Records on Tasmanian Aboriginals

Some specific series of records relating to Aboriginal matters

• File 7578 is a large file (one metre of records) “relating to the Aboriginals” within the general files of the Colonial Secretary’s Office. It was created during Governor Arthur’s administration. Further files are identified in the various indexes to these files 1824 - 1836 (CSO1/316 - 332)
  
• Copy of an itinerary of Lieutenant Governor Arthur during the campaign against the Aborigines (1830)  (CSO66)
  
• Bonwick transcripts – examination paper given to children on Flinders (AB694/1 p600)​
  
• Records of the Cape Barren school 1898 - 1971 (TA1136) This is a file within the Premier's Department about Cape Barren Island. It has correspondence between the Islanders and the Government plus returns of people in the Reserve and the Furneaux group (PD1/237) see file 108 for 1911
  
• Lands Department: Applications to occupy agricultural blocks under the Cape 1912, 1913 - 1945 (LSD187) (Alphabetical register see LSD189)
  
• Lands Department: Applications to occupy homestead blocks under the Cape 1913 - 1945 (LSD188) (Alphabetical register see LSD189)
  
• Flinders Police – Record of occurrences and daily activities 1917 - 1973 (with some gaps) (POL205)
  
• Flinders Police – General correspondence – Cape Barren Island 1955 - 1959 (POL203)
  
• Records of the Director of Public Prosecutions representing Tasmania before the Commonwealth Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody 1986 - 1989 (AD771)
  

General government administration records

Records from agencies providing a service to the whole Tasmanian community will include some records relating to Aboriginal people.  For example:

• General correspondence files of the former Lands Department has files on Cape Barren Island (LSD1)​
  
• Case files and administrative records of the former Department of Social Services  can have relevant information on Cape Barren Island and individuals. They will not usually be identified as Aboriginal people.  See for example:
  
• Correspondence on the custody and welfare of children (SWD1)
• General welfare case files (AA226)
• Correspondence files (AD203)
• Correspondence files of the Deputy Director (AD245)
• The administrative files of the former Health Department has  files on services such as bush nursing on the Islands
  
• General correspondence files (HSD5)
• General correspondence - hospital and health administration (HSD6)
  
• The administrative records of the Education Department and schools have information on all children who attended school. They will not be identified as Aboriginal
  
• Records created by the courts & prisons, police, and hospitals may be relevant.  They will not indicate that a person is Aboriginal
  

What other resources might be useful?​

Library resources on the history of Tasmanian Aborigines. Try particularly:

• Bill Mollison’s books on Tasmanian Aboriginal genealogy (though note they are dated and sometimes based on anecdotal evidence)
  
• The Briggs family history report by Helen Anderson
  
• Books by Lyndall Ryan especially Tasmanian Aborigines : a history since 1803 (2012)
  
• Studies in the history of Aboriginal Tasmania series
  
• Indigenous Rights Edited by Justin Healey (2014)
  
• Recognising Aboriginal title : the Mabo case and indigenous resistance to English-settler colonialism by Peter H. Russell (2006) 
  
• The original Australians : story of the Aboriginal people by Josephine Flood (2006) 
  

There are very few records from before 1824.  For this period, try:

For records post 182​​4: the Colonial Secretary​’s Office later Chief Secretary’s Department. The earlier records of the Premiers Office can be useful.

What can I find from other organisations?

Tasmanian Office of Aboriginal Affairs within the Department of Premier and Cabinet​​​​