South Australian Birth, Marriage & Death Directory
Birth, baptism, marriage, death, burial & obituary resources
Introduction to South Australian bmd records
Before SA civil registration began in mid 1842, the churches kept baptism, marriage & burial registers. These records are included in our birth, marriage & death databases. The SA Births, Deaths & Marriages Registration Office does not make any records available online although certificates can be purchased from their website, by post, or over the counter. CD, book and microfiche registration indexes covering the periods from mid 1842 up to 1928 for births, 1937 for marriages and 1972 for deaths are available from genealogy suppliers. Ancestry.com.au has online bmd data (requiring paid membership), extracted from earlier indexes with very limited information, covering the periods up to 1922 for births, 1937 for marriages and 1970 for deaths.
Our own free online bmd databases include corrected and expanded information from the latest registration indexes for the first few years together with unregistered events and the earlier church register data. You'll find them under the individual birth, marriage & death headings below.
General
- Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Office [no bdm registration records online]
- All application and progress enquiries must be sent to the BDM Registration Office, not to FamilyHistorySA.
- Certificate application fees
- How to apply for a certificate online
- Birth, death and marriage historic registration districts and the current locations of records available for viewing (the original books or microfiche of them)
The districts are those that existed up to 1992. Many divisions and amalgamations occurred at previous times, mostly 1855-6 and 1928-35 respectively. Numerous boundary changes occurred. Initially, in 1842, there were two districts only, Adelaide and Flinders. At present there is a single district for all of South Australia.
- Colonial South Australian Pioneers [searchable database of combined early arrivals, births, marriages and deaths]
- South Australian births, marriages and deaths newspaper index for 1838
- State Library of South Australia
- State Records of South Australia [records available at their reading rooms]
- Indexes to marriages prior to compulsory registration - GRG 56/68/21 (A 1486)
- Indexes to deaths prior to compulsory registration - GRG 56/68/20 (A 1485)
- Other records duplicated from originals held at the State Library of SA
Birth
- Births 1836-54 including those prior to civil registration, all of those registered & others not submitted to the registrar [searchable database]
Information included on SA birth certificates and district records
Provision was made on the certificates for the information tabulated below and marked yes. However, on many certificates, some of that information was omitted by the informant and/or registrar. Theoretically, the same information was provided in the district records. Note that in some cases certificates were issued on the older stationery until it was exhausted.Registration date from:
to:7-1842
6-18566-1856
12-18741-1875
7-19077-1907
6-19486-1948
1-19681-1968
presentDate of birth yes yes yes yes yes yes Place of birth no yes >1882 yes yes yes Name of child yes yes yes yes yes yes Sex yes yes yes yes yes yes Father's full name yes yes yes yes yes yes Father's age, birth place no no no yes yes yes Father's occupation yes yes no yes yes yes Usual residence no yes no yes yes yes Mother's maiden name yes yes yes yes yes yes Mother's age, birth place no no no yes yes yes Mother's former married surname no no no no no yes Year of marriage no no no yes yes yes Number of previous living, dead issue no no no yes yes yes Informant signature, descriptn, residence yes yes yes yes yes yes Authorized person no no no no yes no Registration District yes yes yes yes yes no Registration date yes yes yes yes yes yes
Marriage
- Marriages 1836-55 including those prior to civil registration, all of those registered & others not submitted to the registrar [searchable database]
Information included on SA marriage certificates and district records
Provision was made on the certificates for the information tabulated below and marked yes. However, on many certificates, some of that information was omitted by the informant and/or registrar. Theoretically, the same information was provided in the district records. Note that in some cases certificates were issued on the older stationery until it was exhausted.Registration date from:
to:7-1842
8-18568-1856
12-18681-1868
12-190712-1907
4-19375-1937
8-19639-1963
presentDate of marriage yes yes yes yes yes yes Place of marriage yes yes yes yes yes yes Full names of both yes yes yes yes yes yes Ages of both yes yes no yes yes yes Dates of birth of both no no no no no yes Places of birth of both no no no yes yes yes Occupations of both yes yes yes yes yes yes Usual prior residences no yes yes yes yes yes Conjugal status of both yes no yes yes yes yes Both fathers names no yes yes yes yes yes Both mothers maiden names no no no no no yes Declarations of no impediment no no yes yes yes yes Witnesses names yes yes yes yes yes yes Witnesses residences & ocupations no yes yes yes yes no Registration District yes yes yes yes yes no Registration Date yes no no no no no Celebrant signature yes yes yes yes yes yes Religion or denomination no no no no no yes
Death
- Deaths 1836-51 including those prior to civil registration, those registered & others not submitted to the registrar [searchable database]
- Gazetted deaths 1845-1941 [searchable database of sudden deaths]
- South Australian Genealogy Society deaths & burials [searchable databases]
- South Australian returned servicemen deaths [searchable database]
- WWI South Australian servicemen deaths [searchable database]
- Courts Administration Authority of South Australia
- Probate Registry [contact information for obtaining deceased estate wills & grants of probate]
- Supreme Court Building, 1 Gouger Street, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
- Telephone: +618 8204 0505
- Probate Registry [contact information for obtaining deceased estate wills & grants of probate]
Information included on SA death certificates and district records
Provision was made on the certificates for the information tabulated below and marked yes. However, on many certificates, some of that information was omitted by the informant and/or registrar. Theoretically, the same information was provided in the district records. Note that in some cases certificates were issued on the older stationery until it was exhausted.Registration date from:
to:7-1842
6-18567-1856
12-18741-1875
12-190712-1907
5-19375-1937
6-19487-1948
12-19671-1968
presentDate of death yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Place of death no yes yes yes yes yes yes Name of person yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Sex yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Age no yes yes yes yes yes yes Cause of death yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Occupation yes yes no yes yes yes yes Usual residence no yes yes yes yes yes yes Birth place, time in Aust no no no yes yes yes yes Age at first marriage no no no no no no yes Age at last marriage no no no yes yes yes yes Name of spouse no no no no no no yes Conjugal status no no no no yes yes yes No. of male, female, living, dead issue no no no yes yes yes yes Death within 3 m of child's birth no no no no yes yes yes Informant signature, descn, residence yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Authorized person no no no no no yes yes Date & place of burial, cremation no no no no yes yes yes Name & address of undertaker no no no no no no yes Registration District yes yes yes yes yes yes no Registration date yes no >1904 yes yes yes yes