GUIDE TO RESOURCES FOR TASMANIAN GENEALOGY
by Malcolm Ward
© Malcolm Ward 2005-2009. All rights reserved
6. CENSUSES, MUSTERS, ELECTORAL ROLLS, DIRECTORIES & NEWSPAPERS
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START HERE! HISTORIC CENSUS, ELECTORAL ROLLS & DIRECTORIES Historic census records are held at AOT for 1842/43, 1848, 1851/52 and 1857 (often incomplete) and usually recorded the name of the head of the household only, but other useful information appears on the census forms, microfilms of which are at the microfilm area of the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office, State Library, Hobart. Some of the old census returns recorded more detail, such as the names & details of other household members and any assigned convict. For their holdings see: http://www.archives.tas.gov.au/guides/genealogy For a searchable on-line index of names see http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=10. The Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office ,State Library, Hobart holds electoral rolls from periods in the 1800s to the late 1900s as well as old Trade and Post Office Directories in a mix of microfilm and hardcopy. The Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office at the State Library, Hobart (and probably other major libraries) hold directories for Hobart in a discontinuous series, beginning in the 1820s. Other areas were added in later years. A short history of the census in Tasmania can be found here: http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/7d12b0f6763c78caca257061001cc588/7ece045bc4080344ca256c320024164d!OpenDocument. |
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MORE RECENT ELECTORAL ROLLS & DIRECTORIES The State Library of Tasmania and other major libraries, plus the Australian Electoral Commission hold Tasmanian electoral rolls to and including the most recent election. The State Library also holds Wise's Post Office Directory in a continuous annual series from 1899 to 1948 and for some years between 1890 and 1899. These are good for finding out street addresses (note that street numbers have changed, sometimes several times, from 1900) and occupations of the household head. At the time of writing the hardcopy version had been withdrawn and is to be digitally imaged, but certain volumes are available on filling out of a request form; otherwise they are available on microfilm. |
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MUSTERS Irene Schaffer has published some early musters etc in her book "Land musters, stock returns and lists, Van Diemen's Land 1803-1822" (1991) and this is held in many libraries around Australia. |
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NEWSPAPER HISTORY, COVERAGE AND TITLES In general today, Tasmania is divided into three regions in respect of newspaper coverage. The Mercury covers southern Tasmania, The Examiner the north and the area around Launceston in particular and The Advocate covers the north-west coast. Links to these newspapers on-line (and many more newspaper resources) can be found on the State Library web site here: http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/researchstudy/news. There were numerous newspapers which have closed of course. A timeline of newspapers was compiled by the State Library a number of years ago and a digital version can be found here (opens a 2.5MB PDF): http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/257052/newspaper-timeline.pdf. The following is a selection from the Archives Office list of their holdings. A booklet on the information desk at the TAHO lists the Archives' complete holdings.
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NEWSPAPER INDEXES This section does not cover things such as obituaries and other notices, which are detailed at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~austashs/resource/mal_bdm.htm#bdm_6. From 1966 to 1994 the Mercury, Examiner and Advocate had most of their content indexed on cards (along with some other Tasmanian journals and publications). These cards have been scanned and put on-line and can be found here: http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/researchstudy/news/tasindex-1966-1994. From 1994 the index has been searchable on-line and a link to this facility is on the above web page. Photographs in The Tasmanian Mail (1894 - 1916) and the Weekly Courier (1901 - 1907) have been indexed by the Launceston Branch of the TFHS and the indexes can be purchased, see: http://www.users.bigpond.com/ltntasfh/publications.html. These can be accessed via libraries as well. A number of old newspapers and publications have been indexed by the various branches of the TFHS - go to http://www.tasfhs.org/publicat.htm and follow the links to the various branch publication and sales lists. Most of these publications will be in libraries. |
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DIGITISED AND SEARCHABLE COLONIAL NEWSPAPERS The National Library of Australia is undertaking a program of digitally imaging old Australian newspapers and the home page for this project is here: http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home. The scanned text is searchable, but being old type, the reproduction of words can get mangled. Try variations and the first part of names for a comprehensive search. The National Library has a separate project imaging old Australian periodicals. The list of titles includes several from Tasmania and can be found here: http://www.nla.gov.au/ferg/browselist.html. |
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OTHER DIGITISED VOLUMES A number of important historical volumes on Tasmania have been scanned by the State Library and are searchable on their web site. Included in these are 'The Cyclopedia of Tasmania' Vols 1 and 2, Tasmania's Post Office Directory 1904, Bailliere's Tasmanian Gazetteer and Road Guide 1877 and registers and reports of the Launceston Benevolent Society. These can be found here: http://www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/tasmemory/digitisedcontent/#Volumes. Still more are available commercially - see : http://www.archivecdbooks.com.au/Tasmania-s/7.htm. Many of the latter may be available at libraries. |
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