Australian Colonial Electoral Rolls
The Electoral Roll is a list of people entitled to vote.
They have a greater significance in Australia due to the
absence of census records and are often grouped with a collection
of records collectively known as census substitutes.
Along with directories and censuses, electoral (or voter)
rolls can help locate an ancestor and knowing where an ancestor
lived aids in determining where to look for other records.
In all Australian colonies there was a progression towards
universal suffrage. When the lower house was created, the
franchise requirements differed and a separate roll would
have been published.
There is a third tier of government and municipal rolls
were also maintained. Historically these have an even greater
limitation on eligible voters, but can prove useful once
the location of the family is known as they often contain
additional information.
In the early nineteenth century the franchise was very restricted
and enrolment was based on wealth and gender. The earliest
rolls of the 1840s will list property owners who were eligible
to vote. In most of the colonies all adult men were granted
voting rights by 1860. At the end of the century, adult
women were granted voting rights as well.
The difficulty in using electoral rolls is shared by census
returns, directories and newspapers in that they are largely
unindexed and require extensive trawling. Fortunately the
trend to scan and publish this material is a great benefit
to researchers. If the researcher has some idea of the location
then the first step is to locate the right electorate. In
some states, this can prove to be a little difficult and
is an exercise in its own right. Approach the state archive
collection to seek assistance.
You can access South Australian colonial rolls
via the above menu: Services offered.
Colony |
Year |
Voters are the people listed in
the rolls |
NSW
|
Legislative Council
appointed by Governor 1824; 24 elected of 36, incl.
6 from Port Phillip, 1 from Moreton Bay 1843; Bicameral
responsible government 1856 |
1843
|
Men owning freehold property exceeding £200
value.
Men leasing property with an annual value exceeding
£20. |
1851 |
Men owning freehold property exceeding £100
value.
Men leasing property with an annual value exceeding
£10. |
1857
|
Owners of freehold estates exceeding £100 value
within the electorate.
Persons holding licences from the government to depasture
livestock within the electorate.
Occupiers of houses of the clear annual value of £10
in the electorate.
Holders of leasehold estates of the annual value of
£10, the leases greater than three years. |
1858 |
All adult males who had lived in the electorate for
the preceding six months who were British subjects by
birth.
All adult males who had lived in the electorate for
the preceding six months who had been naturalised for
five years and had lived in the colony for the past
two years.
A man could vote in every electorate where he held the
necessary property.
Police, serving members of the armed forces, paupers
and prisoners could not vote. |
1893 |
All adult males living in the electorate who were
British subjects by birth.
All adult males living in the electorate who had been
naturalised for five years and had lived in the colony
for the past two years.
Police, serving members of the armed forces, paupers
and prisoners could not vote. |
QLD |
Separated from NSW 1859
& bicameral responsible government established |
1859 |
Males, 21 years and older, who owned or leased property
up to a certain value. [Legislative Assembly]
All members appointed. [Legislative Council] |
1869 |
Males, 21 years and older, who owned or leased property
up to a certain value. [Legislative Council] |
1872 |
Male British subjects over 21. [Legislative Assembly] |
SA |
Separated from NSW 1836
extended 1863; 16 of 24 elected 1850; Legislative Council
appointed by Governor 1843; Bicameral responsible government
1856.
