New South Wales, Australia, Assisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1828-1896

This database contains a collection of assisted immigrant passenger lists to New South Wales, Australia, for various years between 1828 and 1896. “Assisted immigrants” are individuals whose passages were either subsidized or paid for by another person or through another agency. This collection is comprised of six different series of records. They are:

• Returns of convicts’ applications for wives and families to be brought to New South Wales at Government expense
• Persons on bounty ships (Agent’s Immigrant Lists)
• Persons on bounty ships to Sydney, Newcastle and Moreton Bay (Board’s Immigrant Lists)
• Persons on early migrant ships (fair copy)
• Passenger lists of the Family Colonization Loan Society, 1854-55
• Members of the Family Colonization Loan Society, 1854-57

About the Records:

Returns of convicts’ applications for wives and families

These records were prepared by the Principal Superintendent of Convicts or the Colonial Secretary for the Governor’s approval and cover the years 1837-1850. Information shown in these records includes:

• Convict’s name
• Ship of arrival
• Year of arrival
• Wife’s maiden name
• Number of children
• Residence of wife and to whom known

Persons on bounty ships (Agent’s Immigrant Lists)

These records contain immigrant lists to New South Wales from 1838-1896 and Moreton Bay from 1848-1859. Records are arranged chronologically according to ship arrival date. Thereafter, entries are organized into sections according to marital status or family relationships – families, widowers, widows, wives and families of individuals already in the colony, single men, and single women. Information shown on these records generally includes:

• Name of immigrant
• Age
• Gender
• Calling
• Marital Status
• Native place
• Education or literacy

Persons on bounty ships to Sydney, Newcastle and Moreton Bay (Board’s Immigrant Lists)

These records contain immigrant lists for Sydney, Newcastle, and Moreton Bay from 1848-1891. The majority of the ships in these records sailed from British ports to Sydney. However, a few went to Moreton Bay, which was part of New South Wales until 1859, and Newcastle. A few ships also sailed from some non-British ports, such as Hamburg, Madras, and New York.

Records are arranged according to arrival year, and thereafter alphabetically by name of ship. Information provided on these records generally includes:

• Name of immigrant
• Age
• Marital status
• Calling
• Native place
• Religion
• Education
• Names of relations in the colony
• Names and addresses of parents
• Complaints regarding treatment on board the ship

Persons on early migrant ships (fair copy)

These records were prepared by the Colonial Secretary and cover the years 1828-1832. Information shown in these records includes:

• Name of immigrant
• Age
• Gender
• Country
• Calling
• Status as a passenger (i.e. cabin or steerage)

Passenger lists of the Family Colonization Loan Society

These records list names of immigrants whose passage was paid in part by the Family Colonization Loan Society, a benevolent society that, among other goals, helped recent immigrants bring other family members to Australia. They apply to the following ships: Abdalla, Bangalore, Hanover, Lord Burleigh, Marchioness of Londonderry and Nimroud. The records include:

• Payments made toward passage by immigrant and Society
• Name of immigrant
• Age
• Occupation

Members of the Family Colonization Loan Society

These records list names of immigrants whose passage was paid in part by the Family Colonization Loan Society, a benevolent society that, among other goals, helped recent immigrants bring other family members to Australia. They apply to the following ships: Abdalla, Bangalore, Hanover, Light of the Age, Lord Burleigh, Marchioness of Londonderry, Nimroud and Washington Irving. The records can include:

• Payments made toward passage by immigrant and Society
• Name of immigrant
• Age
• Profession, trade or calling
• Residence