Hi Joy, Short answer is no. Pre-1856 in NSW they are not *birth* certificates, but Baptism certificates. They show very little info - Name, date of birth, date of baptism, parents' names & abode, Parish, Denomination, Minister's name and sponsors' names. There is a space for father's occupation but none of mine have ever shown it. Also, I think the Registrar's records pre-civil registration (1856) were taken from the parish records, so BDM couldn't have anything that wasn't in the parish record. Can you not find any records for this family after 1856? Those certificates would help you a lot more. Regards Pamela At 11:15 17.01.01 +1100, Joy Bruce wrote: >Can sks please advise me whether a birth certificate issued in 1842 will >contain any more information than that found on the parish record of >baptism. On the parish film I obtained the following information: >Father: William Robert McKay, shipbuilder of George Street, Sydney >Mother: Mary Ann >Parish of St. Lawrence, Sydney, >Date of birth: 6th June 1847 Grafton NSW >Date of Baptism: 25th December 1842 Sydney >The father is proving extremely difficult to research and I am wondering >if the birth certificate will give me any more information. >Hopefully, >Joy Bruce in Queensland. > > > > > >==== AUSTRALIA Mailing List ==== >Australia's First and Biggest Genealogy Server >Announces ... Your Very Own, Free Webspace .. go to >http://www.southernx.com.au/webspace/personal_page.html > >============================== >Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp >Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! > > An Aussie, transplanted to Rotorua, NZ.