Basics on Electoral Rolls

Basics on Australian electoral rolls

Electoral rolls provide useful dated lists of individuals having the right to vote. They usually show the name and address of those qualified, and often other information such as occupation. When qualification depended on occupation or ownership of land, the basis of the qualification is also usually provided.

However, even though electoral enrolment is now compulsory for resident Australian citizens 18 years or older, only about 96% of those eligible to vote are on the rolls - and even then, possibly not listed at their most recent address. Those newly eligible - especially 18-year-olds - are thought to make up much of the missing 4%.

Electoral rolls, along with directories, are useful census substitutes, providing some evidence of the continuing residence or survival of named individuals. They are also often useful in identifying other family members living at the same address.

The disappearance of a person from the rolls - and non-appearance on another - can be a useful indicator of the date of death. However, it should be remembered that other explanations are possible - for example, the person may simply have moved and not have re-enrolled.

Non-British subjects were not entitled to vote in State or Federal elections unless they had become naturalised.

Available Rolls at NLA and SAG

The table below shows the years for which the National Library of Australia (NLA) holds electoral rolls. Some years are widely available on microfiche and SAG has a strong collection of these, indicated in bold below. SAG also has a strong collection of about 700 other items in book form, covering all states and concentrated on the years 1934-55, and to a lesser degree 1977-84 (including some not listed below). We also have a range of Tasmanian items on microfilm, as indicated below. State libraries may be expected to have strong holdings for their own states.

State/Territory
ACT	NSW	NT	Qld	SA	Tas	Vic	WA
1988 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001	1842-1863* 1864-1900 1903 1906 1908-1909 1913 1915-1916 1917 1919 1921 1922 1925 1926 1928 1930-1941 1943-1944 1946-1951 1953-1955 1958-1959 1960 1961 1963-1964 1965 1966-1969 1970 1972-1974 1975 1984 1986 1988-1989 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001	1922 1928-1931 1934 1937 1940 1943 1946-1947 1949 1951 1954-1955 1957-1958 1960-1963 1965-1966 1968-1972 1974-1975 1977 1979-1980 1983-1984 1986 1988-1989 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001	1860-1871 1875-1900 1903-1922 1925-1946 1948-1970 1972-1984 1988-1989 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001	1905 1909 1911-1917 1919 1921-1922 1924-1928 1930-1931 1933-1934 1936-1939 1941-1943 1946 1949-1950 1952 1954-1955 1958 1970-1975 1977 1979-1980 1982-1985 1987-1989 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001	1856† 1861-1862† 1866-1871† 1873-1876† 1878-1891† 1899-1900† 1903-1913† 1914-1917 1919 1921-1922 1925 1928-1934 1936-1937 1939 1941 1944 1946 1948-1951 1953-1956 1958-1961 1963-1970 1972-1977 1979-1980 1982-1984 1988-1989 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001	1841-1847 1848-1849§ 1850 1851‡ 1856-1857 1899 1903 1905-1907 1908 1909-1911 1912 1913-1948 1949 1950-1983 1984 1985-1989 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001	1901 1905-1906 1909-1910 1912-1922 1925-1926 1928-1970 1972-1984 1988-1989 1990 1991-1993 1994 1995-1996 1997 1998 1999 2000-2001

* The NSW fiche for 1842-1863 copy the surviving rolls for Sydney and New South Wales and are by no means complete.
§ Port Phillip & Melbourne with NSW microfiche
‡ Melbourne & surrounds
† SAG has these Tasmanian items on microfilm.

How else SAG can help you

One of the big difficulties in using electoral rolls is to know in which electoral "division" your target suburb or town lies, as many division names give no geographic clues. On the other hand, subdivision names are usually more helpful. SAG volunteers have produced a list for our NSW holdings of electoral rolls, arranged in alphabetical order by name of subdivision, giving the name of the division, the year and the format in which the roll for each year is held. This resource is available only to personal visitors to our library. See also our guide to Sydney electoral rolls.