Change of surname circa 1886 to 1889 WA

[mackaa]

I have an ancestor who changed her surname between 1886 and 1889.  I am trying to find official records that would confirm this.  I have looked at WA BDM but any change of name information does not mention historical records.  Does anyone have experience with this? Or can point me in the right direction?

Catherine or Katherine MOUNTAIN born circa 1849
Married 1867 Henry MARNHAM (WA BDM 1867/2520)
Married 1886 Patrick AH FAH (WA BDM 1886/6386)

Daughter Matilda Maud AH FAH born 16 Aug 1887 (WA BDM 1887/1142) and died age 17 as Maudie BROWN (WA BDM 1904/2546)
Another possible child Frederick William BROWN born 1889 (WA BDM 1889/613) died aged one month old (WA BDM 1889/247) - parents named as father Patrick and mother Kate MANTON

Catherine/Katherine died 28 Dec 1927 as Katherine BROWN (WA BDM 1928/62)
Patrick died 1909 as Patrick BROWN (WA BDM 1909/47)

Any help much appreciated
Melanie
 

[PeeCeeBee]

Hello Melanie
It is not necessary to have an 'official' change of name, even today.  It is simply that you are known by a name, and any documentation you have reflects that, so by simply calling yourself a particular name is sufficient.
I have seen advertisements in the newspapers on occasion, notifying that a particular name is being used, so it may be worth perusing Trove.
Regards
PCB

[lilpurplepearl]

My mothers family name was originally Warr. After a run in with the law in the late 1880's (or 90's I can't remember now) it changed to Ward unofficially.
There are a whole lot of reasons why someone would change their surname. One would be having a surname that didn't sound English. Around the 1880's & onwards there was a bit of a racism campaign going on against the Chinese, apparently they were taking away good shearing jobs from the white folk. It was a rather nasty campaign sanctioned & run by the Unions.
It got to the point that if you had a Chinese surname & that name was on a list for any reason, you wouldn't be looked at, but, if you had an English surname & looked as if you may have come from a mixed family that was a bit better.

It may be worth looking into racial campaigns in that state.