Wills and probate records are a rich source of genealogical information for anyone researching their family tree. They may name heirs, include locations for these heirs and other relatives, and give us a better picture of our ancestors' lives, including their land and other possessions. In Australia there is no national index or central archive of wills and probate. Instead, you'll find wills and probate registers maintained by each Australian state, generally through the probate registry or probate office of the Supreme Court.
In some cases indexes and even digitized wills are being made available online for a number of Australian states and territories, such as the will shown here of former Australia Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, available online from the Archives Office of Tasmania. Learn more about what will, probate and other estate records are available for each Australian state, as well as how and where to access them in How to Locate Australian Wills & Probates.