Useful Libraries Tasmania resources
Libraries Tasmania (which includes the Tasmanian Archives) has many resources to help you locate more information about your childhood or place of care, or to help piece together a bigger picture to put your experiences in context.
For tips on how to search our collections, please see our guides, Searching Tasmanian Archives (for archive records) and Search our collections (includes published resources).
Family history records
If you have memories or knowledge of family, or have received information through the PIP process (see How can I access my State records), you might have a range of questions on your family history that you would like to research.
We offer numerous Guides to Records to help you, including guides on:
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Church registrations for baptisms, wedding and burial records
- Burial and cemetery records
Hospital birth records
Many hospital and health records are restricted. However, there are some records in the Tasmanian Archives that are open, for example:
Queen Alexandra Hospital for Women (TA459), which ran from 1905 to 1980 in Hobart:
- 1908-1962 Admission Registers (HSD200)
- 1916-1947 Patients’ Charts with Details of Births and Subsequent Hospitalisation (HSD203)
- 1924-1953 Ante Natal Record Cards (HSD215)
Royal Hobart Hospital (TA441), from 1820 to today:
Launceston General Hospital (TA442), from 1820 to today:
- 1912-1962 Admission Register (AB596) (excludes dates 2 Jan 1922-1 Feb 1929; 30 Sept 1941-2 Jul 1961)
- 1915-1942 Index to Admissions (AB597) (excludes dates 31 Dec 1927-1 Jan 1940)
North West Regional Hospital/ Burnie General Hospital/ Spencer Public Hospital, from 1918 onwards:
- 1928-1975 Admission Registers – Spencer Hospital/division (AE721)
- 1960 Daily Statement of Admissions, Discharges and Births – Burnie General Hospital (HSD113)
Baptism records
The Tasmanian Archives holds many baptism records. See our indexes and library resources, including our online record guide on Church registers held in the Tasmanian Archive.
Open records include 1803-1933 Registers of Baptisms in Tasmania (RGD32).
Finding out where someone lived
Libraries Tasmania holds a range of resources to help you locate where someone lived in the past. For example, we have electoral rolls and telephone directories.
School records
To help you find out more about your schooling, we have a useful guide to records on schools and education. Here you will find links to photographs, and school administration records, and tips on how to search for other records of interest.
Many schools had close links with particular children’s care homes. For instance, two schools were connected to the Launceston Girls’ Home including:
- 1925-1991 Admission Register Glen Dhu Infant School (ED320/1)
- 1902-1982 Admission Registers (Primary) Charles Street School (AB753)
We also have a range of registers and admissions for specialist schools around Tasmania, including:
- 1924-1959 Admission Register, School for the Blind and Deaf (AB910/1/1)
- 1959-1970 Admission Register, School for the Blind (AB912/1/1)
Photographs
Photographs are important for memories. We have photographs of the exterior and grounds of various care homes, as well as of children and staff. For instance, we have a selection of photographs from the Northern Tasmanian Home for Boys. We also have several online photographs of children at Wingfield Home, which operated at New Town from 1938 to 1971.
Resources that hold memories of places
Walking tracks, playgrounds, schools and parks in the area surrounding a place of care or family home are full of memories and resonate with people’s senses of identity.
In our library and archives collections we hold many local historical studies, historical photographs, maps and plans that can help you with researching a place and can add important details to your story.