Archives behind the scenes - divorce case papers
In this episode of Archives Behind the Scenes Bonnie talks about the divorce case papers and what you might find in the records.
These are our main series of records relating to divorce in NSW and cover the period 1873 up to about 1976 (with a few gaps around the 1960s and 1970s). We hold about 188,000 files, that’s about 10,000 boxes of these records. See what you might find in a file.
You can purchase digital copies of these files straight from Collection Search. Find an entry in the index and select Digital copy during the purchase process.
Search the index
Divorce records index 1873-1923
Search 21,000+ entries - divorce files can include petitions for the dissolution of marriage, petitions for maintenance, marriage certificates, decrees nisi and decrees absolute
Published on
Divorce resources
Divorce records guide
Divorce files contain evidence for each divorce case including Judicial Separations. They can include petitions for the dissolution of marriage, affidavits, petitions for maintenance, marriage certificates, and sometimes the decree nisi and decree absolute.
Divorce records in NSW
This webinar provides tips and techniques for researching divorce case papers in our collection
Divorce records: what the files can tell you
Divorce files can be a detailed source of information for family history, providing extra details that may not have been discussed or known within the family
More behind the scenes
Browse all![View of the Australian Ballet 'The sleeping beauty (detail)' [right] and the Opera Australia 'Mariana Hong in Falstaff (detail) ' and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra 'People's choice concert (detail) [left] stairwell banners - The People's House marketing & installation photoshoot](https://images.slm.com.au/fotoweb/embed/2023/11/5fa6b34f18bd4d5b9b469a42a8ae591c.jpg)
Sydney Opera House: inspired design
Kieran Larkin, Senior 3D Designer at Museums of History NSW, talked to us about some of the highlights and challenges of designing the landmark exhibition The People’s House: Sydney Opera House at 50, on display at the Museum of Sydney until March 2024
Archives behind the scenes - bubonic plague
Did you know there was an outbreak of plague, in Sydney, at The Rocks, in 1900?
Archives behind the scenes - bankruptcy files
The bankruptcy files in our Collection - dating from 1888 to 1928 - contain lists of creditors that the bankrupt person owed money to and debtors that owed money to the bankrupt person
Archives behind the scenes - school files
We hold NSW School Files from 1876 to 1979. They are an amazing source of information, not only for school history but also for the history of a local community