In 1853 the Registrar-General's Department was established under the provisions of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Act 16 Victoria, No. 2 (1853). The department carried out a range of functions including the collection of census and statistics; registering of livestock, licence liens on agricultural land, naturalizations, hospitals, banks, companies, patents, copyright, printing presses and types, powers of attorney, Parliamentory electors and land titles. By 1873 a new agency, the Office of the Registrar-General and Office of Titles, had assumed responsibility for the functions previously undertaken separately by the Registrar-General's Department and the Office of Titles. In 1958 the registration of companies was subsequently transferred to the Registrar of Companies and the Companies Office.