About this collection
The Australian government began compiling electoral rolls in the 1840s. At the time, only property owners were eligible to vote. In most colonies, all men were granted voting rights by the 1850s. Half a century later, Australia would become the second nation in the world (after New Zealand) to grant voting rights to women in 1902.
Published every election year, the Australian Electoral Rolls were compiled by each state to determine the number and names of individuals eligible to vote and provide evidence of their continuing residence. Non-British subjects weren't allowed to vote until the 1940s and aborigines until 1949. Therefore, individuals falling into those categories aren't included in this database.
Electoral rolls are great records to use as “census substitutes”. They are useful when census records are either not complete or non-existent, and are usually available in between census years. Because electoral rolls were published on a fairly consistent basis, they are useful for tracking individuals over time and place.
View the listing for Famous Australian Cricketer Donald Bradman, Australian Electoral Rolls 1903-1954
Loading...