correspondence items placed on the files. At the front there is an index. The register has been digitized.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS5676
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AND PUPIL RECORDS
This is a finding aid for government school and pupil records. The records are not online.
FAMILYSEARCH - GEELONG DISTRICT SCHOOLS
The typescript was housed at the Geelong Historical Centre, Geelong; original records held at Public Record Office Victoria. This contains details of all schools visited by Hugh Childers, inspector of schools, with names and ages of all pupils, and a biographical sketch of Childers by Rosamund Druz.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/455380?availability=Family%20History%20Library
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - BARRABOOL REGION SCHOOL REGISTERS
The following school registers have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database:
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - GEELONG DISTRICT SCHOOLS
The following school records have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database:
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
FAMILYSEARCH - TARRAVILLE LIST OF SCHOOL CHILDREN 1855, 1861
Original records were in possession of the Port Albert Maritime Museum, Port Albert.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/60352?availability=Family%20History%20Library
The Denominational School Board and the National Schools Board were amalgamated to become the Board of Education. It oversaw Common and Rural Schools. These were schools run by the state; the ex denominational schools were still run by committees that were largely made up by people of the religion of the previous denominational school and that religion still influenced these schools. At the time of the amalgamation, there was a rationalization of denominational schools; some lost their government funding and either became private schools or closed. See Private Schools.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - INWARDS REGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE 1862-1872 (VPRS 903)
These are not online.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS903
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - REGISTER OF SPECIAL CASE FILES 1852-1977 (VPRS 5676)
This series was created to register the special case files (VPRS 892) created by the Education Department and its predecessors and to record the registration numbers of correspondence items placed on the files. At the front there is an index. The register has been digitized.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS5676
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - INDEX TO SPECIAL CASE FILES 1862-1977 (VPRS 5675)
This series was created in about 1882 to index the Special Case Files (VPRS 892) created by the Education Department and its predecessors. The index has been digitized.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS5675
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AND PUPIL RECORDS
This is a finding aid for government school and pupil records.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - PUPIL RECORDS
The following pupil registers have been digitized:
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - INSPECTORS REPORTS 1863 (VPRS 904)
In 1863 examinations were carried out at all the schools whose names began with A - E and the reports list all the pupils at these schools. These are not online.
BALLARAT HERITAGE SERVICES - SCHOOL CHILDREN IN VICTORIA 1863 INDEX (TROVE)
In 1863 examinations were carried out at all the schools whose names began with A - E and the reports list all the pupils at these schools. This is an index to those reports (Eastern Hill Lutheran School is missing). This is no longer online; this version is sourced from Trove dated 10 March 2018.
https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20180310015727/http://ballaratheritage.com.au/data-searches.html
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA - GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES
The following school registers have been indexed and some have attached images:
https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection
FAMILYSEARCH - GERMANTOWN COMMON SCHOOL
Records were at the Geelong Historical Records Centre.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/760128?availability=Family%20History%20Library
BALLARAT AND DISTRICT GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY - LANDSBOROUGH SCHOOL REGISTER c1864-c1990
https://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/resources
BENDIGO FAMILY HISTORY GROUP - SANDHURST (BENDIGO) COMMON SCHOOL EXAMINATION REGISTER INDEX 1864-1868 (INTERNET ARCHIVE WAYBACK MACHINE)
This early school was established by the Presbyterian Church in Myers Street. This snapshot is dated 6 May 2021.
https://web.archive.org/web/20210506150322/https://www.bendigofamilyhistory.org/freeindexsearch.htm
BENDIGO FAMILY HISTORY GROUP - ST MARY'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL (INTERNET ARCHIVE WAYBACK MACHINE)
St Mary's Catholic School No.812 was established by John Kinnear in 1865 in Michael Street Bendigo. In 1875 the Education Department withdrew its support but St Mary's continued as a small private school for a futher 7 years. This is the school register for the year 1865. This snapshot is dated 6 May 2021.
https://web.archive.org/web/20210506150322/https://www.bendigofamilyhistory.org/freeindexsearch.htm
Local committee members were appointed for each school. Lists of local committee members may be found in the Victorian Government Gazettes. See Victorian Government Gazettes. They also may be found in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - REGISTERS OF LOCAL COMMITTEES 1862-1874 (VPRS 902)
There were records kept for the appointment of members of local committees for each Common School. These are not online.
