Introduction
The first Act enabling the Lieutenant Governor to grant letters of denization in Tasmania was passed in 1835. This legislation was repealed in 1861 by the Aliens Act. Prior to 1835 there was no provision in the law for the government of Van Diemen’s Land to grant citizenship rights to settlers in the colony who were not British subjects.
You can find a person’s denization or naturalisation records by typing their name into the search bar and selecting ‘Names Index’. You can also select ‘Naturalisations’ from the Record Type list to limit your search results.
This guide will assist you by:
- Pointing you towards the records that document denization and naturalisation in Tasmania
- Explaining the differences between denization and naturalisation, and the processes involved
- Directing you to relevant information from other organisations.