Guest contributor: Bridget
The historic Victoria Government Gazette's from 1851 to 1997 are available online http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/
The historic Victoria Government Gazette's from 1851 to 1997 are available online http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/
Searches can be done by keyword or by page and years can be browsed.
As far as family historians are concerned government gazettes are a primary resource which has been largely overlooked by researchers. To appreciate the gems in the gazettes think laterally. For example, your ancestor farmed and may have needed to brand his stock; brands were registered and the public advised via the government gazette. An ancestor may have deserted ship or escaped custody, or left his wife; detailed descriptions are given. Licences were needed to run a pub, practice medicine, own a ship; all of which were gazetted. Also included are details of land grants, transfers and leases; shipping and emigration notices; appointments to public office or employees of the government.
Auckland City Libraries has the Government and Police Gazettes for the states of Australia on CD-Rom. A search of our catalogue on our website www.aucklandcitylibraries.com will show the wide ranging dates covered in our collection.
Along with the hard copies of the New Zealand Government Gazettes Auckland City Libraries has the LexisNexis New Zealand Gazette Archive, PDF copies of the New Zealand Gazette, the official newspaper of the government. As with the Australian Government Gazettes our New Zealand ones are another under used resource for family historians. Again, you can find lists of people; teachers, electricians, doctors and plumbers,for example.
The gazettes are resources well worth keen family historians investing some time in.
The gazettes are resources well worth keen family historians investing some time in.
