VPRS 19134 Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Books / Divorce Proceedings Books, Bendigo

This series comprises volumes recording summary information of divorce proceedings heard in the Supreme Court of Victoria in Bendigo. The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act 1861 conferred upon the Supreme Court of Victoria the jurisdiction in matrimonial matters and authority in certain cases to decree the dissolution of a marriage. This continued to be the case for all divorce petitions until the proclamation of the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975. Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Books recorded summary information about divorce cases and usually acted as a register. After 1961, Causes Books became known as Divorce Proceedings Books (according to Rule 297 of the Matrimonial Causes Rules under the Matrimonial Causes Act (Cth) 1959, Commonwealth Statutory Rules 1960, No 97). Statutory rules stated that each court was required to maintain a record of all matrimonial causes initiated at the Supreme Court  Summary information for each petition includes the case number, names of the petitioner, respondent and their solicitors, dates of the filing of the petition and subsequent documentation, the nature of application, dates for setting down of the case and, if heard, the date of hearing, name of judge and judgement, and the names of other parties and their solicitors.