Public Record Office Victoria
Public Record Office Victoria is the archive of the State Government of Victoria. It holds records from the beginnings of colonial administration of Victoria in the mid-1830s to the present. PROV's role and responsibilities are defined in the Public Records Act 1973.
As the archival authority for the State of Victoria, PROV plays a lead role in the creation and keeping of good public records, which are crucial to ensuring accountability, the maintenance of democratic rights and entitlements, and the preservation of a meaningful record of the past.
Our Reading Rooms are located at the Victorian Archives Centre, a joint facility with the National Archives of Australia, Victorian Office (99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne), and Ballarat Archives Centre (Level 1, State Government Offices, Cnr Mair and Doveton Streets, Ballarat 3350).
Online access to our collection and the PROV catalogue is available through the PROV home page (www.prov.vic.gov.au).
For assistance with your research inquiries, contact the PROV Help Desk toll free on 1800 657 452, Monday-Friday, 9.00am-4.30pm. or by email to ask.prov@prov.vic.gov.au
Victorian Archives Centre: 9.00am-4.30pm Monday-Friday and 2nd and last Saturday of each month
Ballarat Archives Centre: Mondays and Tuesdays only, 9.30am-4.30pm
Online catalogue
Exhibition space
Travelling and online exhibitions
Publications
Lectures, seminars, workshops & training
Public Record Office Victoria holds records created by Victorian government departments and authorities, the State's courts, municipalities, schools, public hospitals and other public offices.
The records date from the establishment of the Port Phillip District in the mid 1830s and include information relating to areas of activity managed or regulated by government such as the administration of justice, immigration, health and welfare, land, education, Indigenous communities, planning, transport, and resource management.
The collection contains records that are rich in information, bearing evidence of government and public sector transactions and the context in which these took place. Taken together they form a significant part of Victoria's collective memory.