Shipping and Passenger Records

Search for information about your ancestor who immigrated at their own cost to NSW. You can find the name of the ship, the date they arrived, their class of travel (cabin, steerage), native place and trade or occupation. In some cases the names of their children are listed. You may also find information about their health such as if they were sick during the voyage.
You can search for some of these records in two online indexes, ‘Index to unassisted immigrants, 1842-55’ and ‘Mariners and ships in Australian waters, 1854-1900’, on the State Archives & Records NSW website.

Subscription Database. These are records of money deposited in the Colony by people wanting to sponsor the immigration of someone, usually a family member or someone for specific employment.

Covers all available departure lists for ships from Hamburg to Australia and New Zealand during the period of 1850-1879. Migration was not only from Germany but other European countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Italy. Also included is information on the ship and reports extracted from contemporary newspapers. Peviously released in both book and microfiche format by the Queensland Family History Society for, the 20-volume print and 35-fiche versions are also available in the Family History Service at REF 10/NQ929.308931/ 1-2 SET. Document supply NOT available.

Use this guide to find records such as ships' logs, journals, letters, diaries and passenger lists held in Australian institutions. You will find valuable information about the immigrant passengers and their voyage.
Check all three volumes as each volume contains different information. Use the details found in the guide to locate the original records.

Find out if your ancestor paid for their journey on a convict ship to the colony. You can find the port of origin, the name of the ship and date of arrival as well as their status (passenger, crew or master) and trade or calling. You can also find out the names of their family, if they were related to a convict and their convict relative’s whereabouts in the colony.
Also available in microfiche in the Family history area of the Library. Numerous sources held at the Library are indexed in this resource. You may find the original records at State Archives & Records NSW or in the Sydney Gazette.

Search the index to find records relating to ships and voyages held at the Mitchell Library. You can learn about those on board, events at sea and life on board from revealing records such as master’s logbooks and surgeon’s journals.
Ask at the Special Collections desk in the Mitchell Library Reading Room to search the card index.

Search for the names of crew from 72 crew lists between 1828 and 1841.
This index was developed from Joan Reese's NSW Colonial Secretary's In Letters Index 1826-1895. It is not a comprehensive list of all crew arriving in NSW between 1828 and 1841, indeed crew lists were not regularly kept until 1854 onwards, but it will be useful to those looking for crew members.

Find information about unassisted immigrants who arrived in NSW. You can uncover their age, marital status, occupation as well as the name of the ship, the date they arrived and details about family members who were on board. You may also find references to other records about events at sea such as if they were shipwrecked.
Use the details found in the index to locate the original records at NSW State Archives & Records. You can also view some of the original records on microfilm (as part of the Archives Resources Kit) in the Family history area of the Library.

Consult the index to find the name of the ship and the date your ancestor arrived in the colony. You can also find their age and status (passenger, crew or master).
Use the details found in the index to locate the original records at the Library or NSW State Archives & Records.

Search for your ancestor in the transcribed NSW unassisted immigrant passenger lists 1845-1922. You can find their age, nationality and class (cabin, steerage) as well as the name of the ship, port of departure and arrival, and sailing dates. You can also view scanned copies of the original lists for each voyage.
Use the details found to locate the original records at NSW State Archives & Records. Not all passenger lists have been scanned and transcribed on the website. You can either contact the website owner about the lists you need or you can visit the Library to view the lists on microfilm or Ancestry Library Edition (Unassisted immigrant passenger lists, 1826-1922).

Search the names of passengers and crew who arrived in or departed from Australia. You can find the date and place of departure and arrival as well as details about the ship.
This information has been taken from newspaper shipping columns and NSW State Archives & Records.

Search for newspapers available on microfilm at the library