Why isn't public trustee money on the main register?

Public trustees are separate statutory bodies with their own record keeping. Some transfer long-held amounts to the state revenue office, but many publish their own list instead.

I was a child when money was set aside for me - can I still claim it?

Yes. Trust money held for a minor stays available after they turn eighteen, and there is generally no time limit for claiming it.

Public Trustee & Court-Held Unclaimed Money in Australia

Before you start, have these ready

Every state and territory the person lived in or held assets in
All former surnames, including maiden and previous married names
For an estate, the deceased person's full name and date of death
Any court or file reference from a settlement, compensation payment or estate
Proof of your relationship or entitlement: birth certificate, will, probate or letters of administration

What public trustees hold

Public trustees administer estates where there is no executor, manage the finances of people who cannot manage their own, and hold funds in trust for minors until they reach adulthood.

Where a beneficiary cannot be located, the money is held and, in most states, published on the public trustee's own unclaimed money list - separate from the state revenue office register.

Trust money held for a child is a common example: funds set aside from an estate or a compensation payment, still waiting years after the person turned eighteen.

Money paid into court

Courts hold money paid in as part of litigation: compensation and damages awards, settlement funds for minors, and amounts paid in as security that were never collected.

This money is administered by the court or the relevant public trustee depending on the state. It is not searchable through the national registers, so it must be checked separately.

How to search

Check the public trustee in every state and territory where the person lived or held assets - each maintains its own list and there is no combined national search.

Search under all former names and, for an estate, the deceased person's name as well as your own. Then check the state revenue office register for the same jurisdiction, as older amounts are sometimes transferred there.

Step by step

1
List every state the person lived in. There is no combined national public trustee search, so each one is checked separately.
2
Open the public trustee for the first state on your list and search its own unclaimed or unpresented money list.
3
Search under the person's name and under yours, then repeat for each former surname.
4
Check the state revenue office register for the same state, because older amounts are sometimes transferred across.
5
If money was paid into court, contact the registry of the court that heard the matter and ask how unclaimed funds are held in that state.
6
When you find a possible match, ask the holder what evidence it needs. Requirements differ between trustees.
7
Lodge the claim with identification and proof of entitlement, and keep a copy of everything you send.

Example: compensation money set aside for a child (hypothetical)

A child received a small compensation settlement after an accident in Queensland. Because they were a minor, the money was held in trust rather than paid out. The family moved to Victoria, the child grew up, married and changed surname, and nobody followed it up. Two decades later the money is still held in Queensland under the childhood name. Checking the Queensland public trustee under the maiden name brings up the record, and the claim is lodged with a birth certificate, a marriage certificate linking the two names, and photo identification.

Common mistakes

Searching only the state the person died in, rather than every state they lived or worked in.
Assuming the state revenue office register covers public trustee money. They are separate lists kept by separate bodies.
Overlooking trust money set aside for someone as a child, which can sit long after they turn eighteen.
Forgetting court-held settlement money, which is not on any unclaimed money register.
Lodging without proof of entitlement. A trustee cannot release estate or trust money on identification alone.

I found a possible match, what now?

A listing is a record the authority holds, not proof the money is yours. Note the reference shown against it, check the details you recognise, then open the claim page on the official site and read what evidence it asks for before you start. You lodge the claim directly with that authority, never through this site.

What documents you may need

I found nothing, what now?

A nil result usually means you searched the wrong register, the wrong spelling of a name, or too few variations of it. Try surname only, earlier surnames and each state you have lived in, then work through the troubleshooting steps before you give up.

Searched and found nothing

Tip: Check the public trustee in every state your family has lived in - there is no single national list.

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Common questions

Official sources checked

Researched and reviewed by: Find Lost Money Australia
Information last verified: 1 August 2026

Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service, not a government agency. Our review checks the responsible agency's current page, search location and claim instructions. Agencies can change their rules, so confirm details on the official site before you act.

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Searching is free. Every register we link to lets you search at no cost, and you can lodge a claim yourself. Be cautious of any business that asks for an upfront fee simply to search a public register on your behalf. Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service. We are not a government agency and we do not hold or search unclaimed money databases.

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Public trustee & court-held money