VPRS 15143 Supreme Court Divorce Cause and Proceedings Books, Warrnambool

Until 1861 divorce was a matter for the ecclesiastical courts. This was also the situation in England until 1857/58. The Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act 1861 conferred upon the Supreme of Victoria the jurisdiction in matters matrimonial and authority in certain cases to decree the dissolution of the marriage. This continued to be the case until the proclamation of the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975.This series ended in 1976 with the introduction of the Commonwealth Family Law Act 1975. The final entries made in these registers detail cases heard in 1976 which were brought under the Family Law Act 1975 rather than the Matrimonial Causes Act. The Supreme Court of Victoria heard these cases due to the period of adjustment between the passing of the Family Law Act 1975 and the establishment of the Family Court of Australia.This series consists of registers recording petitions for hearings in the Supreme Court in the divorce and matrimonial causes jurisdiction. Summary information with respect to the petition include: date the case was set down (i.e. when the petition was received and registered by the court), names of the petitioner and the respondent and any co-respondents, nature of the application (whether for divorce, alimony, judicial separation, or for nullity of marriage), date of the hearing, name of the presiding judge, delivery of judgement, number of the suit and names of the proctors (or attorneys) for both the petitioner and respondent.