Digitising Historic Rate Books – We Want Your Feedback

What’s proposed? 
• Rate books currently in microform format or held in offsite storage up to 1950 could be scanned, indexed, and made keyword-searchable for online access.

• These records provide valuable insights into property ownership, addresses, and community development during the first half of the 20th century. 

Where would they be available? 
If the project proceeds, digitised images and searchable indexes would be published on Ancestry.com, a leading family history platform. Council would also retain a full digital copy for archival purposes. 

Why are we considering this? 
Digitisation helps protect fragile originals while making these important historical resources more accessible to researchers, family historians, and the wider community. 

Privacy and community considerations 
Although these records are historic, they contain names and addresses that are still considered personal information under Australian privacy law. We are committed to implementing safeguards and welcome your views on this. 

Have your say 
We’d like to hear your feedback before we proceed. 
Email: LocalHistory@portphillip.vic.gov.au 
Phone: 03 9209 6795