Ancestry databases

Increasingly family history researchers use Ancestry.com.au and Find My Past to research and record their family trees.

Earlier this week Ancestry.com and a number of other genealogy websites were targeted with a DDoS  (Distributed Denial of Service) attack where the website is bombarded with 'bots' stopping legitimate requests from reaching the server. Ancestry databases were therefore effectively out of action for several days causing angst among the millions of users of the databases.

A number of possible reasons for the attack on the Ancestry servers have been provided by users.

8 theories on the real reason of the Ancestry outrage

Best Facebook Comments re Ancestry.com DDoS attack

At least some researchers have a maintained a sense of humour.

Rookwood Station

Reading the funeral notices for family members who died in Sydney, reference is often made to the train leaving for Rookwood at a particular time. On Facebook,  Lost Sydney has posted a photograph of the mortuary train at the station at Rookwood Cemetery.

Another photograph posted on the site provides a glimpse inside the station showing the pillars, arched roof and decorations.

Rookwood Cemetery was established in the 1840s and with the development of the railways a mortuary station was built at Redfern with the receiving station at the cemetery. Find My Past has a brief history of the cemetery and the station in its grounds. The railway line into the cemetery was closed in 1948 and the receiving house building was then dismantled and reassembled in Canberra as All Saints Church, Ainslie.

When the church was reassembled the tower is on the other side.

View inside the church showing the pillars and arched roof.

Details showing the angels that were at the entrance of the receiving house at Rookwood.

The Society of Australian Genealogists has indexed the gravesites within the Rookwood Cemetery and the records are available via Find My Past.

Restoring family photographs

This afternoon I attended a meeting of Vic GUM (Genealogists using Microcomputers). GUM is celebrating its 30th anniversary next month and during the past 30 years has held regular meetings and workshops on using technology to assist family history research.

Carol Heath from Pixel by Pixel provided a demonstration on how photographs can be restored using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. A number of members had brought their own photos and Carol used three to demonstrate how she would restore a photograph that was torn, restore colour to a faded colour photograph using masks and levels and also colour a photograph. Carol's blog contains examples of photographs that have been restored including a post, Top tips for restoring photographs.

Carol runs courses on photo restoration and, of course, restores photographs as a business. More details can be obtained from her website.

Record your family history

A brief presentation providing advice on recording your Family History on Love to Know Genealogy

Record your Family History

Letter from Jean MacKillop to Eleonora Hutton

Part of a letter from Jean Eleonora MacKillop to her daughter, Eleonora Hutton, who was at the time in India with her husband, William Forbes Hutton. George and Jean MacKillop were looking after three of Eleonora and William’s children in England while Eleonora and William were overseas. George MacKillop was a merchant who had spent time in India and built up interests there – hence the references to the tea. William was also probably involved in the tea trade. Part of the letter (indicated by …) appears to be missing.

The letter provides an insight into the social history of the time and in part reads like an episode in a Jane Austen novel with references to the social circle of the time. It also provides interesting observations on the development of children as well as the style of life British wives were expected to follow when accompanying their husbands in India.

Jean MacKillop would have been 55 when this letter was written. She died in 1859. Her son, John MacKillop, died at the massacre at Cawnpore (India) in 1857.

                                                                                   

26 Grosvenor Place

                                                                                    Bath

                                                                                    23^rd and 25^th October 1855

My dearest Ellie,

We all rejoiced to receive your nice letter from Madras on the 1^st of this month, giving such good accounts of William’s health and endurance of heat – they were early days certainly – but gave good promise, and I hope and trust it may be God’s pleasure to bless you both with health even in the Indian climate. Pray do not, from the fear of falling into indolent habits, run into the opposite extreme and overtax your strength in any way; what would be slothful indulgence at home – is only necessary rest in India, and I hope you will take a sufficiency of it.

Now for the bairns. According to my rule; they are all well and happy – I thank God – I often wish you could both see them.

