Australia, Tasmania Immigration Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The records in this collection span from 1803 to 1908. This collection contains immigration records and some indexes from Tasmania, Australia. The immigration registration was necessary to keep a record of all immigrants settling in the country.

Record History
Between 1788 and 1900 over 1,000,000 people immigrated to Australia. Most of them were from the British Isles, but some were from Europe and Asia.

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 through the financial assistance of the government, organizations, or wealthy individuals.
 * Paying passengers - Came to Australia through their own means.

Record Content
With the exception of paying passengers, immigration records usually contain a great deal of genealogical information.

Many records include:


 * Immigrant’s name
 * Age or date of birth
 * Birth place
 * Trade or occupation
 * Physical description
 * Marital status
 * Number of children

Passenger lists of paying immigrants usually list only names.

Many eighteenth and nineteenth century immigration sources have been published. Indexes to passenger lists have also been published. In addition, many books have been written about immigrants from various countries and religions who settled in Australia. The minorities article has some information about immigrants from other countries.

How to Use the Record
Once you are able to locate your ancestor, the card information will help you determine where he or she came from, the date and place of birth, and the parents’ names. This information will let you prepare a family group record for the family. You can then start searching in the records from the place of birth and residence for other members of the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind
Information often came directly from the immigrant or a traveling companion, usually a family member. Realize that incorrect information was sometimes given, and mistakes were occasionally made in recording the information.

Related Websites

 * Immigration into Australia: Online Indexes and Passenger Lists
 * National Library of Australia
 * A Concise History of Australia
 * Tasmania Australia Map 1851

Related Wiki Articles

 * Tasmania, Australia
 * Australia Civil Registration- Vital Records
 * Australia Emigration and Immigration
 * Tasmania Family History Sources
 * Tasmania Archives and Libraries
 * Australia, Tasmania, Miscellaneous Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.