Find your ancestors in Victoria Marriages 1836-1942

Victoria Marriages 1836-1942

This index contains marriage records from Victoria, Australia between 1836 and 1942.

Victorian birth, death and marriage (BDM) certificates date back from 1853, when the Victorian government began civil registration. There are also church baptism, marriage and burial records dating as far back as 1836.

Today, these are managed by the Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria.

What information will I find in this index?
A record from findmypast’s index to Victoria Marriages 1836-1942 will tell you:
• The first names and surnames of the two people getting married
• The year of the marriage
• The registration number

You will need this information to order a copy of the marriage certificate.

How do I order a marriage certificate from Victoria?
Once you have located the relevant record from findmypast’s index to Victoria Marriages 1836-1942, you can order the marriage certificate itself from Births, Deaths & Marriages, Victoria.

In order to purchase a marriage certificate, you must know the following:
• The surname of the person whose record you’d like
• Registration number of the record
• Registration year of the record

When ordering a marriage certificate in Victoria, you can purchase either historical certificates themselves or uncertified images.

The historical certificates include the Registrar’s certification, signature and seal.

The uncertified images, on the other hand, are scanned images of the original registration records. Designed specifically for family history research, the uncertified images include the same details as the historical certificate, but cannot be used for official purposes.

The other difference is that uncertified images can be downloaded to your computer immediately after ordering.

How do I order an historical certificate?
You can order historical certificates either online or through post.

Historical marriage certificates can be ordered online on the Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria website here.

The certificate will be issued within five business days from the date your application is received, plus postage time.

To order through the post, you must download and print this application form here, fill it in and send it to Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. The address is:

Certificate applications
Births, Deaths & Marriages
GPO Box 5220
MELBOURNE VIC 3001

How do I order an uncertified image?
You can download an uncertified image directly from the Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria website here.

Instructions on how to download the uncertified images can be found here.

How do I order recent marriage certificates?
It is important to note that different rules apply for marriages that are considered recent, due to privacy laws. This includes any marriage certificates from 60 years ago or less, where either the bride or groom is still alive today.

Ordering these must be done through Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria with proof of identity documents. Learn more about recent marriage certificates here.

What information will I find on Victoria marriage certificates?
As explained above, findmypast’s index to Victoria Marriages 1836-1942 will give you the basics of the marriage in question: the two partners’ names, the year, and the registration number that you will need to order the certificate.

The marriage certificate (or uncertified image of it) will usually contain much more information. If the marriage occurred after 1 July 1853, you can also expect to find additional information such as:
• Both partners’ birthplaces
• Details of both partners’ fathers and mothers

In this period, Victoria marriage certificates – as well as birth and death certificates – were the most detailed of all Australian colonies’ records, making them particularly useful for family history researchers.