Handy Guide: Australian Electoral Rolls; by Rosemary Kopittke; 2018; 4 pp; 8.25x11.75; color photos, further reading; ISBN: 9781925781687; Item #: UTPH0103

Few census records survive in Australia so electoral rolls are often used as a partial substitute. Early voting rights were restricted to the wealthy and property owners, but that eventually changed, and suffrage became universal and compulsory.

Electoral rolls can be very useful for family research - for establishing location and other family information at a given point in time. However, knowing who was eligible to vote at various times is important to know.

This guide provides a brief overview of Australian electoral rolls. It details the dates at which both male and female suffrage rights were changed to allow voting, as well as that for non-whites. As well, the guide contains a brief note on early electoral rolls, details of the difference between State and Commonwealth electoral rolls, information on accessing these records, tips and traps, and plenty of links for further reading.