I am sending this message again as Bigpond had some problems on Wed 12 Nov and I suspeck this did not get through. Hi Shirley My guess is that a lot of people change their given names but dont do anything legal. I have always used GRAHAME but my birth was registered as GRAHAM. This has only caused two problems, first getting a passport and second lodging a claim for life insurance, both I simply used GRAHAM. But I am GRAHAME on the electoral roll, land titles, marriage registration, bank accounts, enlistment in the defence forces etc. You can call yourself anything for most purposes. For both NSW and VIC if you wanted to legally change your name it was usually recored by Deed Poll with the Registery of Deeds which is part of the Land Titles Office. (These offices could be called by a different name in some States). Also on ocassions the Deed may have been lodged (and since the 1980s for all cases) with the Registery of BDMs. Generally speaking these kinds of questions can be answered by consulting Nick Vine Hall's book "Tracing Your Family History in Australia." Your local public library should have a copy if not ask them to get it. cheers Grahame on 11/11/03 4:47 PM, Shirley Mesman at smesman@alphalink.com.au wrote: > Hi, my grandfather was born Alfred Waldemore John WAITE b. 24 Jan. 1900, > N.S.W. His parents were Oliver John WAITE and Sophia Anna AUHL. In Mar. 1926 > he was married at Colac, Vic., but his name was registered as Walter John > WAITE on cert. He died in 1988, but think names could have been around wrong > way on d.c. Could anyone tell me where to start looking to see if he > officially changed his name or could anyone do a look up for me please? He > moved to Vic. with his family, as a young boy. > > Regards, > Shirley. > > > ==== AUS-VIC-GEELONG-DISTRICT Mailing List ==== > Geelong & District Mailing List Information : > http://www.zades.com.au/geelong/gdmail.htm >