Genealogy

Search Our Online Database Dating Back To mid 1800

At RPCV, we are very proud to offer families the ability to search the records for their deceased loved ones. This service provides you with information to assist you with visiting a loved one or finding out more information on the date they passed and where they are buried.

RPCV manages 10 cemeteries and memorial parks in Central Victoria. Our online deceased search allows you to find the specific location of a grave or burial memorial or whether a person’s ashes were scattered at one of our sites.

Our deceased search includes interment and cremation records for all the cemeteries and memorial parks we care for. Searches can be undertaken using different combinations of available information such as first name, family name and cemetery location.

Please enter the details for the person you wish to search for to start your search.

Deceased Search Entry information

Important Information – Please Note

  • Due to the Privacy Act, we are prohibited from disclosing the names of the authorised owner/s or next of kin of a deceased person.
  • Early records are not as comprehensive as more current ones and, in most instances, do not provide more detailed information.
  • The Deceased Search Facility does not provide information on headstone or plaque inscriptions.
  • Neither the Deceased Search Facility nor records held have information on maiden names, parents’ names, siblings’ names, newspaper announcements, or immigration.
  • In completing a search, you may find a record which is not displaying a date of death. Records prior to 1995 will not show a date of death as this information was not retained as part of the burial or cremation record prior to this time period.

Missing Burial Information

Many burials may have occurred in these sections, which have not yet been traced, Kangaroo Flat, for example. Sometime in the late ’70s or early ’80s, a fire destroyed many of the burial records related to that cemetery. If you have any information which would assist us in updating our records, any evidence of burials will be gratefully accepted.

You should also be aware that we do not have any records for the White Hills cemetery before 1935.

Recent Losses

Commemorative plaques and monuments can often take several months to complete. There are also some administrative steps we undertake in the background to complete a service on our system. This means it can take some time for the information to appear in our deceased search function. Please allow at least two months after the service has taken place before you expect it to appear on the search function.

Inaccurate records

We often receive enquiries from people who believe that the details we hold in a record are incorrect. This could be a misspelt name or other factual information.

If you believe that our records are inaccurate or incomplete, please send the evidence you have, such as a copy of a death certificate, to us via our enquires email address enquires@rpcv.org.au. We will assess the information and, if appropriate, update our records accordingly.

Please note: The Trust must ensure that right of interment records are not permanently changed without sufficient evidence. If the Trust is not satisfied that the information provided is adequate to have the right of interment record updated, it is not obliged to update its records.

If you have a death certificate that states a burial has taken place in one of the Trust cemeteries and is not listed, please email the certificate to enquiries@rpcv.org.au to add to our database.

Please note: We have received a high volume of requests for information on our enquiries line related to historical and family history research – due to current constraints, this service has been temporarily suspended.

With the current challenges related to Covid-19, we ask that you respect any direction provided by the Victorian government and visit our cemeteries in keeping with that advice. We also request visitors refrain from attending our office at Eaglehawk to conduct genealogical research in person at this time. We encourage you to use our online search facility and consider other alternative online sources.

Below we have put together some other online options which may be of assistance.

Online databases

Many online databases make historical records available to the general public, including:

  • The Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV) provides historical census data, which includes helpful information regarding place of residence
  • The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages is a state-based register of birth, death and marriage records
  • Trove is an online database including historic Australian newspapers, hosted by the National Library of Australia
  • The Ryerson Index is a free database of death and funeral notices from Australia.
  • War service records are available from the Australian War Memorial and the National Archives of Australia

Complementary sources

In addition to public databases, some complementary resources are available online, including:

  • Community-led cemetery and history websites, such as the Bendigo Family History Group
  • Subscription-based genealogy and family history websites
  • Local historical societies, councils and local history museums
  • Local libraries, the State Library of Victoria and the National Library of Australia
  • Heritage organisations such as the National Trust and Heritage Victoria

Wills and Probates

The following resources can assist in searching to to find if a Will and Probate file exists, which may be of assistance when determining who holds the Right of Interment for a grave or memorial position

  • Public Record Office Victoria – Wills and Probates
  • Supreme Court of Victoria – Searching Probate Records