Research Guides: Births, deaths and marriages: Wills

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are kindly advised that this website includes images, sounds and names of people who have passed.

All users should be aware that some topics or historical content may be culturally sensitive, offensive or distressing, and that some images may contain nudity or are of people not yet identified. Certain words, terms or descriptions may reflect the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written, but are now considered inappropriate in today's context.

Key to library resources

	Log in as a Library member (NSW residents only) or visit the Library
	Visit the Library
	Freely accessible eresource

Wills

Resources

You can also find legal notices relating to estates in the advertisement section of newspapers

State Archives & Records NSW: Probate packets 1817-1976 and part of 1989 [external website]
Search for Probate Records held in the State Archives & Records collection. You will find the date of death, date of the grant and item number.
You can buy a copy of the will or pre-order the will to view when you visit State Archives & Records NSW.
Supreme Court of NSW Probate Division [external website]
For post-1976 probate records contact the Supreme Court.
NSW probate index (wills), 1800–1985 [catalogue record | microfiche] in the Family history area of the Governor Marie Bashir Reading Room
Find the probate number, date of death, residence and instrument/nature of grant whether P for Probate or A for Administration (where the deceased died interstate). A list of the other abbreviations used is available at the front of the microfiche folders.
Check State Archives & Records NSW website for information about ordering or viewing probate packets.
NSW Will Books 1800-1952 - Find my past [eresource]
Search the New South Wales will books 1800-1952 to find a summary of the will which includes name, address, occupation, beneficiaries, details of estate, date of death and additional information. Information varies per record. The original probate packets are held at State Archives & Records and they might have more information. .
NSW Probate Notices Online Registry 21 January 2013 onwards
Find NSW Probate notices on or after 21 January 2013 on the Online Registry, Supreme, District & Local Courts. Before this date, notices were published in The Sydney Morning Herald and/or local newspapers. Includes Name, Suburb, Date of Notice, Notice Type, Date of Death and Case Number. Contact the Probate Division of the NSW Supreme Court for the probate records.
Deceased Estates Index 1880-1958 State Archives & Records NSW [external website]
Search this index to find a deceased estate file for any individual who died leaving property or assets (‘estates’). Search for your ancestor's name to find their date of death, residence, duty paid date and the item number. Finding your ancestor in the index does not mean the deceased estate file has survived.
You can buy a copy of the files or pre-order the original files (if they exist) before you visit State Archives & Records NSW.
New South Wales, Australia, Index to Deceased Estate Files, 1859-1958 Ancestry Library Edition [eresource]
Search the index to find a deceased estate file for any individual who died leaving property or assets (‘estates’). View the record to find their name, residence, date of death and occupation and view the image of the index to find the number of the file, date of grant and value. Finding your ancestor in the index does not mean the deceased estate file has survived.
Intestate Estates Index 1821-1908 - State Archives & Records NSW [external website]
Use the index to find case papers of an individual who died without leaving a will. Search for your ancestor's name to find the date of the order, the district as well as the file and item number of the case. You may find more information in the case papers such as money they owed, affidavits of death and in some cases information relating to the nature and place of death, personal correspondence, their occupation and newspaper cuttings.
You can buy a copy of the case papers or pre-order the original papers before you visit State Archives & Records NSW.

Probate?

Probate is the legal process of validating and settling a person's will after their death.

Henry Lawson – will, 3 Sept. 1905
Digital order number: a6174001