Author: Public Record Office Victoria
You may be surprised to learn that the Ballarat Archives Centre collection spans records from Karkarook in the far northwest of the state; Horsham in the Wimmera area; Ararat and Stawell in the Grampians area; and all the way to Daylesford, Trentham and Bacchus Marsh in the Central Highlands.
And the collection continues to grow!
Here are some of the newly released records now accessible for researchers to order and view in the Ballarat Archives Centre Reading Room.
Local Government Records
Rate books, council minutes, correspondence files and letter books are among the municipal records that can be found at Ballarat Archives Centre. They provide a wonderful source for family and property research. Rate books typically contain details such as name, address, occupation of occupier and/or owner, property valuations and brief descriptions of properties. Council minutes record the operations and decisions made by council concerning a municipality that can provide valuable information about its communities, residents and workplaces. Correspondence files and letter books can give insightful information on a huge range of local subjects, from both within and outside a particular municipality.
|
Series Number |
Series Title |
Agency |
Units available |
Date Range |
|
VPRS 7303/P1 |
Voter's Rolls |
VA 478 Ballaarat (Municipal District 1855-1863; Borough 1863-1870; City 1870-1994) |
P1 units 1-25 |
1875-1916 |
|
VPRS 8118/P3 |
Outward Letter Books |
VA 478 Ballaarat (Municipal District 1855-1863; Borough 1863-1870; City 1870-1994) |
P3 units 1-2 |
1856-1861 |
|
VPRS 17279/P1 |
Correspondence and Reports Presented to Council Meetings |
VA 536 Avoca II (Road District 1861-1864; United Road District 1864; Shire 1864-1994) |
Units 1-9 |
1912-1952 |
|
VPRS 17277/P1 |
Committee Minutes |
VA 658 Creswick II (Road District 1859-1863; Shire 1863-1995) |
Units 1-4 |
1979-1994 |
|
VPRS 3797/P4 |
Engineer's Report Books |
VA 658 Creswick II (Road District 1859-1863; Shire 1863-1995) |
Unit 1 |
1904-1919 |
|
VPRS 8117/P1 |
Outward Letter Books |
VA 706 Ballaarat East (Municipal District 1857-1863; Borough 1863-1870; Town 1872-1921) |
Units 1-16 |
1860-1921 |
|
VPRS 2545/P3 |
Council Minutes |
VA 742 Sebastopol (Borough 1864-1994) |
P3 units 1-153 |
1975-1994 |
|
VPRS 13356 |
Rough Council Minutes |
VA 742 Sebastopol (Borough 1864-1994) |
Units 1-6 |
1932-1968 |
|
VPRS 13492/P2 |
Council Minutes |
VA 2380 Ballarat I (Road District 1856-1863; Shire 1863-1994) |
Units 1-2 |
1860-1863 |
|
VPRS 17071/P1 |
Minute Books |
VA 2399 Buninyong I (Road District 1858-1864; Shire 1864-1994) |
Units 1-31 |
1858-1994 |
|
VPRS 17072/P1 |
Committee Minutes |
VA 2399 Buninyong I (Road District 1858-1864; Shire 1864-1994) |
Units 1-41 |
1980-1993 |
|
VPRS 17563/P1 |
Council Meeting Minutes |
VA 2400 Camperdown (Borough 1952-1959; Town 1959-1994 |
Units 1-15 |
1953-1988 |
|
VPRS 7221/P1 |
General Ledgers |
VA 2436 Grenville (Shire 1864-1994) |
Units 1-6 |
1891-1941 |
|
VPRS 17070/P1 |
Engineer's Report Books |
VA 2457 Lexton (Road District 1860-1864; Shire 1864-1994) |
Units 1-2 |
1915-1932 |
|
VPRS 11153/P1 |
Rate Books |
VA 2465 Maryborough (Municipal District 1857-1863; Borough 1863-1961; City 1961-1995) |
P1 units 1-66 |
1857-1940 |
|
VPRS 17280/P1 |
Beaufort Commons' Ledger |
VA 2496 Ripon (Shire 1863-1994) |
Unit 1 |
1866-1977 |
|
VPRS 12323/P2 |
General Correspondence Subject Files |
VA 2496 Ripon (Shire 1863-1994) |
Units 1-5 |
1957-1985 |
|
VPRS 6914/P1 |
Minute Books |
VA 2670 Brown's and Scarsdale (Municipal District 1862- 1863; Borough 1863-1915) |
Units 1-6 |
1862-1915 |
|
VPRS 7011/P1 |
Minute Books |
VA 2686 Heathcote I (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1892) |
Units 1-5 |
1861-1892 |
|
VPRS 16966/P4 |
Council Agenda |
VA 3734 Horsham 111 (Rural City 1995-ct |
Units 1-2 |
2012-2012 |
|
VPRS 16967 |
Council Minutes |
VA 3734 Horsham 111 (Rural City 1995-ct |
Unit 1 |
2012-2012 |
|
VPRS 17118/P1 |
General Ledgers |
VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966) |
Units 1-4 |
1869-1966 |
|
VPRS 17117/P1 |
Country Roads Board Ledgers |
VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966) |
Units 1-2 |
1916-1962 |
|
VPRS 17573/P1 |
Contract Register |
VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966) |
Unit 1 |
1933-1936 |
|
VPRS 17317/P1 |
Voter's Rolls |
VA 4296 Daylesford (Municipal District 1859-1863; Borough 1863-1966) |
Units 1-2 |
1868-1940 |
|
VPRS 17116/P1 |
Balance Books |
VA 4711 Glenlyon (Road District 1860-1865; Shire 1865-1966) |
Units 1-2 |
1937-1969 |
|
VPRS 17278/P1 |
Minute Books |
VA 4712 Mount Franklin (Shire 1871-1915) |
Units 1-2 |
1888-1915 |
Court Records
Ballarat Archives Centre holds court records from many localities in the western district of Victoria. Those records on open access can be ordered and viewed by researchers in the Ballarat Archives Centre Reading Room.
