Short Guide 1 - Electoral rolls

About this guide | Historical background | Sydney electoral district | Other electoral districts

About this guide

State Records' Short Guides are designed to provide easy reference to record series relating to a particular subject or area of research. This guide provides a list of the Electoral Rolls, 1842-64. It was previously published as Information Leaflet 3.

State Records holds a number of early manuscript and printed electoral rolls in the records of the Colonial Secretary's Office. This guide lists those known to be held, NRS 1199 Electoral Rolls, 1842-64. See also Electoral Rolls, 1843-90 listed in Appendix 1 (pp.241-243) of Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government (Guide 3).

With the exception of Series 8, the electoral rolls listed in this guide have been reproduced on microfiche as a component of the Archives Resources Kit.

The Electoral Rolls, 1842-64 are open to public access.

• See information on accessing the records

Historical background

In 1823 the Legislative Council was established, and it consisted of five, six or seven members appointed by the Governor. The four official members of the Legislative Council also constituted the Executive Council which officiary came into existence on 20th December, 1825. On the 25th July, 1828 the provisions of the 1823 Act were amended and the membership of the Council was increased to between 10-15 members.

Representative government effectively began in 1843 when a Legislative Council of 36 members with 24 members elected by Colonists was constructed and first met in that year. The franchise was limited by a property qualification to men owning freehold property of a value exceeding £200 or leasing property with an annual value exceeding £20. However, in 1851 this was reduced to £100 and £10.

Responsible Government in New South Wales began in 1856 when the New South Wales Constitution Act of 1855 gave the Legislative Council the power to establish a bicameral legislature. The Upper House (Legislative Council) consisted of members nominated for life and The Lower House (Legislative Assembly) was modelled along the lines of House of Commons and its members were to be elected at a general election.

Those eligible to vote were:

• Possessors of freehold estates of the clear value of £100/-/- within the electorate
• Persons holding licences from the government to depasture lands within the electorate
• Occupiers of houses of the clear annual value of £10/-/- in the electorate, and
• Possessors of leasehold estates of the annual value of £10/-/-, the leases of which at the date of registration had not less than 3 years to run.

In 1858 the franchise was extended to all adult males who had lived in an electorate for the preceding six months and were either British citizens by birth or had been naturalised for five years and had lived in the colony for the preceding two. Police, serving members of the armed forces, paupers and prisoners were barred from voting. The property qualification was retained and allowed a man to vote in every electorate where he had the necessary property. In 1893 the property vote was abolished as well as the six month residence requirement, which in effect gave the vote to itinerant workers and shearers and, in 1902 the vote was given to women.

In 1934 the Legislative Council in New South Wales was replaced by a body indirectly elected by the members of the Lower House. Recently, further changes have taken place, and members of the Upper House are now elected at general elections along with members of the Lower House.

State Records holds only those early electoral rolls which we have identified and described in this Information Leaflet. Other records such as Directories (eg. Sands Directory) and Gazeteers (such as Bailliere's) are also valuable sources for genealogical research since they give particulars of individuals.

The Mitchell Library has a large collection of such material available for research. The State Library of New South Wales holds both State electoral rolls from the late 1860's and Commonwealth electoral rolls dating back to the beginning of this century.

Sydney electoral district

Other electoral districts

Please note: A copy of a thesis by Albert H D Freeman entitled Using Electoral Rolls in Family History Studies is held in the Reference Library of State Records at 929.1072FRE.