Discover the details of your Northern Territory ancestor’s marriage. Find out what information is listed on their marriage certificate(s), from their spouse’s name to when and where they were wed.
Discover the details of your Northern Territory ancestor’s marriage. Find out what information is listed on their marriage certificate(s), from their spouse’s name to when and where they were wed.
Each record includes a transcript. The amount of information listed varies, but the Northern Territory Marriage Index 1870-1913 may include the following information about your ancestor:
Their first name and last name
The date of the marriage
The year of the marriage
The place and district of the marriage
The spouse’s first and last name
The state and country
Registration details
The Northern Territory Marriage Index 1870-1913 records comprise approximately 710 entries from an index of marriages registered in the Northern Territory, Australia, between 1870 and 1913.
All Northern Territory births, deaths and marriages required registration from 24 August 1870. Original marriage certificates from the Northern Territory are held and administered by the Northern Territory Government’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice. These certificates are not available to search or view online, but can be purchased. See further details below.
It is important to note that South Australia became responsible for administering the Northern Territory in 1863, and it became known as the district of Palmerston. (Prior to this, the Northern Territory was considered part of New South Wales, with the exception of a short period in 1846.) When the Northern Territory was transferred to the federal government’s control in 1911, the South Australian government sent its registrations of births, deaths and marriages from the Northern Territory to Darwin. These are now held in the Northern Territory Government’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
If your Northern Territory ancestors were married prior to 24 August 1870, it is worth checking for a record of their marriage among the South Australian and New South Wales births, deaths and marriages registers, which are also available on Findmypast.
In Australia, each state administers its own birth, death and marriage certificates and the process of ordering a certificate, as well as the level of detail they may contain, varies widely.
In the Northern Territory, the Northern Territory Government’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the Department of the Attorney-General and Justice is responsible for managing this process.
For information about certified copies of certificates issued by the Northern Territory Government please refer to http://www.nt.gov.au/justice/bdm/index.shtml
Ordering a marriage certificate will involve applying on the Registry’s online facility, using the website link listed above. Applications can also be made via fax, post or, for those who live in the Northern Territory, in person at one of four Register-General’s Offices around the Northern Territory. Note that costs apply.
It is important to keep in mind that only marriage certificates dating back over 60 years can be accessed by any member of the public. Marriage certificates that are less than 60 years old are generally only available to the person in question, their parents or guardians, or others that the Registrar deems as eligible to apply.