VPRS 7604 Registers of Owners of Licensed Premises - Convictions

Volumes 1-7 record offences against the Licensing Act by metropolitan licencees. Volume 8 records country convictions. Volumes relating to the metropolitan area are usually divided into four districts:1. Bourke to LaTrobe2. LaTrobe to North Richmond3. North Richmond to North Williamstown4. North Williamstown to Preston.The registers are generally arranged by date order, that is, as conviction notices were served.Format of Entries 1886 - 1890The registers record the nature of conviction - whether dismissed, adjourned or convicted; whether fined and the amount. Convicted applicants were given a number and convictions were held in the Licensing Court. There was no set order, (alphabetical by name of premises) order was determined by the Inspector of the Licensing District.Change of Format 1896From December 1896 - 1922 the list was compiled alphabetically by name of premises. Reason for conviction was not recorded. With later registers, 1922 onwards, the list includes:- nature of offence (a set of numbers);- date of conviction;- date notice sent with the initials of the person who sentit.These registers do not record the amount of the fine.Type of OffenceThe most common offence was serving liquor outside trading hours, particularly Sunday and permitting a drunken person on the premises.