George is greatly improved and is reasonable and obedient – he speaks more intelligibly, and does not lose himself so often in a maze of words and thoughts – I hope that when he can read he will learn to express himself well and clearly; he had his first lesson this morning and was very attentive – but I have to begin with BA again – humanly speaking there will be no more interruptions and I expect to have to give you a good report of his progress in my next. Bessie tells me he was most anxious to do everything “as Grandmama would like” during our 11 days absence. He does not know the Lord’s Prayer quite perfect but almost so. I do not think he is quick in learning by heart, at present – but his technical memory will probably improve when he acquires the habit of giving his mind to his occupation. He is to write to you next, if he is a good boy – this goes via Marseilles and must therefore be brief and light.

Jeannie is not so obedient as Georgie and has rather a fancy occasionally for doing what she is told not to do – because it is forbidden – but she is an affectionate little body and they are all three very good children.

Last, but not least in any way, comes Baby – soon after I last wrote to you her cough became very severe, attended with light fever and great dearrangement of the stomach and bowels; the two upper eye teeth appeared, and she got slowly better – but she still had a shake and is not so fat and firm as formerly. Looks black under the eyes and still coughs a little, i.e; a night and day perhaps, she will be quite free from the enemy – then she will cough twice or three times in the 24 hours – and I have no doubt this will last to all her teeth are through; the worst (the upper eye teeth) is however over – I have told you quite the worst of her case and now to cheer you up with the good; her flesh is mottled, though a little soft for her – and we all think she is better for not being so (she still makes nearly two of Jeannie) she eats and digest well, sleeps well, plays and runs about, scrambles up on Jeanie’s bed whenever she can find the opportunity and trys <tries> to say everything. “Down dere” is a favourite expression – she insists on calling your father “Papa” – then asked where Papa is she points to Wm’s picture. Mr Brace (he attended while Mr B was away and Mr Ormond both say it is not an unusual way of cutting teeth and only requires care in avoiding exposure to cold at such times; I give them dresses up to the neck – Jeannie’s brown pelisse is made into a frock for baby – and baby’s red one into a frock for Jeannie – Nurse has made a high body to Baby’s pink frock and Jeannie has a new pink muslin-de-laine those are for their evening dresses; when the cold weather sets in they will take to their merinos but I do not mean to give them any but high dresses during the winter – prevention is better than cure of coughs and colds.

George and Jeannie were delighted with your letter to them, and George of his own accord, prayed for the conversion of the heathen and still continues to do so in his evening prayers.

When I last wrote to you I had no expectation of making out our proposed visit to Paris; - and when dear Baby became so unwell, though sorry for the cause, I felt very thankful that we had been detained at home; and hoped; selfishly perhaps, that it wd be given up altogether; however; when my poor Aunt became convalescent, and she wished it, and Bessie volunteered to take my place here, and baby was then well again (except looking hollow under the eyes), I gave in to your father’s and Georgie’s desire to go to Paris – I’m not going into details of all that we did and saw during the 11 days for Georgie will do it much better than I can – I think the change and the rest from household affairs has as usual done me good, and I always enjoy home comforts more after I have been deprived of them for a time.

We saw and dined with the Learmonths in Wimpole St the day we left home; they are both looking well and Mrs L has grown stout – they were very friendly and pressing for us to spend some days with them on our way back from Paris – but it is late in the season and as my poor Aunt is extremely nervous I could not have conscientiously have asked Bessie to have remained any longer – besides I am glad to be home again. The Caltons were in treaty for a house in Reading – Bessie is growing tall, but still delicate and under a doctor’s care. Mrs Reilly’s boy has been ill and was still delicate. Tom Learmonth was expected in a few days from Sebastapol – he has been travelling through Switzerland and other parts of the Continent during the summer and arrived at Sebastapol a few days after its fall.

