Melbourne Diocesan Historical Commission

All Victorian Catholic Baptisms and Marriages up to and including 1853 have been microfilmed and are available at BDM and in most major Libraries. For the years after that, enquries may be made in writing to the parish church where the sacrament took place. The Parish Priest is the custodian of sacramental records.

As well as it’s own records, St Patrick’s Cathedral holds some Baptism and Marriage records for the following churches: St Augustine’s Bourke St City; St Francis Elizabeth & Lonsdale St City; Sacred Heart Rathdown St Carlton. Applications for information regarding these may be made in writing to:

The Melbourne Diocesan Historical Commission holds records regarding the administration of the Archdiocese. It holds general material about Melbourne parishes and about some Catholic Agencies and Institutions. It does not hold the records of individuals except for Father Linane’s A to Z Series. This comprises biographical information about all priests who have served in dioceses throughout Australia and who were ordained prior to 1900.

The Religious Orders have their own archives. The Catholic Education Office also has its own archive with material from 1932.

The major Melbourne Catholic newspapers and periodicals are all available at the State Library. These include The Advocate 1868-1990; Austral Light 1892-1920; The Tribune 1900-1971 and Kairos 1990- . The MDHC does however hold an excellent Index to The Advocate that is still being created by an MDHC volunteer. For further direction with your search or for enquiries about the MDHC holdings please write to:


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Melbourne Diocesan Historical Commission Contact MDHC Researching Catholic History Family Researcher Enquiry Form	Researching Catholic History - Information Sheet All Victorian Catholic Baptisms and Marriages up to and including 1853 have been microfilmed and are available at BDM and in most major Libraries. For the years after that, enquries may be made in writing to the parish church where the sacrament took place. The Parish Priest is the custodian of sacramental records. As well as it’s own records, St Patrick’s Cathedral holds some Baptism and Marriage records for the following churches: St Augustine’s Bourke St City; St Francis Elizabeth & Lonsdale St City; Sacred Heart Rathdown St Carlton. Applications for information regarding these may be made in writing to: The Dean St Patrick’s Cathedral P.O. Box 146 East Melbourne VIC 3002 Email: deansoffice@melbourne.catholic.org.au The Melbourne Diocesan Historical Commission holds records regarding the administration of the Archdiocese. It holds general material about Melbourne parishes and about some Catholic Agencies and Institutions. It does not hold the records of individuals except for Father Linane’s A to Z Series. This comprises biographical information about all priests who have served in dioceses throughout Australia and who were ordained prior to 1900. The Religious Orders have their own archives. The Catholic Education Office also has its own archive with material from 1932. The major Melbourne Catholic newspapers and periodicals are all available at the State Library. These include The Advocate 1868-1990; Austral Light 1892-1920; The Tribune 1900-1971 and Kairos 1990- . The MDHC does however hold an excellent Index to The Advocate that is still being created by an MDHC volunteer. For further direction with your search or for enquiries about the MDHC holdings please write to: The Archivist Melbourne Diocesan Historical Commission PO Box 146 East Melbourne VIC 3002 or fill in the enquiry form by clicking here! I hope this assists you with your research.	©MDHC Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne The Melbourne Diocesan Historical Commission holds general material about Melbourne parishes and about some Catholic Agencies and Institutions. It does not hold the records of individuals except for Father Linane’s A to Z Series.