The answer is easy – “INFORMATION! That tells us a story.”

The document gives us a snapshot in time.  Depending on the year you are looking as to exactly what information you will get, however here are some of the possibilities:

• Who was in the household on a set date in time
• Address of household
• Relationships of those living in the dwelling
• Ages of each person
• Place of birth
• Years of marriage
• Number of Living Children
• Number of Deceased Children
• Occupations
• Signature of head of house (later census’s only)
• Number of Rooms in House

Early census documents tend to have basic information and each subsequent census has more information.

As you follow a family through each census, you can see additions to the family and losses to the family as members are born and they disappear so it can give clues as to when to look for birth and death certificates.  For some you will see careers grow, for others you’ll find hardships.

Most Australian Census documents have been destroyed in the past.  Australian genealogists have used the Australian Electoral Rolls instead of census documents in Australia, these do not contain as much information though they still are helpful.  Now, the opportunity is available for Australians to “opt in” to have their census documents saved.  The census documents will remain secured for 100 years to protect privacy, however, imagine the joy for genealogists, family researchers and your descendants in years to come to be able to view the census documents you completed.

Have you looked at the census documents or electoral rolls for your family?  Found anything interesting?  If you are having trouble finding them then you many like to use a professional genealogist or record agent from AAGRA.