1841 New South Wales, Australia, Census

Source Information

Ancestry.com. 1841 New South Wales, Australia, Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.
Original data:
  • New South Wales Government. 1841 Census: Abstract of returns. CGS 1282, Reels 2222-2223. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
  • New South Wales Government. 1841 Census: Householders’ returns and affidavit forms. CGS 1281, Reels 2508-2509. State Records Authority of New South Wales. Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.

    • © the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales and is used under licence with the permission of the State Records Authority. The State of New South Wales gives no warranty regarding the data's accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose.

    About 1841 New South Wales, Australia, Census

    The first census of New South Wales was taken in 1828. Censuses were taken in 1833, 1836, 1841, 1846, 1851, 1856, and 1861. Beginning in 1901 they were conducted once every ten years. Few of the original censuses actually still exist. This database contains records from the 1841 census.

    All inhabitants of New South Wales were to be enumerated in the 1841 census. Each householder, employer of servants, and proprietor or occupier of land was to complete the census on March 2nd. Replies were to be inserted by the householder, if able to write, otherwise replies could be written in by the collector.

    There are three form types of census records included in this database. These are:

      1. Householder’s Returns: contains information about the householder and details about his home
      2. Collectors’ Affidavits (Numerical Returns): contains numerical information about individuals in each household. When looking at the images, the Collectors’ Affidavit should always follow the corresponding Householder’s Return.
      3. Abstracts of Returns: contains a compilation of information from the other two forms organized by county, parish, town, or district

    The following information was asked on each form:

    Householder’s Returns:

      1. Name of head of household or establishment or name of proprietor
      2. Whether the dwelling house is built of stone, brick or wood
      3. Whether it is completed or unfinished
      4. Whether it is inhabited or uninhabited
      5. Number of persons residing in the house or establishment
      6. Number of those persons that are free

    Collectors’ Affidavits (Numerical Returns):

    Responses show the number of individuals from the household in categories according to gender and marital status as well as the following -

      1. Age
      2. Civil condition (bond and free)
      3. Religion
      4. Occupation

    Abstracts of returns:

      1. Number of return
      2. Name of establishment
      3. Age – number of individuals in the household according to age categories and gender
      4. Marital status - number of individuals in the household according to whether married or single and gender
      5. Civil condition – number of individuals in the household according to bond and free categories and gender
      6. Religion – number of individuals in the household according to religious categories
      7. Occupation – number of individuals in the household according to occupational categories