24^th Papa and I went yesterday to pay a wedding visit to Mrs Frederick Inman and left Georgie to keep guard outside, fortunately as it turned out, for we found the bride supported by her mother, Mrs R Bridges and Emily Inman in a small room, and we were scarcely seated when Mr and Mrs G Baker entered, soon followed by Dr and Mrs Stone, so we took our leave after partaking of cake and wine. It wd not be fair to form an opinion of Mrs Fred on such a short visit and in such awkward circumstances. I did not like her mother’s manner, and I think R Bridges by far the best looking and most agreeable of the party at present. On our way there we met Miss Nash, who had been paying her a visit – she’s looking out of spirits and told me her mother was very poorly but not from the …

Papa desires me to say – “He has recd William’s letter from Madras –

            The net proceeds of the tea of 1854 – paid in July “56) will be about £50,000

            Deduct all expenses                                                                                 24,000

            Leaves to be divided on a capital of £180,000                                      £26,000

or nearly 14½ p. ct. He does not, however, expect the Div. Will divide over 10 p. ct. – They will probably give a profit of upwards of £30,000, and most of that will likely be divided in 1857. He doesn’t care whether you contribute or not to the paying for the shares. – You will see from the above they will in a few years be paid for entirely by the dividends …. his family, which is likely to be increased in a few months hence. Mr Magee will have the Octagon to himself, I believe, but this too is not quite settled.

I do not know how we are to manage if Kensington is shut up. George goes now and then to afternoon service and he behaved very well last time.

It is time I concluded this letter – for you will be puzzled to make it out. I would have entered more into details if I had been aware we cd exceed the ½ oz. Mrs Learmonth strongly recommends The End by Dr Cumming – I intend to read it when I get time. God bless you and with best love to Wm – I am ever

                                                My dearest Ellie

                                                Yr affectionate Mother

                                                J E MacKillop

Mackillop house in Hobart

Two advertisements for the sale of house and contents of the Mackillop home in Hobart

Elegant Mansion, Garden, AND EXTENSIVE PREMISES.

BY MR. T. Y. LOWES,

At his Mart in Elizabeth-street on Saturday, 15th April next, at one o'clock, positively without re- serve, the proprietor (G. Mackillop, Esq..) being about to leave the Colony,

THAT splendid Family Mansion, situate in the most delightful part of Davey-street, and   bounded by the Sandy Bay Rivulet, the property of George Mackillop, Esq. comprising every accommodation that can possibly be required.

The first floor consists of a drawing room 29 feet by 16, dining room and parlour, a bed room, butler's pantry and sleeping room, kitchen, scullery, &c, under which are spacious cellars.

On the second story are six large bed rooms, fitted with cupboards, three dressing rooms, and store closets.

The attics comprise two servants bed rooms and a store.

The whole is fitted up in the most complete manner, with water closets, &c, without regard to expense, and elegantly finished.

The out offices consist of a stable, loft and servants sleeping room, large store, coach houses, oven, wood and fowl house, pig sties, and sundry other buildings in the yard, which is securely fenced.

The premises stand on 2 acres, 1 rood, 27 perches of excellent ground; the garden has been trenched   15 inches deep, well manured, and stocked with trees, all of which were loaded this season with the choicest fruit (the pears and apples still remain;)   strawberries and raspberries were in the greatest abundance; the never-failing stream at the bottom   affords a constant supply of water, and the neighbourhood is truly respectable, having the residences of Thomas Learmonth, Esq. on one side, and Hugh Ross, Esq. on the other.

The beauty of the surrounding scenery is too well known and admired to require comment.

The title is a new grant,

Terms-Ten per cent, deposit on the day of sale one-third by bill at six months, bearing eight per cent. interest; the balance may remain secured on the premises for ten years at eight per cent,

For tickets, to view, and further particulars, apply to the Auctioneer  

Colonial Times Tuesday 4 April 1837 page 2

ELEGANT HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, LANDULET, CHINA, GLASS,

CHOICE Cellar of OLD WINES, BOOKS etc

BY MR. T Y. LOWES,      

At the Residence of George Mackillop, Esq. upper end of Davey-street, TO-MORROW, the 12th instant, commencing at 12 o'clock precisely,

THE whole of the costly and truly elegant

Household Furniture, and other effects, the property of George Mackillop, Esq., proceeding to England, which will be sold without

the least reserve

Comprising in part,

Solid Spanish mahogany rosewood dining  

and drawing room tables and chairs, elegantly carved and highly polished.

