NRS-1291 | Reports of vessels arrived (or Shipping reports)

Full description

These reports record the vessel's name, tonnage, number of crew, master, from whence, when sailed, cargo, first class passengers' names, names or number of steerage passengers (refer to immigrant lists), and occasionally particulars such as passenger's trade or profession or native place.

Health Officer's Reports are frequently attached to the main report from 1839. Each report records name and tonnage of vessel; master's name; from whence and date of departure; ports touched on during the passage; whether cargo or passengers were received at the intermediate ports; nature of the cargo; number of officers, mariners and passengers; details of vessels with which there was intercourse or communication during the passage; Bill of Health; awareness of epidemical, contagious, or infectious diseases prevailing at ports visited; details of sickness during voyage, number of persons affected, and number of deaths; the number of sick now on board and their diseases; date of first and last cases of sickness during voyage; date and cause of any deaths during the voyage; possibility of unusual weather resulting in atmospherical causes rather than specific contagion for disease; circumstances rendering it expedient to place the ship and people in quarantine; and declaration as to the correctness of the foregoing statements.

In addition to this series, lists of free persons on convict ships may occasionally be found in NRS 1155 Musters and other papers relating to Convict Ships, 1790-1849.

Jul 1826-1853 (4/5198-244), 1854-Apr 1859 (4/5245-51). 58 vols.

A card index to free passengers, masters and other persons listed in the Reports of vessels arrived, July 1826-1853, has been prepared by State Archives and is available in the Western Sydney reading room (microfilm copy SR Reels 1358-1372).

Note:
This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.