|
Series Number |
Series Title |
Agency |
Units Available |
Date Range |
|
VPRS 3113/P1 |
Mining Warden's Register |
VA 479 Daylesford Courts 1866-1948 |
Unit 1 |
1866-1948
|
|
VPRS 5459/P1 |
Court of Petty Sessions Cause List Books (1868-1888): Court of Petty Sessions Registers (1888-1951) |
VA 553 Clunes Courts 1868-1968 |
Unit 1 |
1951-1968 |
|
VPRS 17027/P1 |
Mining Warden's Register |
VA 527 Blackwood Courts 1871-1911 |
Unit 1 |
1871-1911 |
|
VPRS 5656/P1 |
Court of Petty Sessions Police/Arrest Registers |
VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1935-1960 |
Units 1-4 |
1935-1940 |
|
VPRS 5658/P1 |
Court of Petty Sessions Default Registers |
VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1930-1955 |
Units 1-7 |
1930-1939 |
|
VPRS 6435/P1 |
Special Complaints Registers |
VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1940-1966 |
Units 1-2 |
1929-1940 |
|
VPRS 17026/P1 |
Court of Petty Sessions Gold Buyers Register |
VA 678 Ballarat Courts 1908-1936 |
Unit 1 |
1908-1936 |
|
VPRS 3899/P1 |
Court of Petty Sessions Indexes to Convictions |
VA 687 Avoca Courts 1890-1963 |
Unit 1 |
1932-1963 |
|
VPRS 17024/P1 |
Licensing Court Registers |
VA 728 Gordon Courts 1899-1932 |
Units 1-13 |
1899-1932 |
|
VPRS 17308/P1 |
Court of Petty Sessions Indexes to Convictions |
VA 728 Gordon Courts 1899-1933 |
Unit 1 |
1907-1923 |
|
VPRS 1362/P1 |
County Court Registers |
VA 730 Smythesdale Courts 1862-1869 |
Unit 1 |
1862-1869 |
|
VPRS 10585/P0 |
Children’s Court Registers |
VA 731 Linton Courts 1908-1915 |
Unit 1 |
1908-1915 |
|
VPRS 10752/P0 |
Children’s Court Registers |
VA 741 Elmhurst Courts 1914-1915 |
Unit 1 |
1914-1915 |
|
VPRS 17307/P1 |
Court of Petty Sessions Indexes to Convictions |
VA 745 Ballarat East Courts 1888-1921 |
Units 1-5 |
1888-1921 |
|
VPRS 5025 |
Children’s Court Registers |
VA 917 Stawell Courts 1907-1954 |
Unit 1 |
1907-1915 |
|
VPRS 17073/P1 |
Court Of Petty Sessions Special Complaints Register |
VA 2292 Birchip Courts 1893-1982 |
Unit 1 |
1929-1980 |
Land Records
We hold a comprehensive range of records that document the administration and occupation of Crown land in Victoria some of which are held at the Ballarat Archives Centre.
|
Series Number |
Series Title |
Agency |
Units Available |
Date Range |
|
VPRS 7009/R1 |
Application Book, Survey Office Heathcote |
VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey 1881-1885 |
Unit 1 |
1881-1885 |
|
VPRS 17025/P1 |
Register of Lessees, Stawell, Section 19 Land Act 1869 |
VA 538 Department of Crown Lands and Survey 1879-1891 |
Unit 1 |
1879-1891 |
|
VPRS 13669/P2 |
Register of Deeds, Creswick |
VA 865 Department of the Treasurer (also known as Treasury and Treasurer's Office) 1859-1900 |
Unit 1 |
1859-1871 |
Mining Records
Ballarat and district is renowned for its gold mining activity since the early 1850s. Ballarat Archives Centre has many mining records relating to Ballarat and its surrounds for researchers to explore.
|
Series Number |
Series Title |
Agency |
Units Available |
Date Range |
|
VPRS 10653 |
Mining Warden's Register of Applications for Mining Leases, Avoca Mining Division |
VA 3803 Maryborough Mining District 1901-1916 |
Units 1-2 |
1901-1916 |
Water Records
Some water records are not unlike municipal records in that they record water usage by people residing in various places. This could be a valuable way of finding people where there may not be access to rate records or any other source of information available.
|
Series Number |
Series Title |
Agency |
Units Available |
Date Range |
|
VPRS 7272/R2 |
Rates Cash Books |
VA 2098 Heathcote Waterworks Trust 1908-1953; VA 3996 Coliban Region Water Authority 1992- |
Units 1-2 |
1908-1953 |
|
VPRS 5633/P0 |
Consumer's Ledgers |
VA 1018 Ballarat Water Commissioners (previously known as The Ballarat and Ballarat East Water Commissioners 1872-1880) |
Units 1-99 |
1922-1946 |
Material in the Public Record Office Victoria archival collection contains words and descriptions that reflect attitudes and government policies at different times which may be insensitive and upsetting
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the collection and website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.
PROV provides advice to researchers wishing to access, publish or re-use records about Aboriginal Peoples