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

Digitised records

What else do we have?​​​

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

What can I find from other organisations?