Business
Queensland State Archives (QSA) holds records on businesses and companies that are no longer in existence. Files include names of companies and firms, company shareholders, dates of registration and liquidation details.
How do I find the records?
You can view our business records by searching our indexes if you know the name and location of the person you are looking for. For more information on searching indexes, see Start your research.
Firms
Read Brief guide: Firms, from 1902, including registrations and licences. A firm is an unincorporated association or partnership.
Company records
Read Brief guide: Company records of companies that are no longer in existence.
Companies 1863–1959
Search the Index to records of companies that include Memorandum and Articles of Association, lists of shareholders, share capital and office holders, and other documents related to the striking off of the company.
Hotel records
Read Brief guide: Hotel records including liquor licenses from 1859.
Stage licences 1891–1904
Search the Index to stage licences including locality and name of building, date of licence expiry and amount paid. Buildings include shire and town halls, schools of art, and assembly rooms. You can search this index by building name or locality.
Search the catalogue
ArchivesSearch provides access to QSA’s collection of records, including documents, letters, land orders, maps, plans and images. For help searching, read the ArchivesSearch help guide.
Why can’t I find what I’m looking for?
There are several reasons why you may not find a record at QSA.
- Some records have not survived to be transferred to QSA.
- QSA only holds the records of companies that are no longer in existence.
- QSA does not hold actual business records of companies, except in a few rare cases of liquidated businesses.
- Some records may have restricted access.
Contact us
Contact us if you need further help.