Australia, Victoria, Assisted Immigrant Arrivals at Victorian Ports - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Record Description

This collection includes records from 1839-1871. Included is a card file index documenting arrivals of assisted immigrants into Victorian ports. Approximately 65,000 cards are located in the Geelong Heritage Centre, Geelong, Australia. Assisted immigrants and other immigrants are identified below:

Prior to 1900 there were four classes of immigrants to Australia:

Convicts: Sent to Australia after they were tried and convicted for crimes committed in the British Isles. Tasmania and New South wales were the states that received most of the convicts before 1830.

Bounty Immigrants: Chosen by Australian colonists to come from the British Isles to Australia.

Assisted Immigrants: Came to Australia by having all or part of their passage paid for by an outside agent, a private individual (usually a family member), the government, or a combination of the three.

Paying Passengers: Came to Australia through their own means.

Until the 19th century, a large portion of what is now Victoria, Australia was part of the New South Wales Territory. As such, some records for arrivals at Victorian Ports may also be in New South Wales archives and databases.

Record Content

Passenger Lists
Passenger Lists

Records may contain the following information:

Birth Records:

Name
Gender
Date and Place of Birth
Parents' Names (Including Mother's Maiden Name)
Residency

Marriage Records:

Date and Place of Marriage
Groom's Name, Age and Occupation
Groom's Parents' Names
Bride's Name, Age and Occupation
Bride's Parents' Names

Immigration Records:

Name
Nationality
County of Origin
Date of Arrival

Death Records:

Name and Age of Deceased
Date and Place of Death
Date and Place of Burial
Cause of Death
Date and Place of Birth
Marital Status

How to Use the Record

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To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links:
⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page
⇒Select the name range to see the images

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

When searching:
As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Tips in Using These Records

Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
You may need to search using a nickname.
Check for variant spellings of the names.
Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
Search the records of nearby localities (Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australia)
Most genealogical records found in Australia are in English. However, due to immigrants coming from various countries throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, variations in spelling may appear in many of the records. See Australia Language and Languages for further help.

Don't overlook FS Library Place Australia, Victoria items or FS Library Keyword Australia, Victoria items in the FamilySearch Library Catalog. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see Australia Archives and Libraries.

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Collection Citation:
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