Introduction
The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act came into effect in Tasmania on 4 October 1860. This legislation gave the Tasmanian Supreme Court power to rule on all matrimonial matters. State jurisdiction over marriage and divorce was slowly turned over to the Federal Government, with the passing of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1959 and Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961. During this time, divorces could have been presided by either the state or federal courts. From 1976 onwards marriage and divorce came under full federal jurisdiction, and Cases of Divorce were handled by the Commonwealth Family Law Court.
Please be aware that Divorce records are restricted for 50 years.
This guide will assist you by:
- highlighting the main records available in the Tasmanian Archives;
- explaining the processes around accessing closed divorce records;
- providing an overview of the research services we provide;
- detailing some useful contacts available from other organisations.
- You might also like to consult our guide to Births, deaths and marriages.