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Occupations and trades
Ever wondered what great granddad did for a living?
This list comprises links to various sources of occupation and trade / apprentice information. Many databases are searchable online by surname or trade.
Jump to:
- Australian Capital Territory
- Queensland
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- National
Australian Capital Territory
- ACT Memorial - a database of men and women who have an association with the ACT and who served in conflicts
Queensland
- Supreme Court of Queensland Library - includes North Queensland Legal Practitioners 1861-1964
- Supreme Court of Queensland Library - Queensland Judiciary Profiles
- Appointments and removals of Queensland railway employees (1890 - 1901)
- Queensland railway appointees 1890-1915
- Appointments and removals of employees of the Southern and Western Railway, Traffic Branch, Queensland (1866 - 1876)
- Miners involved in Queensland mining accidents (1882 - 1900)
- Persons called before Queensland Government Committees - Part 1 (1860 - 1901)
- Persons called before Queensland Government Committees - Part 2 (1902 - 1920)
- Justices of the Peace 1857-1922
- Colonial Secretary's letters received re Moreton Bay 1822-1860
Queensland Archives has compiled indexes of their archival records. Use these links to get to the page and search the index database by name.
- Business - Companies 1863-1959
- Business - Stage licences 1891-1904
- Government - Civil servants 1865-1867
- Government - Imperial pensions 1898-1912
- Government - Imperial pensions 1872-1915
- Government - Indigence cases 1899-1948
- Register of Seamen 1882-1919
Once you get to the Queensland Archives page, here's how to use it:
- Scroll down to "Select a topic"
- Click on the appropriate arrow for the type of records you are looking for - this will then expand to show what record sets are available.
- Click on the appropriate link for the records you are looking for - this will then expand (below the list) to show a search area where you can input names etc.
You may also be able to download the full index using a link that will appear on the top right of the page or below the search box (depending on what device you are using, eg: desktop, iPad etc).
New South Wales
NSW State Archives search - You can search the NSW State Archives here. It is the largest collection of records relating to the history of NSW and the lives of its people. It comprises over 14 million items. The records in the Collection are arranged firstly by the Government agency (a department, branch, office or official) that created them, then into series of records, then into items (bound volumes, files, documents, or objects) within the series. From there you may be able to order a copy of the records online, depending on availabilty and age of the record.
- Australian Medical Pioneers Index A database of colonial doctors to 1875
- Chemists, Druggists and Pharmacists, 1876-1920
- Business and Company Records 1903-22 owners of firms registered under the Firms Act, 1902.
- Register of auriferous (gold) leases, 1874-1953
- Police Service Registers police appointments from 1852 to 1913.
- Publicans' Licences, 1830-61
- Railway Employees - Nominal Roll of the First Railway Section (AIF), 1917-20
- Australian Railway Supply Detachment
- Railway Employment Records 1856 to 1917
- Railway Employment Records employees born before 1900 and still employed after 1910 (A-Z). Over 107,000 names in the series.
- NSW Government Railways and Tramways Roll of Honour, 1914-19 Name search for railway employees who died in the First World War.
- Squatters and Graziers, 1833-49
- Teachers' rolls, 1869-1908
- Nurses Index
- Fire Commissioners Personnel
Victoria
- Teacher Record Books, 1863-1959 - Database Index
- Teacher Examination Papers, 1863-1872 - Search examination reports, based on the teachers name and the school where they worked. You can use this index to identify records of teachers examined by the Board of Teachers between 1863 and 1872
- State Schools Listing - Alphabetical and numerical index of State Schools within Victoria including those schools which have closed or merged and may no longer operate.
- Index to Special Case Files, Education Department, 1862-1977
- Register of Special Case Files, Education Department, 1852-1977
- Copy of Inward and Outward Correspondence, Board of Education, 1849-1851
- Photographs of State School Buildings in Victoria 1880-2010
- Early Publicans - Defunct Hotel Licenses (1857 – 1932)
- Treasurer’s Correspondence Relating to Publicans, 1838 -1855
- Publican Index of 19th Century Victoria
- Bendigo Goldfields Petition - The petition was signed by over 5000 diggers on the Victorian goldfields in mid-1853. At the time, the signatures represented about one in 12 diggers.
Western Australia
- History of Western Australian Railways and Stations - covers mainly the Railways of Western Australia
- Western Australian Post Office Directories 1893-1949
South Australia
- Whalers listed in SA Government Gazettes 1844-51 - together with their employer and position
- South Australian Police 1838 to 1920
- South Australian District Constables 1853 to 1920
- Gold Diggers from South Australia 1852 to 1853 - Searchable database of gold diggers from South Australia who brought or sent their gold home from the Victorian goldfields.
- The Manning Index of South Australian History The Index contains many thousands of references to South Australian newspaper and magazine stories for the years 1837 to 1937. It also includes extensive selected text from the indexed publications, other primary and secondary sources and numerous extracts from Mr Manning's own writings.
Tasmania
Northern Territory
The Nothern Territory Department of Arts and Museums is responsible for the Northern Territory Archives. A list of collections in the archive is available for download in PDF format (warning: 250+ pages) which can then be searched offline. The archives can also be searced online using the "Archives Navigator" service although it is not straight forward and no indexes are available. Read the Information for Researchers page for information on the service.
Other lists:
- Territory Stories - provides a range of stories that record the history and development of the Northern Territory from the early days, to the present
National
- Cable Clerical Index - The Cable Clerical Index (CCI) is an index of more than 6570 Australian Anglican clergy. Only names and dates of ordination are published for those born before 01 Jan 1916.
- Ancestry.com.au - Australian electoral rolls are a good source of information for occupation details of individuals from 1903 onwards. These are best searched on Ancestry.com.au which has a full and useful index and links to the original records.
- The Goldminer's database (New Zealand) - Search the names of 50000 goldminers from the goldrushes of New Zealand 1861 - 1872
- National Police Memorial - Honour Roll - The Memorial pays tribute to Australian Police Officers who have been killed on duty or have died as a result of their duties since the advent of policing in Australia and to recognise the unique nature of police service and the dangers that police face in their daily pursuits.
- Did your ancestor drive for Cobb & Co?
Last update October 2017