A record from findmypast’s index to Victoria Marriages 1836-1942 will tell you:
You will need this information to order a copy of the marriage certificate.
Once you have located the relevant record from findmypast’s index to Victoria Marriages 1836-1942, you can order the marriage certificate itself from Births, Deaths & Marriages, Victoria.
In order to purchase a marriage certificate, you must know the following:
When ordering a marriage certificate in Victoria, you can purchase either historical certificates themselves or uncertified images.
The historical certificates include the Registrar’s certification, signature and seal.
The uncertified images, on the other hand, are scanned images of the original registration records. Designed specifically for family history research, the uncertified images include the same details as the historical certificate, but cannot be used for official purposes.
The other difference is that uncertified images can be downloaded to your computer immediately after ordering.
You can order historical certificates either online or through post.
Historical marriage certificates can be ordered online on the Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria website here.
The certificate will be issued within five business days from the date your application is received, plus postage time.
To order through the post, you must download and print this application form here, fill it in and send it to Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. The address is:
Certificate applications Births, Deaths & Marriages GPO Box 5220 MELBOURNE VIC 3001
You can download an uncertified image directly from the Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria website.
Instructions on how to download the uncertified images can be found here.
It is important to note that different rules apply for marriages that are considered recent, due to privacy laws. This includes any marriage certificates from 60 years ago or less, where either the bride or groom is still alive today.
Ordering these must be done through Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria with proof of identity documents. Learn more about recent marriage certificates here.
As explained above, findmypast’s index to Victoria Marriages 1836-1942 will give you the basics of the marriage in question: the two partners’ names, the year, and the registration number that you will need to order the certificate.
The marriage certificate (or uncertified image of it) will usually contain much more information. If the marriage occurred after 1 July 1853, you can also expect to find additional information such as:
In this period, Victoria marriage certificates – as well as birth and death certificates – were the most detailed of all Australian colonies’ records, making them particularly useful for family history researchers.