“A to Z Genealogy Tips – Fortnightly Series”

Vital records form the foundation of genealogy research, confirming key details about your ancestors.

Birth, marriage, and death certificates provide dates, places, and family relationships. Church records, including baptisms and burials, often predate civil registration. Witnesses, addresses, and occupations can reveal extended family connections. Some Australian death certificates state how long a person lived in each state. The information available on certificates varies upon the era so it can be helpful to check what may be on a certificate before ordering.

If researching in Australia, it must be noted that each state of Australia has it’s own BMD Registry. In New Zealand, the BMD Registry holds records for both islands.  Both countries allow searches of historical data, however there are privacy restrictions in place to protect living people eg. births during the last 100 years cannot be searched through the registries.

Check your ancestors’ vital records today and update your family tree with verified information.