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

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
    6-1856
    6-1856
    12-1874
    1-1875
    7-1907
    7-1907
    6-1948
    6-1948
    1-1968
    1-1968
    present
    Date of birthyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Place of birthnoyes>1882yesyesyes
    Name of childyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Sexyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Father's full nameyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Father's age, birth placenononoyesyesyes
    Father's occupationyesyesnoyesyesyes
    Usual residencenoyesnoyesyesyes
    Mother's maiden nameyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Mother's age, birth placenononoyesyesyes
    Mother's former married surnamenononononoyes
    Year of marriagenononoyesyesyes
    Number of previous living, dead issuenononoyesyesyes
    Informant signature, descriptn, residenceyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Authorized personnonononoyesno
    Registration Districtyesyesyesyesyesno
    Registration dateyesyesyesyesyesyes

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
    8-1856
    8-1856
    12-1868
    1-1868
    12-1907
    12-1907
    4-1937
    5-1937
    8-1963
    9-1963
    present
    Date of marriageyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Place of marriageyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Full names of bothyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Ages of bothyesyesnoyesyesyes
    Dates of birth of bothnononononoyes
    Places of birth of bothnononoyesyesyes
    Occupations of bothyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Usual prior residencesnoyesyesyesyesyes
    Conjugal status of bothyesnoyesyesyesyes
    Both fathers namesnoyesyesyesyesyes
    Both mothers maiden namesnononononoyes
    Declarations of no impedimentnonoyesyesyesyes
    Witnesses namesyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Witnesses residences & ocupationsnoyesyesyesyesno
    Registration Districtyesyesyesyesyesno
    Registration Dateyesnonononono
    Celebrant signatureyesyesyesyesyesyes
    Religion or denominationnononononoyes

Death

Burial

Obituary

SA genealogy resources
Searchable map of SA