VPRS 17383 Birth Registers, Midwifery Department

The hospital's first Birth Register was opened on 1/4/1889 and there is an unbroken series, in various formats, to the present day. Birth Registers succeeded the Midwifery Books VPRS 17382 (RWH Series 0047) which were primarily a clinical record, but also served as a Register. The Birth Registers were introduced at much the same time as the Labour Ward Case Books VPRS 17385 (RWH Series 0156), when there was considerable reorganisation of the Midwifery and Infirmary Departments.The Registers provide virtually the same information as an official birth certificate, and were at times the source of information for formal birth registration. They give brief details relating to the mother, father and baby but neither current addresses nor where the mother or baby went after discharge are given. The births are entered chronologically and are not indexed.Prior to transfer to Public Record Office Victoria, the records in this series were maintained as part of RWH Archives in RWH series number 0158.