VPRS 21310 Register of Certificates of Survey

Full description

This series consists of records documenting the registration of vessels by the Marine Board of Victoria (VA 1424). The Marine Board had the power to enforce safety standards on ships.

Commercial vessels in Victoria are required to be registered with a certificate of survey. This testifies to the safety and integrity of the vessel. It records the maximum number of passengers allowed on board, the crew numbers required to operate the vessel, and any limitations on operation.

This series contains two separate registers. 

One dates from 1982-1993 and lists registered Class 1 (passenger) and Class 2 (non-passenger) vessels only. Information recorded for each vessel includes the name, MB number, number of passengers, owner and their address, certificate of survey number and its dates of issue/expiry, and any limits to the vessel’s operations. 

The second register is undated but appears to be more recent. It was originally housed in a ring binder, and has four sections: Fishing, Class 1 and Class 2, Row Boats, and Hire and Drive. The information recorded for each vessel is more limited than in the older register. There are some Class 1 and 2 vessels that are recorded in both registers.

At the time of transfer (2025), the existence of any further registers of certificates of survey was unknown.