VPRS 8340 Death Register

This series is the hard copy of the Death Register which was created from 1853 to 1990 when it was superseded by Lifedata, the computerised system of registration.Each bound volume holds registration entries in numeric order by the registration number and is annotated on the spine with the number of the volume and the registration numbers of the entries bound therein.Decentralised system of Registration, 1853 - 1960Compulsory civil registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths in the State of Victoria began on 1 July 1853 with the proclamation of An Act for Registering Births, Deaths and Marriages in the Colony of Victoria (16 Vic., No.26). Prior to this, baptisms, marriages and burials were recorded by church authorities and are known as Early Church Records (refer VPRS 5479).From 1873 to 1893 responsibility moved to the Office of the Registrar-General and the Office of Titles (VA 862) which were amalgamated when the administration of the Registrar-General's Department transferred to the Law Department (VA 2825).In 1893 with the proclamation of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act (56 Vic., No.1303) responsibility passed to the Office of Government Statist and Actuary (VA 989).Metropolitan deaths were registered at the Registrar-General's Office and later at the Office of the Government Statist, 295 Queen Street, Melbourne. Deaths occurring in the country regions of the State were registered with the local Registrars who were appointed by the Registrar-General and later by Assistant Government Statist, and forwarded to head office each quarter at the end of March, June, September and December.Centralised system of Registration, 1961 - ctFrom 1893 until 1986, legislative responsibility for the registration of births, marriages and deaths was with the Office of the Government Statist and Actuary (VA 989). However in 1983 when this office was transferred to the Department of Management and Budget, operational responsibility remained with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.With the proclamation of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Amendment) Act 1985 (No.10244) on 31 October 1986, legislative responsibility passed to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (VA 983).A centralised system of registration for Births and Deaths was introduced in 1961 when the previous system of registration by District Registrars was abandoned in favour of central registration through head office, at 295 Queen Street, Melbourne.Information Forms for Birth and Death registrations were an integral part of the registration system (referVPRS 10262). In the case of deaths, Funeral Directors supplied the information form to the person arranging the funeral or a person with a knowledge of the facts who completed the form giving the necessary details for registration purposes and forwarded the form directly to the Office of the Government Statist, later the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, to effect registration of the death. These forms were signed attesting the information therein to be true and correct.The Funeral Director was also obliged to complete a form giving details of the burial of the body and a Medical Practitioner or Coroner, as the case may be, authorised the burial by completing a Medical Certificate of Death or Order of Burial.Registration of the death could not be effected until all of these papers had been received by the Government Statist or Registrar, as the position became known after the 1986 changes to the Act.The forms were sorted daily in the following order:- the date of death- the place of death in alphabetical order by the name of the municipality where the death occurredFollowing that sort the forms were then allocated a registration number and a registration entry was electronically made onto pre-printed forms for inclusion in the Register. These folios were bound in the Register according to registration number.Information recorded in the RegistersThe registration entries were recorded in the Register in numeric order by registration number and detail the following:- full known name(s) of the deceased- date of death- place of death- cause of deathand if known- place of birth of the deceased- parents' names- mother's family surname- father's occupation- marriage details- children born of the marriage- name of the informant of the information recorded.