Research Guides: Births, deaths and marriages: Marriages and divorce

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Marriages and divorce

Researching marriages

Begin researching your ancestor's marriage by finding their marriage certificate, then using other resources such as church registers, newspapers and other genealogical resources to fill in the gaps.

Make sure you view (or buy a copy) the original records as they usually have more details than in the index. Use this information to work back through the generations.

Beginning your family history research
For more tips and strategies see Beginning your family history research

About the resources

Your ancestor's record might not include all the details that we've listed. The information documented can vary from record to record, especially earlier records as they tend not to contain as much information as later records.

Find your ancestor's marriage certificate

NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages - Search
NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages offer free, unrestricted searching with no identification required for:
- Births over 100 years ago
- Deaths over 30 years ago
- Marriages over 50 years ago
These records of births, deaths and marriages in NSW date from 1856. Early church records from 1788 to 1855 are also available.
Australia marriage index, 1788–1950 – Ancestry Library Edition [eresource]
Use the index to search across marriages from registries in Australia. Find the year and place of your ancestor's marriage and registration, their spouse's name and the volume/registration number. The date range for each state is different due to privacy legislation. The records indexed for NSW range from 1788 to 1945.
Use the information from the index to buy a copy of the certificate from the relevant registry.
Registers of births, deaths and marriages, 1787–1856 [catalogue record | microfilm]
Use the volume/registration number from the index to find and view your ancestor’s marriage record in the official register. You will find more information from the record such as their occupations and in some cases where they were born and details about their parents.
You're not able to make copies of the register. You can buy a copy of the certificate from the NSW Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Divorce papers

Divorce case papers, 1873-1930 [external website]
Search for your ancestor to find their divorce papers including their marriage certificate. You will find their names, divorce number, year of divorce and other details.
You can buy a copy of the papers from their website or visit State Archives & Records NSW to view the papers. Keep in mind that the index is not complete.
Family law divorce index, 1873-1976 [catalogue record | microfiche]
Search for your ancestor to find their divorce papers including their marriage certificate. You will find their names, divorce number, year of divorce and other details.
You can also enter one of the party's name and the word divorce in the search box of the State Archives & Records NSW homepage to search for divorces 1873-1971 (excluding 1968), eg, John Smith divorce.
Use the information from the index or from the catalogue to purchase a copy or pre-order to view the papers at State Archives & Records NSW.

Hercules George Robert Robinson, 1st Baron Rosmead - family group at daughter's wedding, Aug 7, 1878
Digital order number: a4447041

Marriages from the past 50 years

You can apply for a copy of a marriage certificate from the past 50 years through the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. You will need to be eligible to apply. Refer to the website to see if you meet the criteria.

You can buy certificates for marriages that occurred over 50 years ago through the Registry's website.

Bridal couple and guests on steps of church
Digital order number: hood_03389

Where else to find information about marriages?

You can find information about marriages in death records such as church registers, wills and cemetery records (including on headstones). You might find your ancestor's spouse's name.