Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
For burial or funeral records other than early burial records (1803-1853) see Church, Synagogue and other Religious Records.
For obituaries see Biographies.
If people died leaving a will or property see Probate and Administration Records.
Also see Inquests and Coronial Records.
Also see Cemetery and Crematoria Records.
Also see Headstone/ Memorial Transcriptions and Photographs.
Also see Monuments and War Memorials.
Also see Funeral Director and Undertaker Records.
In the early days of Victoria including during the gold rushes, isolated country areas which were not serviced by clergymen and people may have been buried in lone graves where they died. There may be no record of their death.
TASMANIAN ARCHIVE AND HERITAGE FAMILY HISTORY TASMANIAN NAMES INDEX - VICTORIAN BURIAL RECORDS 1803-1804
The burial records for the Sullivan Bay settlement at Sorrento in 1803 to 1804 can be viewed online at the Tasmanian Names Index at the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Family History website:
https://www.libraries.tas.gov.au/how-to/Pages/Names-Index-content.aspx
NEW SOUTH WALES REGISTRY OF BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES - VICTORIAN BURIAL RECORDS 1788 - about 1847
Victoria was the Port Phillip District of the colony of New South Wales until 1851.There was a convict settlement at Rhyll and Corinella from 1826 to 1828. The burial records for Victoria to about 1847 may be obtained using the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages website. There is an index on the New South Wales Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages website.
https://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/Pages/family-history-research/family-history-research-nsw.aspx
BIRTHS DEATHS MARRIAGES VICTORIA - BURIAL RECORDS 1836-1853
The burial records from 1836 to 1853 are lodged with Births Deaths Marriages Victoria. Burial records for this period may be downloaded from the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website. There is an index on the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website.
https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history
FAMILYSEARCH - AUSTRALIA, DEATHS AND BURIALS, 1816-1980
An index to records held by the Genealogical Society of Utah is searchable on their FamilySearch website. This has deaths and burials from New South Wales and Victoria. Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1770857
ANCESTRY - AUSTRALIA, DEATH INDEX, 1787-1985
This includes deaths in New South Wales from 1788 to 1945 and deaths in Victoria from 1836 to 1985.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=1779
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, DEATH INDEX, 1836-1988
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=61650
FINDMYPAST - NEW SOUTH WALES DEATHS 1788-1945
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/new-south-wales-deaths-1788-1945
FINDMYPAST - VICTORIA DEATHS 1836-1985
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/victoria-deaths-1836-1985
FINDMYPAST - AUSTRALIA DEATHS AND BURIALS 1816-1980
These are sourced from FamilySearch.
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/australia-deaths-and-burials-1816-1980
In the early days of Victoria including during the gold rushes, isolated country areas which were not serviced by birth, death and marriage registrars and people may have been buried in lone graves where they died. There may be no record of their death.
The date and place of inquests in Victoria are included on Victorian death certificates. Inquests were mandatory if a person died in a government institution such as a prison or mental asylum. There is a lack of detail on death certificates which were filled out by officials; this can make it hard to identify individuals particularly those with common names. See Inquests and Coronial Records.
The date and place of burial or cremation in Victoria are included on Victorian death certificates. Also see Cemetery and Crematoria Records.Also see Headstone/ Memorial Transcriptions and Photographs. For other burial records see Church, Synagogue and other Religious Records.
The undertaker or funeral director is included on Victorian death certificates. See Funeral Director and Undertaker Records. For other funeral records see Church, Synagogue and other Religious Records.
BIRTHS DEATHS MARRIAGES VICTORIA - DEATH REGISTRATION RECORDS 1853-Present
Death registration began in 1853 in Victoria. Death certificates can be obtained using the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website. Historical death certificates can be downloaded from the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website; these are for deaths occurring more than 30 years ago. There is an index on the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website.
https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history
Places of birth may be included on this index for deaths registered from 1936.
Spouses may be included on this index for deaths registered from 1853 to 1888.
