Military Personnel Guide

Arrivals

Military personnel are not generally mentioned by name on passenger lists. There are some sources, such as correspondence records that may assist in identifying the ship on which particular military personnel arrived.

Military records in the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP)

Musters and Pay Lists for the various regiments serving in New South Wales are available on microfilm as part of the AJCP. These records indicate where a soldier's pay was sent on a quarterly basis and may assist in narrowing down an arrival date.

A full set of the AJCP microfilm reels are held by the National Library of Australia and the Mitchell Library, which is part of the State Library of NSW.

Early British Army Regiments in NSW

We hold very few records relating to the early regiments stationed in the colony because, as they were British troops, the records remained with the Imperial Government. Hence, surviving records relating to those regiments are held by the Public Record Office, London. However, most State Libraries in Australia hold microform copies of the Muster Books and Pay Lists, which were copied as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project*. 

Title	Dates
Index to the Papers of the New South Wales Colonial Secretary *ARK This index contains many references to military personnel in the colony during these years.	1788-1825
Alphabetical list of personnel of 17th Leicestershire Regiment Copy in the Reading Room at COD500. Compiled by BP and DA Murphy.	1830-1836

Volunteer Force

Series	Title	Dates
NRS 1250	Colonial Secretary: Muster roll of Captain Wilkins Company No. 7, Sydney Battalion of Volunteer Rifles	1871-1875
NRS 8031 (Reel 2655)	Department of Lands: List of all Land Order Certificates issued to the Volunteer Force	1870-1871
NRS 8032 (Reel 2655)	Department of Lands: Registers of Volunteer Land Order Selections Item List: Dates Reel Item 1870-74 2655 [4/8076] 1874-Oct 1876 2655 [4/8077] Oct 1876-Oct 1880 2655 [4/8078] Oct 1880- 1889 2655 [4/8079]	4 Jun 1870-1889

Sudan Expedition

Series	Title	Dates
NRS 906	Colonial Secretary: Special Bundles Sudan Contingent Roll, 29 March 1885 [4/856] COD 474 Sudan Contingent, 1885 [4/853, 4/856]	1826-1982

Boer War

Series	Title	Dates
NRS 906	Colonial Secretary: Special Bundles Papers re discharge of various members of the South African Contingent, 1899-1902 [9/2418.5]	1826-1982
NRS 1477 [8/385-386]	Royal Commission of Inquiry re Claims on Members of NSW Contingents in South Africa, 1907 Minutes of evidence and proceedings	1907
NRS 14223 (Reel 2655)	Treasury: Salaries paid to the South African Contingent	1901-1902

Related:

• Records of Australian Contingents to the War in South Africa, 1899-1902. Compiled for Department of Defence by Lieutenant Colonel P.L. Murray (in NSW State Archives Reference Collection at SR 747)

World War I and World War II

Department of Education

Series	Title	Dates
NRS 4078	Records of teachers and officers in the AIF during World War I	1914-1940
NRS 4083	Returns of casualties of teachers enlisted in the AIF and RAAF during World War II	1939-1946
NRS 4079	Record of service of Department of Education personnel in World Wars I and II	1915-1945

* See published guide: Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook, part 4, War Office.