The National Archives’ Hobart Office holds a significant collection of material relating to military activity in the island state of Tasmania. Most of the records were created by the Australian Army and its colonial period predecessors although some Navy and Air Force records are also held. The records date from the late nineteenth century onwards and cover all aspects of military activity in Tasmania.
Subjects covered by the records include:
- personnel records
- military units
- military establishments
- military organisation in Tasmania
The records are held in a range of formats including correspondence files, registers, letter books, nominal rolls, annual returns, order books, photographs and index cards.
Personnel records
A number of record series cover military personnel in Tasmania. These include personal history files, Army pay and National Service trainee pay files and ledger cards, war gratuity registers, roll books and officers’ service records. These records are of particular value to family historians.
Some examples of record series relating to military personnel are listed below.
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Register of officers' service records (including index) | 1877–1922 | P1916 |
| Application for war gratuities and allotment files – World War I | 1914–31 | P1868 |
| Army pay files, with TX or TFX prefix | 1939–47 | P804 |
| War gratuity payment papers, with T or TX prefix | 1945–51 | P876 |
Military units and establishments
Records held for military units include 12th and 40th Battalions, 2nd Tasmanian Infantry Regiment, 22nd Light Horse Regiment, 16th Field Battery (Royal Australian Army), Cadet Corps, 12th Australian Field Ambulance, the Tasmanian Squadron Air Training Corps and the Volunteer Defence Corps.
Military establishments covered include Anglesea Barracks, Brighton Army Camp, HMAS Huon, Fort Direction (all Hobart area) and Paterson Barracks (Launceston). There are also records relating to the development of coastal fortifications that were maintained around Hobart and its approaches including the gun battery sites of Alexander Bluff, Fort Pierson and Mt Nelson.
| Title or description of record | Date range | Series number |
|---|---|---|
| Order book of 2nd Tasmanian Infantry Regiment (from 1903 known as 12th Australian Infantry Regiment) | 1902–07 | P1936 |
| Annual returns of Military resources of Tasmania | 1907–20 | P2458 |
| 6 Military District, Australian Military Forces, correspondence files | 1924–54 | P617 |
Other subjects
Other records held include information about the following military-related subjects:
- Army canteens
- flags and colours
- rifle clubs
- parades and marches
- dental and veterinary services
- Army camps
Availability of the records
Records in the Archives become available once they enter the open access period, though some information may be withheld for longer periods if it relates to national security matters or to the personal affairs of people who are still living.
Records described in this fact sheet are available for viewing in their original (or microcopy) format in the reading room of our Hobart Office, and copies can be purchased.