Source:New South Wales, Australia. Registers of Coroners' Inquests 1821-1937

This database contains registers of coroners’ inquests for New South Wales, Australia, for the years 1821–1937. Coroners were responsible for inquiring into any unnatural or sudden deaths in their jurisdiction. They also investigated deaths when a body was unidentified, a cause of death was uncertain, or the deceased was in the care of the state. Coroners could investigate fires that caused destruction of property, as well. Magistrates could take depositions about circumstances of death in more remote areas where no coroner was available.

Coroners' registers can contain information similar to that found on a death certificate. Depending on the date and the form used for the inquest, records in this database may include the following:

   name of deceased
   age
   birthplace
   estimated date and place of death
   date and location of Inquest
   verdict of inquest (probably cause of death)
   name of the coroner or magistrate
   name of doctor
   occupation of deceased
   personal property belonging to deceased 

Earlier registers will show district, before whom the inquest was held, when and where held, date received, name of deceased, finding and the date of the death certificate. The later registers also record age of deceased, locality of birth, locality of death, and cash or property owned at the time of death.