The Department of Education oversees State Schools. Education became free, compulsory and secular in 1872. Schools where the school committee or parents did not want them to be secular became private schools; these schools were mainly Roman Catholic and Lutheran. See Private Schools.
When school attendance became compulsory in 1872 parents or guardians could be fined for failing to send their children to school. See Victorian Courts of Petty Sessions. These court cases may be reported in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
Information on schools may be found in the Reports of the Minister of Public Instruction from 1873 to 1947. These are on the Victorian Parliamentary Papers Database. See under Victorian Parliament.
A book Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of state education in Victoria, edited by L. J. Blake in three volumes was published in 1973. This book may be found in local libraries. It has brief histories of all state schools in Victoria.
VICTORIAN ASSOCIATION OF FAMILY HISTORY ORGANSATIONS - VICTORIAN SCHOOL NAME AND NUMBER INDEXES
These are indexes to Vision and Realisation: a centenary history of state education in Victoria Volumes 2 and 3; one by school name and one by school number.
https://vafho.com/2019/03/30/victorian-schools-another-gift-from-vafho
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RECORDS 1873-PRESENT
These are school correspondence records. This is a finding aid for government school records after 1873. The records are not online.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/education/school-records-after-1873
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - REGISTER OF SPECIAL CASE FILES 1852-1977 (VPRS 5676)
This series was created to register the special case files (VPRS 892) created by the Education Department and its predecessors and to record the registration numbers of correspondence items placed on the files. At the front there is an index. The register has been digitized.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS5676
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - INDEX TO SPECIAL CASE FILES 1862-1977 (VPRS 5675)
This series was created in about 1882 to index the Special Case Files (VPRS 892) created by the Education Department and its predecessors. The index has been digitized.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS5675
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AND PUPIL RECORDS
This is a finding aid for government school and pupil records.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - PUPIL RECORDS
The following pupil registers have been digitized:
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES - SCHOOL RECORDS
The following school registers have been indexed into the Genealogical Society of Victoria's Genealogical Index of Names (GIN) Database and some have attached images. People under 75 are not included.
https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection
FAMILY HISTORY CONNECTIONS - VICTORIAN SCHOOL RECORDS INDEX
An index of transcriptions of records from the Public Record Office of Victoria. The following school records have been indexed.
For members only.
https://www.familyhistory.asn.au/layout.php?mod=aigsindexes&i=5
ARCHIVAL ACCESS VICTORIA - VICTORIAN PUPIL REGISTER DATABASE
This index contains over 113,000 names of pupils who attended Victorian primary schools over the past 150 years, It currently contains data from over 245 schools across the state. A copy of the full digitised pupil register may be obtained from the collater.
