Papua New Guinea Emigration and Immigration

Online Records

 * 1888-1975 Genealogical index to Australians and other expatriates in Papua, New Guinea 1888-1975, images. You must use a computer in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City to use this database.
 * 1890-1960 Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960 at FindMyPast; index & images ($); includes those with Destination of Papua New Guinea
 * 1940-1960 Territory of Papua and New Guinea immigration records, 1940-1960 at FamilySearch Catalog; images only

Immigration Records
National Archives and Public Records Services of Papua New Guinea Office of Libraries Archives and Literacy P.O. Box 734 Waigani, National Capital District PAPUA NEW GUINEA Telephone No: [675] 3431451 Facsimile No: [675] 3254251 Email address: vicky_puipui@educationpng.gov.pg

Accessibility: By personal visit or hire a researcher. Archives generally do not do research. Record type: Record of immigrants, foreign residents, and citizens. Time Period: 1890-present. Content: Immigrant’s name, age, occupation, birth date and place, former residence, destination; wife’s name, childrens’ given names and ages or number of children; religion, race, nationality, sometimes picture. Chinese immigration records give names and places in Chinese characters. Location: National Archives, municipal archives, Chinese community kapitans. Reliability: Good. Research use: Very valuable for making proper connections to place of origin in other countries.

Polynesian Immigrants Records
Polynesian Immigrants Records, 1876-1914, are available at the National Archives of Fiji. These are records of Pacific Islanders who were brought to Fiji as laborers. Although the first ship arrived in 1864, records were not kept until 1876. Laborers came from New Hebrides (Vanuatu), Solomon Islands, Banks and Torres Straits Islands, Gilbert Islands (Kiribati), and Papua New Guinea. There were about 23,000 who went to Fiji. Others were taken to Queensland, Samoa, and New Caledonia. This movement of people is often referred to as "black-birding". These records include general shipping records, agents, and recruiters' journals, plantation records, and personnel documents.
 * To search the records, contact the National Archives by e-mail at archives@govnet.gov.fj. They will advise you of information they need to conduct a search and any fees involved.