Australia, New South Wales, 1828 Census - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in the Collection?
This collection will include records from 1828, which is an index of the 1828 census returns from New South Wales. Original records are located in the Mitchell Library in Sydney, which is one of three buildings attached to the State Library of New South Wales.

The 1828 New South Wales Census was conducted in November 1828 and was the first census to be taken in New South Wales. Prison convicts were often sent to Australia to serve their sentences, so this information may appear on the census. To protect individual privacy, national censuses were destroyed after statistical information was collected. The New South Wales 1828 census was one of the few censuses that survived the destruction.

Sample Images


Census records may contain the following information:
 * Given name and surname
 * Age
 * Free or bond
 * Sentence
 * Name of ship
 * Year of arrival
 * Employment
 * Denomination
 * Residence
 * Religion
 * Total number of acres, cleared and/or cultivated
 * Livestock totals

How Do I Search the Collection?
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, some tips on how to find records, and what to do if no record is found.

When searching: It is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, and some identifying information such as residence and estimated age at the time the census was taken.

To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To browse 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 appropriate “District name” which takes you to the images

Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.


 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the migration information (ship name and year) to find passenger lists.
 * Use the religious information to locate church records.
 * Use the sentence and employment information to place your family in historical context.

What if I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * 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.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used. Collection Citation: Record Citation:

Image citation:

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