Two splendid drawing-room lamps, of exquisite workmanship

A semi grand Piano, by Broadwood, Two easy chairs, beautifully carved Elegant mahogany sideboard Celleret

Tea caddies

Dumb waiter on handsome brass castors, Cheffioneers and card tables

Very superior Brussels and other carpets, one made to order, 29 x 15 9 (exceedingly good)

Chimney, pier, and dressing glasses

Extremely rich and costly dinner, dessert, tea and breakfast services   China

Cut glass

Ivory handled balanced knives and forks Crockery &c.

Four-post and other solid mahogany bed-steads, richly carved

Hair mattresses, English feather beds

Ladies' wardrobes, bidets, bed-steps, cheval glasses Children's bedsteads, and every requisite article of Household Furniture in excellent order, and of the best possible description

ALSO,

A cellar of the choicest old wines, sent expressly to order, comprising every variety A handsome landaulet, with Collins' patent axles, carriage, harness, horse cart, &c.

AND

An extensive library, of the best selected works, amongst which is Brewster's Encyclopedia, in 22 vols.

A more particular description will be given in the Catalogues to be issued previous to the Sale, as it is impossible to particularize them satisfactorily in an advertisement.  

Terms,-From £25 to £100 three months, above £100 four months' credit

N.B. The elegant Service of Plate, being of considerable value, is for sale privately, if applied for previous to the 10th proximo, the Proprietor wishing it not to be separated, as the whole bears the same crest.    

Since the above was advertised, Mr. Mackillop has determined to sell all his splendid plated ware, the articles of which will appear in the catalogue. These and the other goods will be on view the day previous to the sale.  

Colonial Times Tuesday 11 February 1840

52 Ancestors #30 Jean Eleanora Hutton

Jean Hutton, born in London, England, probably in 1800, was the eldest daughter of William Charles Hutton and Eleanora Read who were married in Calcutta, India, on 3 October 1799. Captain William Charles Hutton was in charge of the ship, the Lord Nelson, that disappeared during a storm in November 1808. When William wrote his will on 31 March 1806 he left his effects to his wife and daughters, Jean Eleanora and Mary, and any other subsequent children.

William and Eleanora had four other children - Margaret Mary Hutton who was born and baptised in 1803 and possibly died when a young child as she is not mentioned in her father's will, Mary Hutton who was born and baptised in 1805, Thomas Hutton (1806-1824) and Charles Hutton (1809-1879). The two boys enlisted in the East India Company Army. Thomas, an ensign in the Bengal Infantry, was 17 when he died in India on 3 December 1824. In 1825, Charles applied for a cadetship in the East India Company Army and spent time in India before leaving the army to settle in Victoria. He was involved in the early settlement of the colony and owned a number of properties including the Campaspie Plains Run near Heathcote. He went back to England in the 1860s and then returned to Victoria to live in Brighton in 1872.

On 21 November 1800, Jean Eleanora Hutton was baptised at St George the Martyr Church, Queen Square, London. The next we hear of her was when she married George Mackillop on 8 September 1820 at St John's Church, Calcutta (Kolkata), India. The church was one of the first buildings constructed by the East India Company in Calcutta and for many years served as the cathedral.

George Mackillop was a merchant trading in India. Like many other families involved in India in the nineteenth century it was not unusual for family members to regularly travel between the United Kingdom and India. Jean and George had seven children. The first three sons - George Downie Mackillop (1821-1836), Charles William Mackillop (1824-1909) and John Robert Mackillop (1826-1857) were born in Calcutta. Eleanora Mackillop (1830-1900) was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. James Mackillop was also born in Edinburgh on 17 September 1832 but died ten months later on 16 July 1833 in Calcutta. Shortly after this the family moved to Van Diemen's Land. Mary Rose Mackillop was born in Hobart on 8 July 1834 and died ten years later in Edinburgh when the family returned to Scotland. Georgina Mackillop was born in Hobart on 5 April 1837 and died in Dandenong,Victoria, on 18 November 1928.