https://datastudio.google.com/reporting/852f751d-09f2-4089-8ca4-e36607cda230
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - BARRABOOL REGION SCHOOL REGISTERS
The following school registers have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database:
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - GEELONG DISTRICT SCHOOLS
The following school records have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database:
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
FAMILYSEARCH - ALBERTON SCHOOL REGISTER 1891
Original records were in possession of the Port Albert Maritime Museum, Port Albert.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/60352?availability=Family%20History%20Library
FAMILYSEARCH - BAMBRA STATE SCHOOL ADMISSION REGISTERS 1904-1957
Original records were housed at the Geelong Historical Records Centre.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/552336?availability=Family%20History%20Library
FAMILYSEARCH - BELLARINE STATE SCHOOL EXAMINATION REGISTER 1876-1894
Original records were housed at the Geelong Historical Centre, Geelong.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/455579?availability=Family%20History%20Library
FAMILYSEARCH - CERES STATE SCHOOL ADMISSION REGISTERS 1901-1953
Original records were housed at the Geelong Historical Centre, Geelong.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/455264?availability=Family%20History%20Library
FAMILYSEARCH - COLAC AND DISTRICT STATE SCHOOL REGISTERS 1879-1960s
Original records were in possession of Colac and District Historical Centre, Colac.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/391249?availability=Family%20History%20Library
FAMILYSEARCH - ECHUCA HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSION RECORDS 1912-1935
Records were held at the Echuca High School, Echuca.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/550447?availability=Family%20History%20Library
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, SELECTED TRIAL BRIEF AND CORRESPONDENCE REGISTERS AND OTHER IMAGES, 1837-1993
These are provided by Public Record Office Victoria. These records are not indexed but can be browsed by description and range. They include:
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=60672
FAMILYSEARCH - FYANSFORD STATE SCHOOL ROLLS 1880-1966
Records were at the Geelong Historical Records Centre.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/760129?availability=Family%20History%20Library
FAMILYSEARCH - JAN JUC STATE SCHOOL ADMISSION AND INSPECTORS' REGISTERS 1883-1913
Original records were housed at the Geelong Historical Centre, Geelong.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/455342?availability=Family%20History%20Library
BALLARAT AND DISTRICT GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY - LANDSBOROUGH SCHOOL REGISTER c1864-c1990
https://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/resources
BALLARAT AND DISTRICT GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY - MOUNT CLEAR PRIMARY SCHOOL 1905-1952
https://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/resources
FAMILYSEARCH - PORTARLINGTON STATE SCHOOL ADMISSION REGISTERS 1873-1960 AND EXAMINATION REGISTERS 1901-1911
Original records were housed at the Geelong Historical Centre, Geelong.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/455560?availability=Family%20History%20Library
DAREBIN HERITAGE - PRESTON STATE SCHOOL INSPECTORS REGISTER 1886-1894
This is not currently operational.
https://heritage.darebinlibraries.vic.gov.au/page/1067/school-histories-and-records
FAMILYSEARCH - SHELFORD STATE SCHOOL ADMISSION REGISTERS 1901-1954
Original records were housed at the Geelong Historical Centre, Geelong.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/455457?availability=Family%20History%20Library
STATE SCHOOL BOARDS OF ADVICE 1873-1910
Boards of Advice had responsibility for the schools in their district. Five to seven board members were elected by the ratepayers residing in the district. Lists of the board members of Boards of Advice may be found in the Victorian Government Gazettes. See Victorian Government Gazettes. They also may be found in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
Records relating to Boards of Advice may be found in Public Record Office Victoria and in local repositories.
SCHOOL COMMITTEES 1911-PRESENT
School committee members were appointed for each school. Lists of school committee members may be found in the Victorian Government Gazettes. See Victorian Government Gazettes. They also may be found in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
Records relating to school committees may be found in Public Record Office Victoria and in local repositories.