Care should be exercised as to the ages given in the index; some of the ages were originally given in days, weeks or months and are now without the ascribed time period.
ANCESTRY - AUSTRALIA, DEATH INDEX, 1787-1985
This includes deaths in New South Wales from 1788 to 1945 and deaths in Victoria from 1836 to 1985.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=1779
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, DEATH INDEX, 1836-1988
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=61650
FINDMYPAST - VICTORIA DEATHS 1836-1985
https://search.findmypast.com.au/search-world-Records/victoria-deaths-1836-1985
Ship passenger lists may include list of deaths occurring onboard ship. See Passenger Arrival Records and Passenger Departure Records.
GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE, ENGLAND - MARINE REGISTER 1837-1965
Records of deaths from 1837 to 1965 on British registered ships bound for Victoria had to be sent directly to the General Register Office and recorded in the Marine Register. The related certificates can be obtained from the General Register Office. They are not online.
https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate
ANCESTRY - UK, REGISTERS OF BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS AT SEA 1844-1890
These registers are from the National Archives in England. The record series include BT 153, BT 156-160, CO 386 and CUST 67. The original images may be viewed online. The records are searchable and may be browsed.
https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/60998/
FINDMYPAST - BRITISH ARMED FORCES AND OVERSEAS DEATHS AND BURIALS INDEX 1787-2005
These records are from the General Register Office and the National Archives in England. It is a collection of death and burial records of those who died overseas and at sea. The collection holds death records of members of the British armed forces who died while serving their country overseas, British civilians who died while travelling or working overseas, and individuals, including seamen, who died at sea. The records are transcriptions; some have attached images. They are searchable.
BMDREGISTERS - NON-CONFORMIST AND NON-PAROCHIAL BMDS SERVICE
This is a pay-to-view service for some of the records held by the National Archives in England. The record series include RG 32-36 and BT series. The non-parochial records include overseas birth, marriage and death registrations for British citizens and those on board ships. These date from 1627 to 1969. The index may be searched online.
ANCESTRY - BREMEN, GERMAN DEATHS OF SAILORS AND SHIP PASSENGERS (SEEMANSAMT BREMEN, STERBEREGISTER), 1834-1875
This database contains records of sailors and passengers who died aboard ships sailing from Bremen, Germany between 1834 and 1875. Sailors may have also died at ports of call. Ships included passenger, shipping, fishing and other vessels. Information contained in this database includes:
Additional information, such as the deceased’s age at time of death, birthplace, profession, spouse’s name, age and profession, father’s name, age, profession, and residence, mother’s name and age, cause of death, ship name, and ship captain’s name, may also be recorded in the record and can be found by viewing the image.
https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/1273/
BIRTHS DEATHS MARRIAGES VICTORIA - MARINE DEATH REGISTRATION 1853-PRESENT
Marine death registration began in 1853 in Victoria. This is for deaths occurring on board international and coastal ships bound for Victoria. Marine death certificates can be obtained using the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website. Historical death certificates can be downloaded from the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website; these are for deaths occurring more than 30 years ago. There is an index on the Births Deaths Marriages Victoria website; this is for marine deaths from 1853 to 1920.
https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/research-and-family-history/search-your-family-history
Death, memorial and funeral notices can be found in the family notice section of newspapers. For these, see Newspapers, Magazines and Journals.
A stillbirth is where a baby is born dead. See under Birth Records.
For death records of people dying in hospitals see Hospital Records.
For death records of people dying in mental asylums see Mental Asylum Records.
Inquests were mandatory if a person died in a government institution such as a mental asylum. There is a lack of detail on death certificates which were filled out by officials; this can make it hard to identify individuals particularly those with common names. For inquest records of people dying in mental asylums see Inquests and Coronial Records.
Victoria was defended using British military forces until 1870.
Deaths of military personnel may also be found in service records. See Military Service Records.