In Hobart the family owned a large house in Davey Street. The advertisement  in the Hobart Town Courier 3 February 1837 p 1 for the sale of the house provided the following description:

The first story consists of a drawing room 29 by 16 feet, a parlour, with store closets attached, a dining room, bed room, a butler's sleeping room, pantry and kitchen. The second floor consists of 6 large bed rooms, a dressing room, store room and water closet; and over these are three attics for servants, &c. In the out offices are a scullery, attached to the kitchen, a store room, hay loft, stable, coach, pig and hen houses &c.

The garden is of excellent soil, and is well stocked with fruit trees, now in full bearing.

The premises have been fitted up with every attention to the comfort of a large family, and are now only to be sold on account of the proprietor being about to leave the island.

The property took several years to sell as it was advertised for sale again in 1839 and advertisements for the contents of the house appeared in February 1840. The delay in selling the property may substantiate the view that George later related to family members that he returned to the United Kingdom as he believed there was no future in the colony.

The death of Jean and George's eldest son, fifteen year old George Downie Mackillop, in Hobart two months before the property was first put on the market may also been a consideration on the family's decision to leave the colony.

Initially the family returned to their home in Edinburgh, Scotland where their names are recorded on the 1841 Scottish census. The 1851 English census has the family living in Bath at 26 Grosvenor Place. The townhouse comprised of three storeys plus a cellar and would have had facilities for a carriage at the rear of the property. The census showed that the family employed a cook, parlour maid and a hand-maid. Georgina was the only child living with their parents when the census was taken.

In the mid 1850s Jean and George were looking after three of the children of their daughter, Eleanora Hutton, who was in India with her husband who was serving in the East India Company Army. It was normal procedure for British families India to send the children back to England to be cared for and educated.  In October 1855 Jean wrote a letter to Eleanora providing information about the children - George who was five and who had stared his lessons that morning, Jeannie who was almost four and who had a 'fancy occasionally for doing what she is told not to do' and Baby (Eleanora) who was one and was teething. The letter mentions Nurse who looks after the children and who had sewn new dresses for the two girls. Jean and George had recently returned from visiting Paris for eleven days and Jean commented that 'I think the change and rest from household affairs has as usual done me good'. While they were away Bessie came and helped to look after the children. The letter also provides an insight into the social niceties of the time as Jean also described a 'wedding visit' that she and George made to newly married couple.

In 1857 Jean and George received the news that their son, John Robert Mackillop, had been killed during the Siege of Cawnpore during the Indian Mutiny. He was working in the Bengal India Civil Service and was Joint Magistrate of Cawnpore at the time of the siege.

Jean Eleanora Mackillop died at Bath on 5 August 1859. She was 59.

Jean Eleanora Mackillop was my (x3) great grandmother.

52 Ancestors #29 George Mackillop

George Mackillop was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland in 1790. His father was John Mackillop, a farmer, possibly a sheep farmer, at St Ninians, south of Stirling in Scotland. In 1781 John married Mary Downie, the daughter of Robert Downie 1735-1805, a farmer and a distiller. In 1786 James, the eldest son of John and Mary Mackillop, was born.

In1807 George had completed his matriculation for the Glasgow University. It is unlikely that he actually attended the university as his name is not included in the list of graduates to 1911.

We do know that George went to India to join his brother, James, who was working with their uncle, Robert Downie, at the firm, Downie, Cruttenden and Company. When Robert Downie left India in 1811 the name of the firm changed to Cruttenden and Mackillop and Company with the two brothers taking over the role of their uncle in the company. Both men proceeded to make money as merchants buying and selling goods between India and England. Looking at newspaper advertisements the Mackillop name appears in the name of a number of companies over the years.

On 8 January 1820 George Mackillop married Jean Eleanora Hutton (1800-1859) at St John’s Church, Calcutta, Bengal, India.

Their first three sons were born in Calcutta - George Downie Mackillop on 21 October 1821, Charles William born in 1824 and John Robert Mackillop born 1 November 1826.

The family returned to Scotland. The next two children were born in Edinburgh - Eleanora Mackillop born 11 December 1830 and James Mackillop born 17 September 1832. At this time the family was living at 11 Ainslie Place in Edinburgh.
George then decided to take his family to Van Diemen’s Land via India where no doubt he would have checked his investments. They left Scotland at the end of 1832 or early 1833. Unfortunately while they were in Calcutta ten month old James died and was buried at the South Park Burial Ground.

