History

The Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) is the archive of the State and local government in Victoria. It holds both hard copy and digital records dating from 1836 to the present day, including:

• Wills and probates
• Passenger lists and immigration records
• Adoption records
• Hospital and asylum records
• Inquests and coronial records
• Maps
• Building permits and plans
• Court and prison records
• Census records
• Electoral and voter rolls
• Council records
• School records
• Photographs and film

While physical collections can be viewed on request at the Victorian Archives Centre, there are many 1000's of digitised records which can be searched and viewed online.

Where to Start

To learn how to search the Public Records Office Victoria catalogue, first take ten minutes to watch all the videos on their Where to start page which covers:

• How do I create an account with PROV?
• How do I search the collection and filter the results?
• How do I order a record or box of records and view them?
• How do I order a digital copy or paper copy of the record?
• What will I find on my dashboard?

You do not need to register with PROV to view online records, however if you would like to view an item in person for free or request an item be digitised (charges may apply) then you will need to register.

Finding Digital Items in PROV

1. Search the catalogue via the PROV homepage. To find items you can view online use the location filter on the left-hand menu of your results page and select Online.

2. In the results list click the yellow View digital copy button to go directly to the item.

3. If there is no View digital copy button, click on the record title, then go the to Content page where you can download the file.