Finding People in History

Over the next couple of months, we will be voting in both Victorian &  Federal elections. You can find information about the electoral process on the websites of the Australian and Victorian Electoral Commissions.
Electoral Rolls are a useful research tool for both family and local history researchers as they place people at a particular place in time.
Ancestry Library edition, which you can access through most public libraries in Victoria, includes Australian Electoral Rolls, 1903-1954. This database contains selected Australian electoral rolls, with the exception of South Australia. Ancestry also includes New South Wales, Australia Historical Electoral Rolls, 1842-1864.
Electoral rolls were compiled by each state during election years to determine the number and names of individuals eligible to vote. Information listed in electoral rolls usually includes: name of voter, gender, address, and occupation.