Early colonial administration records

What is online?

Guides to the Public Records of Tasmania

Descriptions of government agencies and their records written in the 1950s-1970s

• Governor’s Office 1803-1932 – guidance to the records of the Office, such as official correspondence from 1816
• Colonial Secretary’s Office 1813-1855 – Clearing house for most official correspondence and the central registry for official papers
• Guide to convict administration records 1816-1877 – A description of convict administration and relevant records – see also the Guide: How do I find out about someone’s life as a convict?
• Records relating to Free Immigration 1816-1972 See also the Guide: How do I find out about a person’s arrival to or departure from Tasmania?

Wayn index

Scanned card index of Tasmanian government and colonial newspaper records. Includes name and topic indexes to the Governor’s and Colonial Secretary’s Office up to 1856

Government Records

• 1823-1835 Inward despatches from the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, mostly regarding land grants (GO2)
• 1823-1932 Inward despatches from Britain to Van Diemen’s Land (GO1). Indexed by the Wayn index as “ID” Summaries available in AE713
• 1825-1855 Outward despatches from Van Diemen’s Land to Britain (GO33). Indexed by the Wayn index as “OD”. Summaries available in AE714
• 1837-1855 Votes and proceedings of the Legislative Council 1837-1855
• Find other online colonial government records using our subject guides to records.