Research Advice

Arriving in South Australia - Tips and Terms for Family Historians

Family historians researching records about ancestors arriving in South Australia from United Kingdom and other overseas ports might find it helpful to know some of the terms used by emigration and immigration authorities.

• Selected emigrants were those who were selected by agents of the United Kingdom government, agents of the colonial government or by shipping firms.
• Selected emigrants were also referred to as free and assisted emigrants. Free emigrants were those whose passages were paid for them in full. Assisted emigrants had their passage paid for them in part.
• Nominated emigrants were those who were nominated for a free or assisted passage by friends or relatives already resident in the Colony. The person who emigrated is called the nominee. The person who did the nominating is called the nominator.
• Unassisted emigrants were those who paid their own passage and made their arrangements privately.

Free passages were offered by the South Australian Colonization Commissioners (appointed under the South Australian Colonization Act, 1834) to persons who were 'able to give satisfactory references to show that they are honest, sober, industrious and of general good character'.

Various emigration schemes were devised and modified during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries which reflected, amongst other things, colonial and imperial economic conditions, the cost of passages and a range of social concerns such as orphan emigration, class, number and nationality of applicants.

With the exception of existing contracts, assisted immigration was suspended during the following periods:

• June 1840 - mid 1845
• February 1861 - October 1862
• July 1867 - June 1872
• 1879 - 1880
• mid 1883 - 1899
• c. 1914 - 1918 (WWI)
• 1930s (Depression)
• c. 1939 - 1945 (World War II).

Scope of Holdings

Official passenger lists (i.e. those maintained by the Colonization Commissioners and listing free and assisted emigrants) are available for most ships for the period 1845 - 1940. However, passenger lists prior to 1845 are now difficult to find. As a result, the early passenger information has had to be gleaned from a number of sources, chiefly newspapers of the day. Newspapers are held by the State Library of South Australia.

Passenger lists from 1941 are held by the Adelaide Office of the National Archives, series CRS D5077 and CRS D2002.

Most records relating to incoming and outgoing passengers, and applications and nominations for assisted passage were created by:

• Crown Lands and Immigration Office GRG 35
• Customs Department GRG 41
• Immigration, Publicity and Tourist Bureau GRG 7
• South Australian Archives GRG 56.

See our publication Ancestors in Archives for a detailed description of these sources and how to use them.

Related Information:

• Ancestors in Archives