Customs shipping records held in Sydney

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Customs shipping movement records for Sydney

The National Archives Sydney Office holds various record series documenting ships movements that can be used to identify when ships arrived at or departed from the port of Sydney. With this information the appropriate passenger list for the ship can be searched.

Passenger lists are arranged by the date, name of the ship, and the port of arrival or departure. Unless you know these details your search may be very time-consuming. Passenger records held in Sydney has more information.

Main shipping movement record series for Sydney
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Registers of ships, arrivals and departures, Sydney (arranged chronologically) 1841–1922 SP729/1
Registers of ships inwards, Sydney (arranged chronologically) 1892–96 SP729/10
Preliminary Boarding Record (register of ships inward) Sydney (arranged alphabetically, then chronologically) 1921–49 SP729/2
Registers of ships inward (The Jerquer) Sydney (arranged alphabetically, then chronologically) 1923–61 SP729/4
Registers of ships inward (Clearing Clerk) Sydney (arranged chronologically, with alphabetical index in each volume) 1938–63 SP729/5
Registers, boarding and ships' stores, (registers of ships inward) Sydney (arranged alphabetically, then chronologically) 1949–63 SP729/3
Register of ships outward, Sydney (arranged chronologically) 1890–92 SP729/11
Index to ships outward, Sydney (arranged alphabetically, then chronologically) 1923–39 SP729/9
Registers of ships outward (Clearing Clerk), Sydney (arranged chronologically, with alphabetical index in each volume) 1925–63 SP729/6
Registers of ships outward, Sydney (arranged chronologically) 1926–39 SP729/8

Customs shipping movement records for Newcastle

The Sydney Office holds record series documenting ships movements for ships arriving at or departing from the port of Newcastle. The main record series are listed below.

Newcastle
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Registers of ships arrivals and departures, Newcastle (arranged chronologically) 1895–96 SP796/6
Registers of ships outward, Newcastle (arranged chronologically) 1911–57 SP796/2
Registers of ships inwards, Newcastle (arranged chronologically, some with alphabetical ship's name index) 1912–57 SP796/1
Boarding registers of ships inward Newcastle (arranged chronologically) 1924–39 SP796/3

Customs aircraft movement records for Mascot and Rose Bay

The Sydney Office also holds various record series documenting aircraft movements that can be used to identify when aircraft arrived at or departed from Sydney. These records include both Mascot airport and the Flying Boat Base at Rose Bay. Again, with this information the appropriate passenger list can be searched. These records are all arranged chronologically. The main record series are listed below.

Mascot and Rose Bay
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Registers of ships and aircraft inward – Sydney (ships) 1945–61 SP729/7
Registers of ships and aircraft inward – Mascot airport 1945–50 SP729/7
Registers of ships and aircraft inward – Rose Bay airport 1945–53 SP729/7
Registers of aircraft inward, Sydney, Mascot airport 1948–63 SP797/2
Registers of aircraft inward, Sydney, Rose Bay airport 1948–56 SP798/1
Aircraft registers, inwards and outwards, Sydney, Mascot airport 1964–66 SP934/1
Registers of aircraft outward, Sydney, Mascot and Rose Bay airports 1939–47 SP797/3
Registers of aircraft outward, Sydney, Mascot airport 1948–63 SP797/4
Registers of aircraft outward, Sydney, Rose Bay airport 1948–58 SP798/2