Early colonial administration records

Introduction

Explore general guides and indexes to the records of early colonial government in Tasmania, known as Van Diemen’s Land until 1856. There are specific subject guides to records which cover this early period of history.

Notes

Settled in 1803, Tasmania was a colony of the United Kingdom until it joined five other Australian states to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. Known as Van Diemen’s Land, the name changed to Tasmania when the British Parliament granted the colony responsible self-government from 1856.

Initially a British penal settlement, Van Diemen’s Land was part of the colony of New South Wales until 1825. The Governor of New South Wales oversaw the colony of Van Diemen’s Land until 1825. The State Records Office of New South Wales has many early records relating to Tasmania.

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.

What else is there?

• Library resources about the Colony of Van Diemen’s Land / Tasmania
• Australian Joint Copying Project microfilm of material in the Public Record Office, London and other places relating to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
• Early New South Wales Colonial Records relating to Tasmania, copies held by us. Note some of these are now online.

Most colonial government records have not been digitised. Please use specific guides to records to help identify records that might be relevant or search archives.

What can I find from other organisations?

• Index to the New South Wales Colonial Secretary’s Papers 1788-1825, State Records NSW;
• State Library of New South Wales – resources about Van Diemen’s Land when overseen by New South Wales
• Wikipedia entry on the Colony of Tasmania
• Tasmanian Constitution Act 1855 – from the Museum of Australian Democracy