Website Wednesday - the Public Records Office of Victoria

As the State’s archival authority Public Record OfficeVictoria holds records created by Victorian government departments and authorities, the State’s courts, municipalities, schools, public hospitals and other public offices.  The records can date from the establishment of the Port Phillip District in the mid 1830s and include information relating to areas of activity managed or regulated by government such as the administration of justice, immigration, health and welfare, land, education, Indigenous communities, planning, transport, and resource management.

Of the 96 linear kilometres of records held by Public Record Office Victoria, only a small percentage is digitised and available to view online.  Many other records can be viewed in person in the PROV Reading Rooms at the Ballarat Archives Centre or the Victorian Archives Centre, North Melbourne.

Digitised records curently available in the Online Collections include:

•      Passenger lists and immigration

•      Wills and probate

•      Education and teachers

•      Health and welfare

•      Koorie Heritage

•      Land and Property

•      Publicans and hotels

•      Prisoners and convicts

•      Divorce, insolvency and other civil court records

•      Early Colonial administration

•      Maps and plans

Digitisation of the PROV’s records is ongoing, with new records and expanded categories appearing regularly.