Find your ancestors in Northern Territory Deaths 1824-2012

Northern Territory Deaths 1824-2012

This index is a consolidated list of British Settlement Deaths from 1824 to 1829 and Northern Territory Deaths from 1868 to 2012 (with gaps).

The Northern Territory was not settled until late 1869, with a steady increase settlement during and after 1870; however it is not widely known to family historians outside of the Territory that there were Convicts in the Northern Territory. There were two settlements – one at Fort Dundas on Melville Island (1824 – 1829) and the other at Fort Wellington Raffles Bay Coburg Peninsular (1827 – 1829), these Military garrisons were abandoned by 1829. The residents were either Free, Military or Convicts. They were administered from England through New South Wales; some of the early deaths during this period of the settlements are recorded in that state.

The Northern Territory has been administered by various states, eg New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and finally South Australia until 1911 when it was transferred to Commonwealth Government of Australia.

The Northern Territory received self government on the 1st July 1978 in accordance with the Northern Territory (Self Government) Act 1978.

This index consolidates all information extracted for the Northern Territory related deaths from cemetery registers, headstones, newspapers, probates, police journals, Coroner Inquests and Testamentary Causes. The index also lists some Territorians who died and/or were buried outside the Territory.

The compiling of this index is ongoing, gaps can be found in the dates which will be addressed with the continual updating program.

Index features:

• The @ used in the surname and given name columns are where the spelling of a name may have several versions. The @ sign has been used in lieu of aka.

• Place of Death and Cemetery – whilst the majority of burials occurred in the Northern Territory, there are deaths recorded relating to “former” Northern Territory residents. eg Judith Anne @ Judy Baden died in the Nambour Hospital Queensland in 1989; her ashes are at the Buderim Crematorium in Queensland.

• Dates – Some entries have several dates with a reference in brackets -

eg HOO LOY death date read:- 1905-08-07 (NTA) - 1905-10-10 (NT) (SA)

Meaning:-

NTA is the date recorded in the Northern Territory Archives

NT is the date recorded in the Birth, Deaths and Marriages Index for the Northern Territory

SA is the date recorded in the Birth, Deaths and Marriage Index for South Australia

BDM references for early Northern Territory events may be officially recorded in South Australia, the same events can also appear in the official Northern Territory index, there is not 100% total coverage in either place until after 1911. There are also unrecorded deaths, an example of this can be a report in the Northern Territory Times and Gazette about the funeral of a resident, yet the death cannot be found in either South Australia or the Northern Territory BDM Index.

• Surname Unknown – these deaths have been included in this index, whilst the names might be unknown, the event occurring in a certain area and/or during a period of time might be a significant clue for someone to recognise a particular death relating to their research.

• Surname not recorded are deaths of persons who were generally known to have one name only – this does not necessarily mean that they never had a surname and hence the notation “not recorded”.

• Female Maiden Surname – where the married surname name of a female is unknown, the maiden name has been listed to help identify the deceased eg Unknown nee Burton.

• ? has been used throughout this index when all available information has not been confirmed, but from local knowledge the event may have taken place at a particular venue – eg ? Chinese Cemetery Darwin

Data provided by
Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory Inc