Public Record Office Victoria

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Public Record Office Victoria

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Public Record Office Victoria is the archives of the State Government of Victoria.

We hold approximately 100kms of records from the mid 1830s to today, which we manage for use by the government and people of Victoria. The collection includes memories of events and decisions great and small that have shaped the history of the Colony and State of Victoria, as well as records of immigration and shipping, criminal trials and prisons, premiers and governors, royal commissions, boards of inquiry, wills and probates and more. Established under the Public Records Act 1973, Public Record Office Victoria’s objectives as set out in the Act are to:

- issue standards regulating the creation, maintenance and security of public records including the selection and disposal of public records not worthy of preservation
- advise and assist agencies in achieving compliance with issued standards
- preserve public records of permanent value as the state archives
- ensure that the archives are accessible to the government and the people of Victoria. The Public Records Act 1973 also established the Public Records Advisory Council to advise the Minister on administration of the Act and to promote co-operation between Public Record Office Victoria and other government agencies. Public Record Office Victoria is an agency of the Department of Government Services.

01/11/2026

The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival started more than 160 years ago, but did you know the ‘Fashions on the Field’ was officially introduced in 1962?

The Victorian Racing Club (VRC) launched the event at Flemington to attract more female spectators when trackside crowd numbers were declining.

These photos were taken almost 30 years before the fierce competition began and show us that fashion has always been a highlight of the carnival.

According to the VRC, around that time:

‘Women’s clothing at the races became more classic and restrained.

A softer, more feminine style replaced the boyish, flapper look of the twenties.

Men’s suits were tailored to create the image of a large torso with squared shoulders and tapered sleeves. The double-breasted suit, the precursor of the modern business suit, became popular.

Hats were worn at an angle. Towards the end of the decade, turbans emerged'.

Search ‘Flemington’ on our photowall to see 1930s spring fashion in action: https://prov.vic.gov.au/photowall

26/10/2026

Kept at 6 degrees Celsius and 30% humidity, our ‘cool room’ carefully preserves historic audio visual materials.

We use this dedicated space here at PROV to store photographs, negatives, microform and motion picture films to increase their life span by about 100 years.

As part of World Day for Audio Visual Heritage on 27 October, put on a warm coat and enjoy this look inside….

25/10/2026

Have you visited our North Melbourne or Ballarat reading rooms recently?

We’d love to hear from you!

Share your thoughts on your experience:
• ordering records
• engaging with staff
• using our facilities.

Your feedback will help us continue to improve our services.

🗨️Fill in our online survey today: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KJ5NL8G

23/10/2026

Archival historian and author Barbara Minchinton first crossed paths with Stud Hodgson in our archives, where she found a piece of 1850s correspondence written by his employer:

‘I could not put up with Stud’s ways.’

Barbara spent a lot of time trying to work out what that meant.

‘It was sheer curiosity that drove me on a deep dive into the police records.’

Take a glimpse into what Barbara found in our archives, and how that led her to write her new book about the policeman once married to the notorious Madame Brussels.

📩 https://go.vic.gov.au/3TGfOwC

21/10/2026

History is shaped by the stories we tell. How do Queer-ways use art to bring overlooked histories into focus? Explore our Creative in Residence exhibition ‘Rewind Forward’ online:
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/iQURsqlXNoCtnw

20/10/2026

A handy new guide is available from the wonderful team at Bendigo:

Interested in the history of a property within the old City of Bendigo boundaries?

BRAC have just released a comprehensive research guide to take you through the resources available to tell the story of your house, locate a property, or discover more about the area an ancestor lived in.

Over 17 pages, you will get a glimpse into the records at BRAC, PROV and other local repositories to help the process, and with the change of house numbers across Bendigo in the 1950-70s, a flow chart to help you work through that tricky process of confirming a house number to make sure you're researching the right one!

You can download this new guide from the BRAC website here: https://www.brac.vic.gov.au/for-researchers
Public Record Office Victoria
Bendigo and District branch of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria)
Bendigo Historical Society
Bendigo Family History

19/10/2026

When do you think this photo was taken?

The Victorian Railways photographer travelled out of state to snap this undated scene.

Here, steam locomotive passenger train No. 523 travels through Eudunda, South Australia, to Victoria.

🔎 Zoom in for the finer details: https://go.vic.gov.au/4hZue4g

(Thank you to our incredible followers who have identified this as being Port Pirie, not Eudunda. We have updated our catalogue to reflect this.)

18/10/2026

Will we see the reappearance of these styles in any of today’s collections?

Melbourne Fashion Week starts today, showcasing the best in fashion that Melbourne has to offer.

Dusty blue suits and fur trim coats, to bright patterns, boxy shorts and perms. What’s your favourite fashion from the past?

View more fashionable scenes from the archives in our online Catwalk to Sidewalk exhibition: https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/online-galleries-and-exhibitions/catwalk-sidewalk-0

15/10/2026

It was 56 years ago today that Victoria experienced the worst industrial accident in its history.

At 11:50am on 15 October 1970, a span of the partially constructed West Gate Bridge collapsed, taking the lives of 35 construction workers and injuring 18 others.

Today we remember those whose lives were taken or forever changed and reflect on the importance of workplace safety.

You can learn more about the West Gate Bridge Collapse in our archival records: https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/online-galleries-and-exhibitions/west-gate-bridge-collapse

And visit https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/ to learn about reducing workplace harm.

Address

Victorian Archives Centre, 99 Shiel Street
North Melbourne, VIC
3051

Telephone

+61393485600

Website

http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/

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