Passenger records held in Sydney

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Passenger records provide a valuable source of genealogical (family history) information. Most of the records 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 lists

Port of Sydney

The National Archives Sydney Office holds inwards and outwards ships passenger lists for the port of Sydney from 1923 onwards. Inwards passenger lists for 1923 to 1966 are available on microfilm in the Sydney Office research centre at Chester Hill and the Western Sydney Records Centre at Kingswood, NSW.

An alphabetical card index by ship name, also available on microfilm, is held for inwards ships passenger lists for the years 1923 to 1951. We also hold an incomplete set of passenger lists for the period 1915 to 1922 created by the Customs Service. These records have not been microfilmed but are all listed on RecordSearch at an item level. The complete set of passenger lists prior to 1923 is held by State Records New South Wales.

Inwards aircraft passenger lists are also held for Sydney from 1936 to August 1974 (microfilm copies are available for the years 1936 to 1951). We hold outwards aircraft passenger lists for Sydney from 1941 to August 1974.

Ships and aircraft
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Inwards crew and passenger lists for Australian ports 1915–23 SP83/11
Alphabetical index to ships carrying passengers arriving at Sydney 1923–51 C3109
Passenger lists, inwards ships, Sydney 1923– C1115
Passenger lists, outwards ships, Sydney 1923–64 SP1148/2
Passenger lists, outwards ships, Sydney 1965– C1116
Passenger lists, inwards aircraft, Sydney (Rose Bay and Mascot) 1936–64 C3458
Passenger lists, outwards aircraft, Sydney 1941–64 SP1148/2
Passenger lists, inwards aircraft, Sydney (series finishes on 10 August 1974) 1965–74 SP1150/1
Passenger lists, outwards aircraft, Sydney (series finishes in August 1974) 1965–74 SP1150/3

Port of Newcastle

Inwards and outwards ships passenger lists for the port of Newcastle dating from 1865 are also held (microfilm copies are available for the years 1865 to 1905). Access to the lists for the years 1906 to 1935 may be restricted as they are in a fragile condition and are progressively undergoing preservation treatment and microfilming.

Title or description of record Date range Series number
Crew and passenger lists, inwards and outwards ships, Newcastle 1865–1935 C667
Passenger lists, inwards ships, Newcastle 1949–72 SP1151/1
Passenger lists, outwards ships, Newcastle 1950–72 SP1151/2

International Refugee Organisation

The National Archives office in Sydney also holds copies of nominal rolls for immigrants arriving in Australia during the period 1947–55 under resettlement schemes sponsored by the International Refugee Organisation. These are held in the record series C1492. If you are unable to locate a passenger list for a ship likely to be conveying refugees in the main series of ships arriving in Sydney (series C1115), you may find a nominal roll of passengers included in C1492.

Other ships passenger lists

We also hold microfilm copies of the following passenger lists.

Northern Territory
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Darwin – inwards and outwards lists 1898–1949 E1019

Queensland
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Bowen – ships lists inwards 1897–1962 J723
Brisbane – ships lists inwards Aug 1852–Dec 1964 J715
Bundaberg – ships lists inwards Feb 1948–June 1950 J733
Cairns – ships lists inwards 1897–Oct 1969 J725
Gladstone – ships lists inwards Apr 1924–Sep 1964 J717
Mackay – Ships lists inwards Oct 1924–Oct 1962 J729
Urangan (Maryborough) – ships lists inwards Apr 1929–Mar 1950 J731
Rockhampton – ships lists inwards 1898–Oct 1962 J727
Thursday Island – ships lists inwards Apr 1924–Jan 1964 J719
Townsville – ships lists inwards Jan 1895–Dec 1964 J721

South Australia
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Adelaide – ships lists inwards 1941–64 D5077

Victoria
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Melbourne – ships lists inwards Apr 1924–Dec 1964 B4397

Western Australia
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Fremantle/Perth – inwards ships and aircraft 1897–1978 K269
Fremantle – shipping registers – arrivals and departures 1898–1959 K737
Fremantle – shipping registers – arrivals and departures 1924–56 K737

Sources in other offices of the Archives

National Archives offices in each state and territory hold collections of passenger lists, both originals and copies on microfilm, with the exception of the Melbourne office. In addition, the lists and registers in the table above are available on microfilm in each of these offices, with the exception of the Melbourne office.

Further information on passenger lists held the National Archives is available in the following fact sheets:

  • Fact sheet 38 - Passenger records held in Canberra
  • Fact sheet 56 - Passenger records held in Perth
  • Fact sheet 172 - Passenger records held in Melbourne
  • Fact sheet 184 - Passenger records held in Hobart
  • Fact sheet 190 - Passenger records held in Brisbane
  • Fact sheet 256 - Passenger records held in Adelaide

Earlier passenger records

Passenger records for the Port of Sydney prior to 1923 are held by State Records New South Wales.



Earlier passenger records for other states are generally held by the relevant state archives.