Databases and Indexes

Further details of many of these database indexes may be available through the Geelong Family History Group.

Make sure you look at the two Research Options on their website and most importantly follow the link to the GFHG Research Files Catalogue List to check for these or many more indexes and documents.

• Victoria, federal referendum 1899 [microform] : roll of electors who voted : presented to the Parliamentary Library, 3 May, 1901 [Microfilm reproduction of original 10 manuscript volumes held in the Victorian Parliamentary Library. Contained on 50 microfiche]

• NAME: Name of voter
• DATE: Date of referendum
• PLACE: Residence of voter
• COMMENT: Occupation

• 1242 entries

Notes from Dawn Peel:

The second referendum on federation, held in 1899, provides a unique opportunity to examine some of the characteristics of those Victorian male colonists who did make the effort to go out to the poll even when it seemed apparent that the federal cause was won.  The Victorian Government, perhaps worried about the need to maintain a reasonable turnout of voters, decided to offer a certificate to every voter at the referendum.  As this could not be done on the day, lists of voters were retained.  Then, by the initiative of Mr William Knox M.L.C., scribes supervised by a committee of the government copied these names in statewide alphabetical order into a series of leatherbound books.  These were presented to the Parliament of Victoria, which now holds them in its library.  The name, address and occupation of each voter has thus been recorded for our scrutiny, enabling us to make some tentative assertions about some features of these men.  The size of the recorded roll, 16,925 voters, makes examination difficult on a statewide scale.  This list was created by searching for the names of voters in the electorate of Polwarth.  The result was 1242 names, representing 87% of voters at those booths.  The missing names would be those of men who gave their property name as an address, those using district names no longer in use, and those simply not found on the fiche with its variations in legibility and clarity.  As a man with a voter's right could present that and vote at any booth in the colony it is possible that the missing number also contained visitors to the district who voted there on referendum day, Thursday 27 July 1899.