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

What Is in the Collection?
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 in Geelong, Australia. Among the files, there may be birth, marriage, immigration and death records. 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.

Sample Images
Immigration Records may include:


 * Name
 * Date of Arrival
 * Name of the Ship

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

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.

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.

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.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank or status within the community.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (Tasmania, New South Wales, South Australia).
 * See the Related FamilySearch Historical Records section of this article for other collections that may be helpful.
 * 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.

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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