Published 2017
ISBN 978-1-921171-35-2
This publication provides details for 68,790 passengers and crew from 855 ship
voyages for the period 1886 to 1899, sourced from the Collector of Customs
(Brisbane) records which are held at the National Archives of Australia, Brisbane
(Shipping Inwards Series J715). There are 294 unique ships, many with multiple
voyages.
The lists for emigrant ships complement those available at the Queensland State
Archives. The other lists - including those with few passengers, those ships from
non-European ports, those from Australian ports and the lists of crew - are important
new records. There are even 27 stowaways recorded.
The database records people on many large emigrant ships, particularly in the latter
half of the 1880s and early 1890s. Ships with fewer passengers often indicate the
local movement of colonists, within the state or inter-state or beyond.
Ships may have a list prepared at the time of departure and/or on arrival. Though the
record series is labelled "Inwards" there is one "Outwards" list also included. For the
period covered in this publication, just 29 ships have departure lists - covering in
total 45 of the 855 voyages.
There are gaps in records available as indicated below:
1886 - no surviving lists before September
1888 - surviving lists only for January and February arrivals
1889 and 1890 - no surviving lists
1891 - no surviving lists for ships arriving for the months January to June
Ports of departure
The index includes ships departing from Adelaide, Albany, Antwerp, Ballina,
Boston, Brisbane, Calais, Calcutta, Devonport (Tasmania), Dungeness (Queensland),
Fiji, Foochow, Freemantle, Glasgow, Greenock, Hamburg, Hobart, Hong Kong,
Japan, Kobe (Japan), Liverpool, London, Lyttelton (New Zealand), Madagascar,
Manila, Maryport (UK), Melbourne, New Hebrides, New York, New Zealand,
Newcastle (NSW), Penguin (Tasmania), Port Beira (South Africa), Port Pirie (SA),
Rio de Janeiro, Rockhampton, San Francisco, Sandakan (Borneo), Savannah (USA),
Shanghai, Sharpness (UK), Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Sea Islands, Sydney,
Thames (New Zealand), Timaru (New Zealand), Townsville, Ulverstone (Tasmania),
Vancouver, and Wellington (New Zealand).