Archives In Brief 45 - Passengers departing from New South Wales
A brief overview of the major sources held by State Records that relate to passengers departing from New South Wales. State Records holds the official records of passengers departing from New South Wales. The earliest departure list is dated 1794 but, apart from the Ships musters, 1816-25, outward passenger lists were not regularly maintained until 1898.
Introduction
State Records holds the official records of passengers departing
from New South Wales.
The earliest departure list is dated 1794 but, apart from the Colonial
Secretary; NRS 1289, Ships musters, 1816-25, outward passenger lists
were not regularly maintained until 1898.
Background
Governor Macquarie's despatch to the Earl of Liverpool dated 17 November 1812 stated that:
'With Respect to the Departures and Deaths of Convicts and Settlers, I have to Inform Your Lordship that no regular Account of these Circumstances has been ever deemed Necessary to be kept here in a Separate or distinct Form. The Departures are only registered in the Musters of Ship's Companies…' [1]
'Settlers and All other Persons, Who Originally Arrived Free in this Country, When about to leave it, are Inserted in the Ship's Musters Attached to the Clearances, under the General Head of Free persons.' [2]
'In future I shall have a Correct Register kept of the Departures of all Persons, Who at any time have been Convicts here… and Copies of I shall transmit from time to Your Lordship.' [3]
These registers appear to have been kept as the series Returns of persons originally convicts, who have been cleared out of the port of Sydney in the year 1826 and 1827 are abstracts from them. The series NRS 1289, Ships Musters, 1816-25 is the 'Musters of Ship's Companies' referred to in the second paragraph.
Given the paucity of the records, it seems likely that the practice of maintaining the registers of former convicts departing the colony and the musters of ship's companies was not continued beyond the late 1820s.
The Merchant Shipping Act 1894 stated 'the master of every ship carrying steerage passengers… should before demanding a clearance for his ship, sign in duplicate a passenger list… setting forth the name and other particulars of the ship and of every passenger, whether cabin or steerage on board thereof'.
In accordance with this requirement, lists of departing passengers were kept in New South Wales from the beginning of 1898 until 1922. Responsibility for this function was transferred to the Commonwealth Government in 1923.
[1] Historical Records of Australia, Series 1, vol. 7, 17 November 1812, p 616
[2] ibid
[3] ibid
Indexes
Index to ships' musters, 1816-25
Fiche 5287-5289
Compiled by Norma Tuck. This index is also available online at the
Society of Australian
Genealogists Website.
Select list of sources
List of passengers and invalids returned to
England on the Kitty, 5 February 1794 [T1/728]
PRO Reel 3555
Colonial Secretary
NRS 897, List of passengers to go to England on the
Kangaroo, April 1817 [4/1737] pp.272-85 *ARK
Reel 6046
NRS 906, Special bundles
* Returns of persons, originally convicts, who have cleared out of
the port of Sydney in the year 1826
Mitchell Library A1198 pp. 440-47
* Returns of persons, originally convicts, who have cleared out of the
port of Sydney in the year 1827 [2/8319] pp.1-9
Reel 2278
NRS 1289, Ships musters, December 1816-25 [4/4771-75]
*ARK
Reels 561-562
These list both passengers and crew. For the crew, details of their
position on the ship and for passengers, details of their status for
example 'free by birth', 'free by certificate'.
Shipping Master's Office
NRS 13279, Vessels and persons departing (outward lists),
1898-1922 [X465-604]
Reels 563-579, 3149-3205
These records contain ship's name, master, where bound, date,
passengers' names, and occasionally the port where the passengers
planned to disembark. These lists are not indexed and the period
1911-22 is not microfilmed.
Other sources
Newspapers
As there are no official lists for the period 1826-98 alternative sources, such as newspapers, can be of assistance as impending departures were frequently advertised for the benefit of creditors. The State Library of NSW holds copies of newspapers.
Departures from Sydney after 1922
The National Archives of Australia (NAA), Sydney Office, holds Sydney outward passenger lists from 1923 onwards.
Departures from Newcastle 1865-1935
The NAA also holds lists of departures from Newcastle between 1865 and 1935.
Contacting National Archives of Australia
The NAA's Sydney Office is located at:
120 Miller Street
Chester Hill NSW 2162
Website: www.naa.gov.au
Telephone: 1300 886 881 - Fax: 1300 886 882
Email: refact@naa.gov.au
Passengers arriving in NSW
For information about passengers arriving in NSW, researchers should consult the following:
- Archives in Brief 1: Shipping and arrival records
- Archives in Brief 24: Shipping and arrival records additional sources
- Archives in Brief 4: Convict families
- Archives in Brief 101: How to find assisted immigrants (PDF)
- Archives in Brief 102: How to find unassisted immigrants (PDF)
Other records may be identified in Archives Investigator and the Guide to Shipping and Free Passenger Records (Shipping Guide), which is available for use in the reading rooms and also as part of the Archives Resources Kit.
Researchers should consult the Register of Access Directions to confirm the public availability of records. State Records' staff can advise you on the availability of records if they are not listed on the register.
*ARK signifies that a copy of the record or guide is part of the Archives Resources Kit and is held by the community access points.
© State of New South Wales through the State Records
Authority, 2003.
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