SA was the 4th jurisdiction to give women the vote after
Wyoming 1868, Colorado 1893 and NZ 1893 |
1850
|
Males, 21 years and older, who owned or leased
property up to a freehold vlaue of £100. [Legislative
Council] |
1855 |
Males, 21 years and older inc Aborigines [House of
Assembly]
Males, 21 years and older,
who owned freehold propertvalue of £50 or leased
with annual value £25. [Legislative Council] |
1857
|
All adult male British subjects who had resided at
a particular address for 6 months. [House of Assembly]
Males, 21 years and older, who owned or leased property
up to a certain value. [Legislative Council] |
1894 |
All adult British subjects who had resided at a particular
address for 6 months. [House of Assembly]
Men & women, 21 years and older, who owned freehold
propertvalue of £50 or leased with annual value
£25. [Legislative Council] |
TAS |
Separated from NSW 1825
& own Legislative Council established; 16 of 24
elected 1851; Bicameral responsible government 1856
|
1851 |
Males, 21 years and older, who owned or leased property
up to a certain value. [Legislative Counci] |
1857 |
Adult males, natural born or naturalised citizens
and to have been resident in the colony for a minimum
of 12 months. [House of Assembly] |
1897
|
Male British subjects over 21 [House of Assembly] |
VIC |
Separated from NSW 1851
& own Legislative Council established with 20 of
30 elected; Bicameral responsible government 1856 |
1851
|
Male British subjects over 21, who owned or leased
property up to a certain value. [Legislative Counci] |
1857 |
Male British subjects over 21. [Legislative Assembly] |
WA |
Legislative Council
with 12 of 18 members of Legislative Council elected
1867; Bicameral responsible government 1890 |
1867
|
Members indirectly elected. [Legislative Council] |
1870 |
Male British subjects over 21, who owned or leased
property up to a certain value. [Legislative Counci] |
1890 |
Male British subjects over 21, who owned or leased
property up to a certain value. [Legislative Assembly]
All members appointed. [Legislative Council] |
1893 |
Male British subjects over 21, not Aboriginals. [Legislative
Assembly]
Male
British subjects over 21, who owned or leased property
up to a certain value. [Legislative Counci] |
1899 |
Men & women, British subjects over 21. [Legislative
Assembly] |
The following is a list of known electoral rolls sorted
by year and where they may be found. In some years only
fragments survive. No distinction is made whether the roll
is for the lower or upper house.
Australian Colonial Rolls |
NSW |
1842 to 1901
[not published or not in any collection: 1847, 1865,
1866, 1872, 1880] |
State Records
does not have
1859,
1867 onwards |
State Library
does not have
1844–46, 1850,
1853–56,
1861, 1862,
1869–71 |
Society of Australian
Genealogists
has
1842–64 |
Ancestry.com
has
1842–64
|
NT |
1863–1901
[SA Parliament] |
Genealogical Society
of the NT
1884–1901 incomplete |
Gould Genealogy
1884–1901 incomplete
[on CD] |
|
|
QLD |
1859 to 1900
[not published or not in any collection: 1861, 1863,
1871, 1873, 1887, 1888] |
State Archives
does not have
1859,
1860, 1862,
1900
1860–74 incomplete
1887 missing,
1888 missing
See: archives.qld.gov.au |
State Library of NSW
has
1859, 1900
|
Gould Genealogy
1860–69
1880–84
1895,1896,
1900
[on CD]
|
|
SA |
1851 to 1901 |
No complete colony-wide rolls survive. |
To access check the above menu: Services offered. |
TAS |
1856 to 1901
[not published or not in any collection: 1857, 1858,
1863, 1866, 1869, 1871–90, 1892–1898] |
Archives Office
has
1856,
1862–67, 1870,
1891,
1899 |
State Library
has
1856-1900 |
State Library of VIC
has
1859–61,
1867 |
|
VIC |
1843 to 1901
[not published or not in any collection: 1844, 1846,
1852–55, 1858–61,
1863–68, 1870–71, 1873–83, 1885, 1888–98,
1900–01] |
The only complete colony-wide rolls are
for 1856 & 1899. |
Public Record
Office of VIC
does not have
1843,
1849–50,
1856 on |
State Library
has
1856,
1857,
1899
|
Genealogical
Society of VIC
does not have
1857 |
Ancestry.com
has
1856*
* indexed |
WA |
1871 to 1901
[not published or not in any collection: 1871–1899,
1901] |
State Library
has
1870, 1899 |
State Records
has
1868 Perth,
1880-1895 Perth |
|
|
|