Sth Aust BDM Indexes
For information on indexes and other BDM records. I did try to keep this brief - honest!
Compulsory registration in South Australia began 1 July 1842. From settlement 1836 to mid 1842 some births were recorded later when a sibling was registered but this is rare.
Principal Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Adelaide.
http://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/bdm/history/02_microfiche.htmlhttp://www.ocba.sa.gov.au/bdm/history/02_microfiche.html
Note that these indexes do not contain very much information from the certificate. Ie Births and Deaths give name, date and reference numbers.
Regional Registry - District BDM Records for South Australia
Registrations used to be recorded in the District Regional Office in which the event happened and copies later forwarded on to the Principal Registrar in Adelaide. There were about 22 or so Districts in South Australia. Boundaries and District names did change over the years so you need to check that out.Book and page numbers from the Principal Registry office indexes won’t always help you as the District Records are often indexed differently according to who did them in the District (the information on the certificate is the same).
District registers were released to the Public Library/Research Centres in the District concerned for research purposes. It is possible to go to these Libraries and see a copy of the certificate. All the certificate information is in front of you although you are not allowed to photocopy them but you can take notes. Generally, District certificates are available for marriages to 1937, births to 1922 and for deaths mostly 1967 to 1970 (varies between Districts) but some of the indexes extend beyond these years. It seems to be different for each District. .
Example, District of Hindmarsh (proclaimed in 1872 when separated from the District of Adelaide).
Indexes and certificates are on microfiche as the originals were put away due to their poor condition.
Birth indexes available 1872 to 1924
Birth certificates available 1872 to 1922
Death indexes available 1872 to 1969
Death certificates available 1872 to1967
Marriage indexes available 1872 to 1952
Marriage certificates available 1872 to 1937
For marriages after 1937 certificates are not available but the indexes can be used to cross reference if unsure of a spouse name.
District of Frome (proclaimed 1857)
Birth indexes available 1875 to 1922
Birth certificates available 1857 to 1922
Death indexes available 1857 to 1985
Death certificates available 1872 to1967
Marriage indexes available 1859 to 1947
Marriage certificates available 1859 to 1937
(For marriages 1868 to 1877 See District of Clare Records)
Libraries have their own rules as to when and how these are viewed. The books of certificates are very old and fragile you will probably be asked to wear special gloves to handle them if they have them .Some certificates may not be available due to their condition and may even be missing or not exist or some periods for various reasons. Certificates have been put on microfiche to save the originals.
The SAGHS on Unley Road have District Records on microfiche but charge a fee for you to use their library if you are not a member.
Mortlock Library have told me over the phone they have indexes but do not have the certificates on microfiche, this does seem odd though since they are in the relevant district libraries.
Hopefully someone could let it be known if these microfiche copies are available interstate, perhaps at State Libraries genealogy sections.
CD’s
The information that has been compiled into the CD’s by the South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society and others has most of the information on them that is included in the official certificate. Births 1842 to 1906, Deaths 1842 to 1915, Marriages 1842 to 1916 and Marriages 1917 to 1937.These are wonderfully searchable by almost any field.
See SAGHS or MacBeth’s website
http://www.macbeth.com.au/products/bdms.phphttp://www.macbeth.com.au/products/bdms.php
Church records and old newspaper personal ads may also be useful for information for BDM’s.
This information is what I believe to be correct at this time and has been gained from personal knowledge and various other sources.
The URL’s included above
Schahinger Beryl E (1998) South Australian Registration Districts of Births, Deaths and Marriages, SAGHS