ANCESTRY - UK, BRITISH ARMY AND NAVY BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEATH RECORDS, 1730-1960
The records were collected by the various armed services of the British forces. Many are from registers kept by the chaplains of the various services and include births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. Also included in this collection are British Navy reports of deaths as well as British Officer births, wills and personal records. The records are searchable and may be browsed.
https://www.ancestry.com.au/search/collections/60931/
FINDMYPAST - BRITISH ARMED FORCES AND OVERSEAS DEATHS AND BURIALS INDEX 1787-2005
These records are from the General Register Office and the National Archives in England. It is a collection of death and burial records of those who died overseas and at sea. The collection holds death records of members of the British armed forces who died while serving their country overseas, British civilians who died while travelling or working overseas, and individuals, including seamen, who died at sea. The records are transcriptions; some have attached images. They are searchable.
FINDMYPAST - BRITISH ARMY, ROYAL ARTILLERY OFFICER DEATHS 1850-2011
The deaths of Victorian people who die on active service overseas are not registered in Victoria or Australia. Deaths of military personnel may also be found in service records. See Military Service Records.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL - ROLL OF HONOUR
There is a Roll of Honour on the Australian War Memorial website that details members of the Australian armed forces who died while on active service.
https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?roll=Roll%20of%20Honour
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL - COMMEMORATIVE ROLL
There is also a Commemorative Roll on the Australian War Memorial website that details Australians who were not members of the Australian armed forces who died during or as a result of wars in which Australians served. It includes those Australians who died while members of Allied Forces, the Merchant Navy, philanthropic organisations attached to the forces or as war correspondents or photographers.
https://www.awm.gov.au/advanced-search/people?roll=Commemorative%20Roll
Convicts were British people who were convicted of crime and transported to Australia. A death register recorded the deaths of convicts who died while still serving their sentence. See Convict Death Register.
For death records of people dying in prisons see Prison Records.
Inquests were mandatory if a person died in a government institution such as a prison. There is a lack of detail on death certificates which were filled out by officials; this can make it hard to identify individuals particularly those with common names. For inquest records of people dying in prisons see Inquests and Coronial Records.
Capital punishment was abolished in Victoria in 1975.
Below are common diseases found on death records.
Apoplexy - Paralysis due to stroke
Brain Fever - Meningitis
Bright's Disease - Chronic inflammatory disease of kidneys
Child bed fever - Infection following birth of a child
Cholera - Acute severe contagious diarrhea with intestinal lining sloughing
Cholera morbus - Characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, elevated temperature, etc. Could be appendicitis.
Congestive chills/ fever - Malaria
Consumption - Tuberculosis
Decrepitude - Feebleness due to old age
Dropsy - Edema (swelling), often caused by kidney or heart disease
Dropsy of the Brain - Encephalitis
Dysentery - Inflammation of colon with frequent passage of mucous and blood
Encephalitis - Swelling of brain; aka sleeping sickness
Falling sickness - Epilepsy
Flux - An excessive flow or discharge of fluid like hemorrhage or diarrhea
Grippe/grip - Influenza like symptoms
Jaundice - Condition caused by blockage of intestines
Lagrippe - Influenza
Lockjaw - Tetanus or infectious disease affecting the muscles of the neck and jaw. Untreated, it is fatal in 8 days
Lung fever - Pneumonia
Lung sickness - Tuberculosis
Meningitis - Inflation of brain or spinal cord
Nephrosis - Kidney degeneration
Nepritis - Inflammation of kidneys
Quinsy - Abscess behind tonsils
Small pox - Contagious disease with fever and blisters
Summer complaint - Diarrhea, usually in infants caused by spoiled milk
Tetanus - Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache and dizziness
Trench mouth - apathos ulcers or a virus disease
Thrush - Childhood disease characterized by spots on mouth, lips and throat
Tuberculosis - Bacterial infection that primarily attacks the lungs, but which may also affect the kidneys, bones, lymph nodes, and brain. Symptoms of TB include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, chills, and fatigue.
Typhus - Infectious fever characterized by high fever, headache, and dizziness
Winter fever - Pneumonia
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