Also see Public Works.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL BUILDING RECORDS 1863-1956 (VPRS 640, 795, 796, 3851, 3852, 3853, 3854, 3916, 9513)
This is a finding aid for government school building files. The records are not online.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL BUILDING FILES 1956-1975 (VPRS 8796, 8797, 8798, 8799, 8800, 8801, 9512)
This is a finding aid for government school building files. The records are not online.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL CONVEYANCE DEEDS REGISTER 1873-1909 (VPRS 11461)
This is a finding aid for government school conveyance deeds register. The records are not online.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL PROPERTY FILES 1920-1995 (VPRS 11388)
This is a finding aid for government school property files. The records are not online.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT SCHOOL SITES RECORDS 1921-1930 (VPRS 11447)
This is a finding aid for government school sites records. The records are not online.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - DIGITISED PHOTOGRAPHS OF SCHOOLS AND OTHER EDUCATION BUILDINGS 1890-1967 (VPRS 1396, 14517, 10516)
This is a finding aid for digitized photographs of school buildings and other educational facilities.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - NON-DIGITISED PHOTOGRAPHS OF SCHOOLS 1890s-1993 (VPRS 1396, 14514, 14516, 14562, 14581)
This is a finding aid for non-digitized photographs of schools. Some photographs are available on Flickr.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - GOVERNMENT BUILDING PHOTOGRAPHS 1926-1965 (VPRS 10516)
This series includes photographs created by the Department of Public Works between 1926 and 1965. The photographs include state primary schools, state secondary schools, state colleges, public hospitals, courthouses, police stations, prisons and bridges. Also included are Victorian public buildings and some interstate public buildings. This is a finding aid for government buildings.
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - VICTORIAN SCHOOL PROFILES
This is a set of school history profiles including links to records in the Public Record Office Victoria collection. The link show the full scope of records held including registers, school council minutes, index of pupils etc.
https://www.vic.gov.au/150-years-search-school-profiles
When the Board of Education came into being in 1862 there was a rationalization of denominational schools. Some lost their government funding and became private schools.
Education became free, compulsory and secular in 1872. Schools where the school committee or parents did not want them to be secular became private schools; these schools were mainly Roman Catholic and Lutheran.
Private schools needed to be registered from 1876.
Lists of private schools are included in the appendices of the Reports of the Minister of Public Instruction from 1877 to 1894. These are included in the Victorian Parliamentary Papers database. These may include the proprietors or head teachers. See under Victorian Parliament.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOL RECORDS 1906-1996 (VPRS 10300)
This is a finding aid for non-government school records, most of which have closed. The records are not online.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/education/non-government-school-records
Registers of non-government schools were printed in the Victorian Government Gazettes from 1907 to 1984. These may include the proprietors or head teachers. See Victorian Government Gazettes.
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, ST.PETER'S EASTERN HILL, SELECTED RECORDS, 1848-1998
St. Peter's Anglican Church is in East Melbourne. The selected records include day school records 1897-1930, confirmation classes book 1892-1915, pew rent books 1848-1884 and photographs 1851-1960. The collection may be browsed.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=9733
FINDMYPAST - WAR SERVICES OLD MELBURNIANS
Members of the Old Melburnians Society who served in World War 1. Old Melburnians had attended Melbourne Grammar School.
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/war-services-old-melburnians
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA - GREAT SCOT, THE SCOTCH COLLEGE MELBOURNE MAGAZINE OBITUARIES 1978 TO PRESENT
Index Only. Incomplete. They may be searched through Milestones.
https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection
See Public Buildings.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - NON-GOVERNMENT SCHOOL BUILDING RECORDS (VPRS 8044, 7882, 10300)
This is a finding aid for non-government school building records. The records are not online.
When school attendance became compulsory in 1872 parents or guardians could be fined for failing to send their children to school. These court cases may be reported in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
Lists of school pupils who received prizes or were successful in examinations may be listed in newspapers. See Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
School yearbooks may be found on Trove.
TROVE - MAGAZINES AND NEWSLETTERS
This allows text-searching of digitised magazines and newsletters. The magazines and newsletters have been scanned and the text from the articles has been captured by optical character recognition.
Included are Australian serial publications, including popular magazines, literary and special interest journals, and born-digital publications. Smaller organisation publications are also included, such as school yearbooks or newsletters from special events.
To find magazine or newsletter mentions using keywords: use the pulldown menu to do a specific search for "Magazines and Newsletters". For a more focused search: use the "Advanced Search" and use the pulldown menu to do a specific search for "Magazines and Newsletters". A search can then be made by title, place or date range.
If you have questions or problems with this site, email the Web Administrator.