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Local and family history collections and resources

Learn more about accessing our physical and digital collections.

Local and family history collections

Each of our branches has a physical local and family history collection. There are larger collections at Richmond, Fitzroy and Collingwood, and smaller collections at Carlton and Bargoonga Nganjin, North Fitzroy.

We also offer digital resources to help you learn more about the history of your local area, house and family history.

You can only borrow items from the local history collection if there are multiple copies.

Photographs

There are collections at Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Carlton. You can also view collections online through TROVE.

We also maintain an online photographic collection. To search that collection, select local history from the side menu on our Catalogue, then select Historical Photographs.

Council rates books

  • Richmond Council rate books, 1857-1980 (microfiche, Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Council rates records 1857-1875 (DVD, Richmond Library)
  • Collingwood Council rate books (includes Clifton Hill) 1864 - 1984 (microfilm and microfiche, Fitzroy Library)
  • Collingwood Council rate books 1864-1900 (online, Ancestry.com)
  • City of Fitzroy rate books, 1858-1949 (microfilm, Fitzroy Library) and 1958-1973 (digital, Fitzroy Library)
  • City of Fitzroy rate books 1858-1900 (online, Ancestry.com)
  • City of Melbourne Valuations 1843-1861 (microfiche, Fitzroy Library)
  • City of Melbourne Rate Books 1851-1900 (microfiche, Fitzroy Library)
     

Postal directories

Available at Fitzroy Library and Richmond Library.

  • Sands & Kenny Melbourne directory 1857-1861
  • Sands & McDougall postal directory 1862-1974
  • Wise's Victoria Post Office directory 1884-1899
  • Port Phillip/Victoria directory 1839-1867
  • Bailliere's Victorian Directory 1868-1881
     

Electoral rolls

Available at Fitzroy Library and Richmond Library.

  • Victorian electoral roll 1856, 1903, 1908, 1912
  • Victorian electoral roll and Federal referendum 1899
  • Victorian electoral roll 1903
  • Victorian electoral roll 1908
  • Victorian electoral roll 1912
  • Victorian electoral roll 1984
     

Newspapers on microfilm or microfiche

  • Clarion 1980-1985 (Richmond Library)
  • Clifton Hill Gazette 1888 (Richmond Library)
  • Clifton Hill Leader 1888-89 (Richmond Library)
  • Collingwood and Fitzroy Courier 1949-58 (Fitzroy Library, Richmond Library)
  • Collingwood and Fitzroy Mercury 1875-1903 (Fitzroy Library, Richmond Library)
  • Collingwood Observer 1862-1909 (Fitzroy Library, Richmond Library)
  • Fitzroy City Press 1881-1920 (Fitzroy Library)
  • Native Companion 1907 (Fitzroy Library)
  • Richmond Advocate 1972-1975 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Australian 1861-1916 (1878-9 missing) (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Guardian 1878-1936 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Hawthorn Camberwell Chronicle 1932-1945 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Hawthorn Camberwell Weekly 1930-1932 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond News 1946-66 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Recorder 1970-1971 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Scene 1978-1980 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Voice 1975-1977 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Weekly 1927-1930 (Richmond Library)
  • Star Pictorial 1957 (Fitzroy Library, Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Tribune 1894-1906 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Times 1937-39 (Richmond Library)
  • The Tatler (a Melbourne paper) 1897-98 (Fitzroy Library)
  • The Woodsman 1967 (Fitzroy Library)
     

Newspapers in bound volumes

  • Collingwood and Fitzroy Courier 1961-1971 (Richmond Library)
  • Collingwood, Fitzroy & Carlton Courier 1958-1960 (Richmond Library)
  • The Courier 1951-1973 (Fitzroy Library)
  • The Digger 1975 (Fitzroy Library)
  • Fitzroy City Press 1889-1907 (Fitzroy Library)
  • Melbourne Times 1969-1990 (Fitzroy Library)
  • Melbourne Times 1971-current (Fitzroy Library, Richmond Library)
  • Melbourne Leader 1991-current 1991-1993 (Fitzroy Library, Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Advocate Dec 1972-Jul 1975 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond News Jul - Oct 1992 (Richmond Library)
  • Richmond Scene Oct 1978-Dec 1990 (Richmond Library)
  • The Voice Apr - Nov 1989 (Richmond Library)
  • The Woodsman 1967-1968 (Fitzroy Library)
  • Yarra Leader Sept 1994 (Fitzroy Library, Richmond Library)
     

Births, deaths and marriages records

You can now access records online by visiting the Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria website.

Microfiche:

  • Births, Victoria 1853-1913 (Richmond Library)
  • Deaths, Victoria 1854-1980 (Richmond Library)
  • Marriages, Victoria 1853-1930 (Richmond Library)
  • Marriages, South Australia 1917-1937 (Richmond Library)
  • Marriages, Tasmania, 1900-1919 (Richmond Library)

Maternal and Child Health

Local and family history resources
Trove Culture Victoria Victorian Places The Australian Heritage Photographic Database Australian Society of Archivists Genealogical Society of Victoria Heritage Victoria History of Places in Australia Museo Italiano Carlton National Archives of Australia National Trust of Australia Public Record Office Victoria Royal Historical Society of Victoria State Library Victoria-Family history resources