The family probably settled in Hobart in 1834 where Mary Rose Mackillop was born on 8 July 1834 and Georgina was born on 5 April 1837.

On 22 January 1835 George Mackillop arrived in Sydney on the brig, Siren, to travel to Monaro where, accompanied by James MacFarlane and Thomas Livingstone plus some other men, they made their way into Victoria, crossed the Snowy River and explored country a few miles south of Lake Omeo. He named the area Strathdownie. George and his party were the first Europeans to explore this area of Victoria. The reason for the expedition was to locate grazing land for sheep and cattle which they planned to bring across from Van Diemen’s Land. Many years later George Hutton wrote the following account of his grandfather’s adventures.

George Mackillop led the expedition into East Gippsland that discovered Lake Omeo. Strictly speaking he did not lead the expedition (I doubt he being much of a bushman). I fancy a man named MacFarlane did that, but I have no doubt he found the money for the enterprise. Returning to N.S.W. after finding Lake Omeo, the party missed the water. It was a very hot day and all were very thirsty. Mackillop especially, so he sucked pebbles and at last sat down on a log unable to go any further telling the rest of the party to go on and leave him. Two of the convict servants however stuck to him and at last persuaded him to take a few puffs from a pipe (Mackillop was not a smoker) which put some moisture in his mouth and he was then able to go on and join the rest of the party. Mackillop had never smoked until this time but from then on became a heavy smoker, so much so that a doctor he consulted when he was 70 years of age told him he had knocked ten years off his life. He died when 74.

George returned to Hobart from Sydney in April. He continued to live with his family in Hobart for the next few years though he was actively involved in the early settlement of Victoria. He joined Mr Dobson’s Port Phillip Company with the plan to acquire land in the new settlement.  In May 1836 he arranged for 750 sheep to be taken to Port Phillip aboard Captain Tregurtha’s brig, Henty.  The ship ran into mudflats in Port Phillip Bay but eventually arrived at Hobson’s Bay, Williamstown and on the 20 May the sheep were safely landed. In August 1836 Captain Tregurtha took a party, including George Mackillop, aboard a small boat exploring the Barwon River near Geelong.

George Mackillop purchased a number of properties often in partnership with James Smith. A survey of dwellings, stock and cultivation at Port Phillip taken on 9 November 1836 listed a property, belonging to George Mackillop and James Smith, on the east bank of the Salt Water River, seven miles from Captain Lonsdale’s headquarters. The residence consisted of a tent and there were 2240 sheep and one horse on the property. There were five men on the property.George had also been a member of a party exploring land near Geelong.

In 1839 George Mackillop and James Smith established the property Strathdownie in south west Victoria near Mt Noorat. The property was later renamed Glenormiston when they sold it the following year. George may also have had a property in the Omeo region. Macfarlane and Livingstone certainly established properties in this area.

In 8 January 1847, after George and his family had returned to England, properties owned by George Mackillop were auctioned. An advertisement in The Argus 8 January 1847 described the land for sale. This included a property on the Merri Creek consisting of 146 acres, ‘a very substantial stone built and elegant house on the cottage style with verandah, and commanding an extensive view of the surrounding country’, a three stall stable and a coach house. Three parcels of land in St Kilda were also for sale. One consisted of three acres of cleared land with a three rail fence, the second had a 60 foot frontage on to Promenade Street fronting on to the bay and leading on to Ackland Street while the third had one hundred foot frontage on to Ackland Street. These parcels of land had been purchased on 6 September 1842 after George had left the colony so he was still looking out for investment opportunities in Port Phillip when he was in England. Land purchased in Collins Street, Melbourne was also for sale. As well as buying and selling property George was also selling stock and merchandise.

On 23 November 1836 George’s eldest son, George Downie Mackillop, died and was buried at St David’s Church Cemetery in Hobart.

