Mariners and ships in Australian Waters

Movement of mariners and passengers into Sydney

Records NSW has made available a valuable collection of records on microfilm known as the Genealogical Research Kit.

The area of special interest for us is Arrivals in the Colonies of New South Wales, Morton Bay and Port Phillip. More particularly, within that section, Unassisted Passengers, 1826-1922, and again within that section, there are three series of records:

1. Passengers Arriving 1826 - 1900; Part Colonial Secretary series covering 1845 - 1853, reels 1272 [4/5227] -1280 [4/5244]
2. Passengers arriving, 1854 - 1900 - NRS reels 399-560
3. and finally NRS records for 1901 - 1922, reels 2001 - 2121.

These lists record name of ship and master; tonnage, where from; date of arrival; seamen's names, station, age and origin, as well as passengers' names and very occasionally occupation.

These lists were completed as each vessel arrived in Sydney Harbour. Therefore we expect that the information is as accurate as was possible in those circumstances.

You may browse or search the currently transcribed lists, or if you have a date of arrival you may wish to check the reel numbers and dates below for the time period and personally retrieve the lists from the relevant microfilm reel.