Tasmania, Australia, Immigrant Lists, 1841-1884

This database contains various registers and descriptive lists of immigrants arriving in, or departing from, Tasmania.

Historical Background

European colonization of Tasmania began in 1803 when the British established their first settlement on the island. Though Tasmania saw some 74,000 convicts delivered to its shores before transportation came to an end in 1853, thousands of free settlers also made their way to the island. Some came under various schemes enacted to attract new immigrants and laborers, including both an indenture and a bounty system. Others were specifically recruited by agents working for immigration societies, which looked to improve Tasmanian society by inviting honest, industrious folk to settle there. And some came of their own accord, seeking greater opportunity than they could find back home.

What You May Find in the Records

This database contains a variety of documents related to Tasmanian immigrants. These include

• arrival registers
• certificates of departure
• hiring registers
• immigration quarters registers and housing lists
• departure lists
• lists of immigrants receiving rations from the government
• crew lists
• lists from immigration societies
• railway lists

Details vary by record type, but you may discover an ancestor’s

• name
• age
• gender
• birthplace/nationality
• last place of abode
• marital status
• spouse’s name
• children
• occupation
• religion
• education
• arrival date
• port of arrival
• vessel
• departure date
• port of departure
• employer / who an immigrant was hired out to (sometimes listed as bounty applicant)