Supreme Court of WA
Supreme Court of WA c1928
The Supreme Court of Western Australia (see AU WA A44 for a list of series held) is a superior court of record and the records of its proceedings have been preserved since the establishment of its predecessors in 1830. The Court of Quarter Sessions sat from 1830 in Fremantle and from 1837 in Perth, the Civil Court was established in 1832 and the Supreme Court in 1861. Thus its jurisdiction has covered a number of areas over the years and the records transferred to the State Records Office cover a broad spectrum of the Court's activities. The Supreme Court records include files and volumes relating to:
Wills 1832-1947 (grants of probate or letters of administration)
- AU WA S34 Probate
- AU WA S55 Index to probate and administration files
- AU WA S56 copies of grants of probate
- AU WA S57 copies of grants of letters of administration
Divorce 1864-1976
Bankruptcy 1858-1928
- Extensive series – please see AU WA A44 for these records
Civil and criminal cases 1830-1953
- Extensive series – please see AU WA A44 for these records
Naturalisation 1871-1903
Newspaper proprietor registrations 1881-1986
- AU WA S126 newspaper proprietors returns of schedules for registration
- AU WA S127 register - newspaper proprietors
Conscientious objectors 1916-1955
The State Records Office has produced a guide to the records of the Supreme Court called Order in the Court: a guide to the records of the Supreme Court of Western Australia which includes a description of each of the series, the statutes involved and the place of the records in the working of the legal processes. Wherever possible lists of items are included to assist researchers in locating a required volume, file or document.