Australia, Coastal Passenger Records, 1852-1924

Source Information

Ancestry.com. Australia, Coastal Passenger Records, 1852-1924 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations. Inc., 2023.
Original data: Inward Passenger Lists, Australian Ports, 1852-1924. Record Series Number (VPRS): 944. Victoria, Australia: Public Record Office Victoria, 2021.

About Australia, Coastal Passenger Records, 1852-1924

About the Australia, Coastal Passenger Records, 1852-1924

General collection information

This collection contains images of passenger registers for ships traveling between ports in Victoria, Australia, and ports in other Australian cities. Some names may be abbreviated, and children may be listed as "child with" and their parents' surnames. The registers have printed column headings with handwritten entries.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

  • Name
  • Age
  • Gender
  • Marital status
  • Occupation
  • Family relationship
  • Nationality
  • Departure port
  • Departure date
  • Arrival port
  • Ship captain's name

    • The information in these records can be used to discover if your ancestor traveled by ship between Australian ports at a specific time and place. You also may find answers to questions about your ancestor that you haven't found in other documents. Was your ancestor married? What was their occupation? What nationality were they?

    Collection in context

    The registers were created by officials working for the government of the state of Victoria, and they are primary historical sources that may contain information about your ancestor that can't be found in other records. The original documents are housed by the Public Records Office of Victoria in Melbourne.

    The state of Victoria was established in 1851, and laws concerning the documentation of ship passengers were enacted a year later. The law required ship masters to fill out the register forms and submit them to customs officials before departing a port. The lists are formally called "Inward Passenger Lists (Australian Ports)" but are commonly referred to as coastal passenger lists. Beginning in 1924, documentation of interstate maritime passengers was transferred from the states to the Commonwealth.

    Bibliography

    National Library of Australia. "Victoria." Accessed June 16, 2023. https://www.nla.gov.au/research-guides/australian-shipping-and-passenger-records/victoria.

    Public Record Office Victoria. "Coastal passenger lists (1852-1923)." Accessed June 16, 2023. https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/coastal-passenger-lists-1852.