Hi David, as usual you e-mails provide interesting information. I am curious about what you call the "Death Index Database"? My understanding is that there is a group of people that are going through the death certificates and adding the cemetery of burial information to a database of Victorian deaths. I remember asking you about this once before and you said they were up to the 1920's with it and that you once were part of the group. I am curious. Who is actually doing it ? Is it the Register General, some Society or just a group of genealogists ? Who is in charge ? How many people are working on it ? What are they actually doing ? What information are they adding to the records ? Are they doing it for genealogists or the Registery ? How far have they got with it ? What are they going to do with it when they finish it ? Will they finish it in any of our life times ? Have they got a web site where we can see what they are up to ? Do I detect a note of despair about this in your e-mail ? "Still, when and if, the Death Index Database comes out in Victoria it will give a place of burial for the person." Yours, Garry Batt. ----- Original Message ----- From: "D Weatherill" <djweath@bigpond.net.au> To: <australia-cemeteries@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, September 19, 2010 11:24 AM Subject: [AUSTRALIA-CEMETERIES] VICTORIAN BDM INDEXES > Good Morning; > > > > I am not too sure if I have mentioned this before, but just in case I > thought I would send this information. > > > > It concerns the Place of Death (and Birth on Birth Indexes) on the Index > listing for death place with the Victorian Registry of Births, Death and > Marriages Indexes. It deals with the place of death for the Pioneers Index > and up until the Great War Index (to 1920) and in some cases further on. > > > > The Colony/State of Victoria after 1 July 1853 when the Registry of > Births, > Deaths and Marriages Department came into being, divided the colony/state > up > into Registration Districts. In each district a Deputy Registrar of BDMs > was > appointed. These people changed over time and are noted on the > certificates. > Now these Deputy Registrars lived in a specific town and this is the town > name on the top of the certificate page and with the signature of the > Deputy > Registrar on the certificates. All data on deaths, births and marriages > went > through the Deputy Registrar of the area and he wrote up each event. > > > > So when these certificates were forwarded in to the Registrar each quarter > the indexes were written up by clerks in the Department. What they used as > the Place of the Event for the Index data on each person was the town > where > the Deputy Registrar lived. I don't fully know why, but this happened. > When > you check the index after 1880 for deaths in Victoria you get a place of > death. In many cases this is not where the person died. Prior to 1880 you > only get place of birth for the death. > > > > While I was researching the old Tarwin Lower Cemetery many years ago I > found > all these place of deaths on the VPI and beyond listed as at Fish Creek. > This created some confusion given there was no Fish Creek Cemetery. As I > checked out the death certificates I noted death/burials at Tarwin Lower > Cemetery, Wonthaggi Cemetey, etc. The listings on the Indexes showed a > huge > number of people with Fish Creek as Death Place. More than were actually > living in the area. I then queried this with the Victorian Registry and > was > given the answer. The index place of death is the place where the Deputy > Registrar was living at the time. Ah, this things that can happen!! > > > > One final issue is that even though you have a correct place of death on > the > index, it does not mean the person was buried in the local cemetery. For > example, in the case of the death place as Heidelberg, many people died in > the Austin Hospital and their family buried them elsewhere. Not everyone > noted as having a death place of Heidelberg, means they were buried in the > Warringal/Heidelberg Cemetery. > > > > I hope this is of value. I do get requests for burial assistance from > people > just using the index death place data. I many cases the person is not > buried > in the local cemetery. The only main way to identify place of burial is > from > the death certificate. Still, when and if, the Death Index Database comes > out in Victoria it will give a place of burial for the person. > > > > If you have any questions re my brief write up above, just ask. I hope it > is > clear. > > > > Have a good Sunday. > > > > Cheers, > > > > David > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > AUSTRALIA-CEMETERIES-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Gary and Folks; I should have said the Burial Index being compiled by the Victorian BDM, not Death Index. I believe they are up to the late 1950s with their data entry. I only wish that they had produced it in two groups. Up to 1920, then 1921-1985 instead of waiting for just one index. It has been going for over many years now being compiled. The index is being compiled by a list of volunteers at the Victorian BDM offices using the actual death certificates. The final product will come out from the Victorian Registry. I believe they are also looking at including maps and histories of the cemeteries. One of the areas of "problem" is the locational index, ie when you type in a cemetery by a name it will bring up all burials for all names the cemeteries used. ie Preston Cemetery was originally McLeans, then Darebin Creek, then Strathallan, then Preston cemetery. If you used Preston Cemetery for a search term, all would appear. They were still working on this. The biggest single group for the index is "Unknown" for the place of burial. Many early death certificates did not include date and place of burial on the certificate. Originally the burial index project was set up using volunteers from the AIGS and GSV to put together burial list for both Cemetery Trusts who had lost their burial records and for family history researchers. The project started just before I became President of the GSV and Don Grant was president of AIGS. Been going for a looonnnnnggggg time now. The registry is in charge of it and it has a public servant at the Registry responsible for it. It was Ann Fullerton but there will be a replacement for her. When will it finish!!!, I do not know but I believe it will come out on a DVD or perhaps two. There is no website re its progress although the Registry does write a column for the quarterly magazines of the GSV and AAIGS noting the stage it is at. Yes Gary, you do detect some despair on my behalf. I was hoping to see the first part out years ago. Both Don and I got volunteers involved at the Registry in the hope it would come out quickly to meet the needs of people. Hope this picks up your questions. Cheers, David -----Original Message----- From: australia-cemeteries-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:australia-cemeteries-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Garry Batt Sent: Sunday, 19 September 2010 2:09 PM To: australia-cemeteries@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [AUSTRALIA-CEMETERIES] VICTORIAN BDM INDEXES Hi David, as usual you e-mails provide interesting information. I am curious about what you call the "Death Index Database"? My understanding is that there is a group of people that are going through the death certificates and adding the cemetery of burial information to a database of Victorian deaths. I remember asking you about this once before and you said they were up to the 1920's with it and that you once were part of the group. I am curious. Who is actually doing it ? Is it the Register General, some Society or just a group of genealogists ? Who is in charge ? How many people are working on it ? What are they actually doing ? What information are they adding to the records ? Are they doing it for genealogists or the Registery ? How far have they got with it ? What are they going to do with it when they finish it ? Will they finish it in any of our life times ? Have they got a web site where we can see what they are up to ? Do I detect a note of despair about this in your e-mail ? "Still, when and if, the Death Index Database comes out in Victoria it will give a place of burial for the person." Yours, Garry Batt.