Australian Government and Police Gazettes

Australian Government and Police Gazettes

Carole Riley Queensland Expo – Cairns

24-25 June 2011

© Carole Riley 2011 2

Government Gazettes• Issued weekly as newspapers• Indexed and bound yearly/quarterly/bi-

monthly


Government Gazettes


Government Gazettes• Laws and regulations• Land transactions• Public service employees• Public works tenders• Unclaimed mail• Convicts• Livestock brands• Court notices – probate, insolvencies• Licensed sellers of liquor, wine and tobacco• Licenses for use of poisons• Petitions


Government GazettesIf your ancestor :• leased, purchased, forfeited land• worked for the government• tendered for public works• died• went bankrupt or insolvent• had unclaimed mail• was a convict• was assigned a convict• had a livestock brand• had a license to run a pub, sell liquor, cut timber• signed a petition…he/she should be in here


Government Gazettes

• New South Wales - 1832• Tasmania - 1825• Victoria - 1836 (NSW) 1843 (Port Phillip)• Queensland - 1859• South Australia - 1839• Western Australia - 1836• Northern Territory - 1927• Commonwealth - 1901All still published today


Justices of the Peace

QLD Government Gazette 1876 p43


Justices of the Peace


© Carole Riley 2011 9QLD Government Gazette 176 p30

Medical Practitioners


Unclaimed letters



Unclaimed letters



Unclaimed letters



• C Colonial• O C Official Colonial• E T Colonial Telegram• O Dead Letter• S New South Wales• M Victoria• A South Australia• T Tasmania• N Z New Zealand• W A Western Australia• U K United Kingdom• F Foreign

Unclaimed letters



Business partnership

Former partners

Former name of business

Remaining partners

New business name

Type of business



Applications



Convicts

NSW Government Gazette 1832 p14



Brands



Appointments



Forfeited leases



Census Regulations



Publicans’ Licenses



Timber licenses



Insolvency


Insolvent

Official Trustee


Probate


Deceased’s name,Residence,Occupation

Executor’s name,Residence,Occupation

© Carole Riley 2011 25QLD Police Gazette 1876


Police Gazettes

• New South Wales – 1862-1982• Tasmania – 1861-1933• Victoria – 1853-1994• Queensland – 1864-1982• South Australia – 1862-present• Western Australia – 1876-present• Northern Territory – 1900-present restricted• Commonwealth - 1 January 1901 – sdf


Police Gazettes• Warrants for arrest and details of crimes• Arrests, convictions, discharged prisoners• Property stolen and recovered• Stolen cattle and horses, including brands• Escaped prisoners, ship’s deserters• Missing friends• Deaths reported to police• Police appointments, instructions, lists• Magistrates, Justices of the Peace• Licensed sellers of liquor, wine and tobacco


Police Gazettes• Some lists reproduced from Government

Gazettes for information of police, eg– Magistrates– Medical Practitioners– Licenses

• Warrants where person believed to have been coming to this colony from another

QLD Police Gazette 1938 p71


Police Gazettes• Your ancestor could have been – Criminal, or wanted for questioning– Known associate– Victim of theft or other crime– Deserted wife– Reported missing, or found– Reported dead– Police, magistrate, J.P., medical practitioner– Licenses for liquor sellers, wine sellers,

tobacco sellers, victuallers, billiards, bagatelle, use of poisons, hawkers, auctioneers


Licenses



Criminal Acts



Criminal Acts



Criminal Acts



Wife deserter


NSW Police Gazette 1876 p263

© Carole Riley 2011 35QLD Police Gazette 1876 p15

Missing Friend



Missing Friend

© Carole Riley 2011 37QLD Police Gazette 1876 p2

Return of Prisoners


Return of Prisoners



Deaths reported to police



Deaths reported to police



Police appointments



Police appointments



Police Gazette Supplements



Licenses


© Carole Riley 2011 45NSW Police Gazette Supplement 1938 pp1,9


Where to find Government Gazettes• Archive Digital Books Australia CDs – Available to buy– Some libraries and societies have them

• FindMyPast.au• Most States have recent ones online• Some States have all online• State Libraries



Where to find Police Gazettes• Archive Digital Books Australia CDs – Available to buy– Some libraries and societies have them

• FindMyPast.au• Recent years restricted• Some States online• State Libraries, Police Museums



Search tips• CDs – Use Surname Firstname AND Firstname Surname– Uncommon names – Surname only– Capitalise names, eg Eason

• FindMyPast– Search by Name AND by Keyword

• Search other colonies/states• Which colony did the area belong to?• ?Each volume has an index• Before Gazette started – search newspaper



Thank you!

Self Improvement

Australian Government and Police Gazettes