Issues of the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture published in Edinburgh in June 1839 and March 1840 contained two articles by George Mackillop from Hobart Town providing British readers with his views on the new colony. One article was entitled ‘On Australia’ while the second had the title, ‘On Port Phillip in Australia’.

26 Grosvenor Place, Bath

George first put advertisements in the newspapers for the sale of his Hobart house in 1837 but it was several years before he sold the property. George and his family returned to Scotland in the early1840s. They then moved to Bath in England where they lived in a townhouse at 26 Grosvenor Place. Although George and his family returned to the United Kingdom to live, some years later two of his daughters, with their husbands, made their homes in Australia.

George Mackillop died at Torquay in Devon on 10 July 1865. He was 75.

George Mackillop was my great (x3) grandfather.

Education records part 2

Types of items that may be held at the PROV include:

•  pupil registers & indexes
• inspectors' reports
• school committee, mothers club records
• school magazines
• correspondence
• records of academic achievement
• discipline records
• class photographs

To find a school:

• Go to Access the Collection
•  Select Find by Number
• Select the Group button
• Type the number 24 (educational institutions)
• Select Related Agencies
• Click on Agency Title for a list of schools in alphabetical order together with their VA number

There is also an online index available when searching for a school.
 
Secondary High Schools began in 1907

VPRS 1440 Registers of Professional Officers

VPRS 14390 War Service  Publications

VPRS 13718 Teacher Record Books - there is an online index

Inspector Report Book contains reports of each visit to a school

School Building Files

• VPRS 795  - Primary Schools
• VPRS 3916  - High Schools

Information may also be found in Public Works Department Files and MMBW Survey Plans

• VPRS 7882 Public Building Files - index online
• VPRS 9044 Public Building Plans too large to fit in normal file

Records for non government schools generally not held but information may be located School Buildings Files: Non Government and also in Health Department Files.

Records of the former Education History Unit include:

• VPRS 14557 School histories & other publications
• VPRS 14519 School history files
• VPRS 15355 Biography files
• VPRS 14004 Donations

Student magazines include copies of The School Paper

Records may also be found in other government departments:

• Royal Commissions
• Crown Land Reserve files
• Education Gazettes

Check archives in other states for education records held.

Ancestry.com.au now includes a number of New South Wales school registers including NSW Teachers' Rolls 1869-1908

Education records part 1

I recently attended a workshop at the Public Record Office of Victoria providing an overview of the education records held at the PROV.

The records tend to fall into four categories:

• general administration
• teachers & schools
• buildings
• information from the former Education History Unit

Public Records Act 1973
Some of the records are closed if they are of a private or personal nature - closure may be for 50, 75 or 99 years - but most records can be accessed.

Two sets of numbers used:

• VA Victorian Agency
• VPRS Victorian Public Record Series

A brief history of the development of education in Victoria was provided in relation to available records and examples of some record series were provided.

Pre 1848 there was no government control of education however some aid may have been made available to schools.

VPRS 19: 1839-1951 inward correspondence received by the government. There is an index and some items of correspondence have been digitised

VA 703 Denominational Schools Board was established 1848-1863

VA 920 Board of National Education

VA 919 National Schools Board

VA 713 1862-1873 Board of Education established

VA 714 1873 establishment of the Education Department (now Department of education and Training)

Searching collection using the VA or VPRS number

• Go to Access the Collection
• Select Find by Number
• Select the VA (agency) or VPRS (series) button
• Type in the number

The Records tab provides a list of series titles is then provided which can be further investigated

From 1873 the information can be more detailed. There may be separate series for different functions. Memoranda & Circulars of the Education department are available from 1873-2001.

There are two types of school records:

• those created by the School
• those created by the Education Department

VPRS 640 Central Inward Primary Schools Correspondence 1872-1962
Until about 1920 files for each school kept together - after that information was chronological
Sometimes more than one school may be mentioned in a file particularly when there were part-time schools.

The PROV does not have records from all schools. Schools that are still operating may have some or all of their records at the school.

The PROV was established in 1973. Prior to that a unit at the State Library of Victoria held some government records. As records did not have to be kept prior to 1973 some records may not have survived.