Source Information

Ancestry.com. South Australia, Australia, Incoming and Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1845-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2021.
Original data:

Records relating to official assisted immigration - Crown Lands and Immigration Office - Official assisted passage passenger lists, 1845-1886. Series GRG35/48/1. State Records of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Records relating to official assisted immigration - Crown lands and Immigration Office - Immigrant Ship's Papers, 1849-1885. GRG35/48/2. State Records of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Official Lists of passengers arriving in South Australia from overseas. 1888-1940. GRG41/34. State Records of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Lists of outgoing passengers departing from Port Adelaide for overseas ports. 1888-1940. GRG41/35. State Records of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

About South Australia, Australia, Incoming and Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1845-1940

Using the collection

Records in the collection may include the following information:

  • Name
  • Nationality
  • Race
  • Marital status
  • Names of family members
  • Occupation
  • Name of arrival vessel
  • Arrival information, including age, date, and port of arrival
  • Departure information, including age, date, and port of departure
  • Date of death
  • This collection provides a wealth of information for researching your family member's immigration history. Most records provide a date of arrival, but if that isn't available records will also contain clues about their point of origin or vessel that can help pin down an arrival date.

    Depending on the date and type of document, you may be able to learn about your family member's immigration scheme. Immigration schemes (also known as "assisted passage") were government programs designed to encourage immigration by offering free or discounted travel fare. Many earlier emigrants traveled through the Colonization Commissioners, while newer emigrants contracted with the South Australian Government. The program's first colonists would've had to pay their fare back to the British government, but later emigrants weren't required to, as Australia was looking to grow its population. Civil servants, farmers, and single women in particular were considered essential.

    Collection in context

    When British colonists first arrived in South Australia in 1788, it was home to a multitude of First Australian Nations. The first wave of emigrants authorized by the South Australian government began arriving in 1836. Unlike other Australian states, South Australia was established by free settlers. To encourage emigration, the Colonization Commissioners sold land in South Australia and used it to fund passage for skilled British citizens. Not just men were considered; to help form a true society, women and families were also encouraged. After 1857, the South Australian government began offering assisted passage to skilled labourers to encourage immigration. These emigrants were predominantly agricultural and domestic workers.

    The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (also known as the White Australia Policy) was a discriminatory practice passed to "keep Australia British." Immigrants were subjected to a dictation test, where they would have to write out 50 words in a European language of the proctor's choosing. The language could be anything from English to Italian, making it easy to discriminate against those from non-European countries, those with disabilities, the ill, and those with a criminal history. People who failed the dictation test were subject to deportation.

    Bibliography

    Government of South Australia. "Immigration Schemes." Last modified August 13, 2018. https://archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/migration-and-crew/passenger-lists-1845-1940.

    National Archives of Australia. "The Immigration Restriction Act 1901." Last modified April 22, 2020. linkhttps://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/immigration-and-citizenship/immigration-restriction-act-1901.

    Richards, Eric, 'Migration', SA History Hub, History Trust of South Australia, Last modified August 12, 2015. https://sahistoryhub.history.sa.gov.au/subjects/migration-0.

    State Library of South Australia. "Immigration to South Australia." Last modified September 22, 2021. https://guides.slsa.sa.gov.au/immigration.