Documents which show when and how people migrated to Victoria in the 19th and early 20th centuries are one of the rich sources for research held by the Public Record Office in Victoria. This guide is primarily designed for the family historian but it should also prove a useful starting point for those researching other aspects of immigration.
The guide described records created between 1839 and 1923, the years during which Victoria was responsible for immigration. In October 1923 many of the State's responsibilities for immigration were transferred to the Commonwealth Government. Although Victorian officials continued to create some records after that time many of the key records, including passenger arrivals by sea and air, became Commonwealth records and are held by the Australia Archives.
The guide outlines to government's role in assisted immigration schemes and in monitoring passenger arrivals. It explains what records needed to be kept to document these activities. It indicates where the records can be used, gives a step by step guide to tracing the arrival of an ancestor and some warnings about the difficulties associated with using for research, records which were created for administrative purposes long ago. The records themselves are then listed and briefly described.
The majority of records included in this guide are those which document assisted immigration schemes and passenger arrivals. Record of ship's captains, mariners and pilots, of shipping movements and naturalisation have been listed only if they relate specifically to immigration or can be used to more easily access immigration records.
Contents:
Introduction
Government Responsibility for Immigration
- Assisted Immigration Schemes
- Monitoring Passenger Arrivals
Using Immigration Records
- Where to Find Them
- Search Rooms and Services
- Using Immigration Records for Family History Research
- How to Find An Ancestor: A Step by Step Guide
The Records
- Assisted Immigration
- Correspondence, Accounts and Statistics
- Passenger Arrivals
- Ship's Crews and Shipping Movements
- Naturalisation Records
Publications
Addresses
