Birth death and marriage registration

​Early Tasmanian Birth, Death and Marriage registrations are now mostly online.
Official registration only began in 1838. Before then only baptism, marriages and deaths were generally only recorded by churches.

What is online?

Search and view many records including Tasmanian birth, death and marriage records in the Tasmanian Names Index​.

Indexes to records

• Index to Baptisms in Tasmania 1803-1933 (RGD38)
  
• Index to Hobart Births and Launceston and country Births 1838-1899 (RGD39)
  
• Index to Burials in Tasmania 1803-1933 (RGD40)
  
• Indexes to Hobart, Launceston, and country Deaths 1803-1899 (RGD41)
  
• Index to Marriages 1803-1838 (RGD42), 1839-1899 (RGD43)
  

Digitised records

• Registers of baptisms in Tasmania 1803–1933 (RGD32)
  
• Registers of births in Hobart, Launceston and country districts 1838-1899 (RGD33)
  
• Register of burials in Tasmania 1803-1933 (RGD34)
  
• Register of convicts' deaths 1840-1874 (CON63​)
  
• Registers of Hobart deaths and Launceston and country district deaths 1838-1899 (RGD 35)
  
• Returns of convicts' deaths and casualties​ ​1860-1871 (​CON64​)​
• ​Return of deaths, Hobart Hospital (Colonial Hospital) – first volume, 1864-1884 (HSD145​)​
  
• Requisitions for pauper interments, Hobart Hospital (Colonial Hospital), 1864-1876 (HSD146​)​
  

• Tasmanian marriages 1803-1838 (RGD36), 1838-1899 (RGD37)​

• District registers of birth death ma​rriage registration records 1839-1920

What else do we have?​​​

• Pioneers index 1803-1899
  
• Tasmanian Federation Index - Births 1900-1919 and death and marriage records 1900-1930
• Othe​r relevant library resources
  

Notes

• Official registration for births deaths and marriages began in December 1838. Even so, often people did not register births, deaths or marriages. Church records often hold the only information on baptisms, funerals and weddings for the early years of the colony
  
• Some surviving records on marriages and burials 1803-1838 are incorporated. The Registrar General copied information from some pre-1838 records
  
• We do not hold original certificates as they were given to the person making the registration and were not kept by the government
  
• Tasmanian registrations give less information than many other Australian states. Generally they include the following.
  

Births

Prior to 1896

• Given name (if known at time of registration) and surname
  
• Date and place of birth
  
• Names of parents
  
• Maiden surname of mother
  
• Father's occupation
  

1896 - parents' marriage date and place added
1902 - parents' ages and birthplaces added
1909 - previous issue (children) added

Deaths

Prior to 1897

• Name of deceased
  
• Date and place of death
  
• Age at death
  
• Occupation
  
• Cause of death
  

1897 - birthplace of the deceased was added. Sometimes included since the 1880s
1914 - age at marriage and number of issue (children) added

Marriages

Prior to 1896

• Names of the people being married
  
• Date and place of marriage
• Age at marriage (sometimes only whether "under" or "over" age, i.e. 21)
  
• Occupation and status (e.g. bachelor and spinster)
  
• Names of witnesses to the marriage
  

1896 - names of parents, and places of birth added

Church records of weddings do not have further details

Related

• Fam​​ily History Guide: How can I find out about a person's birth, death or marriage?
  
• Church registers of Baptisms, marriages & burials
  
• Cemetery records
  

What can I find from other organisations?

• Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry, Department of Justice for records after these dates
  
• Coraweb Birth, Death Marriage Records Australia