VPRS 7310 Register of Assisted Immigrants from U.K. (Microfiche copy of VPRS 14)

Full description

The registers were originally created by the Department of Trade and Customs at Immigration depots in the Colony. The registers contain the disposal lists of assisted immigrants arriving in Victoria from U.K. The purpose of a disposal list was to note the placement of assisted immigrants. Whilst some assisted immigrants were already contracted to employers resident in Victoria (prior to their departure from the U.K.), those who didn't were required to stay at the immigration depot until an employer would contract them by paying their fare (or bounty). In return, the immigrant would work for that employer for an agreed length of time and under certain conditions, wages etc. Immigrants could also be sponsored by husbands, parents or other relatives already resident in Victoria. Single females under 35 years of age were accorded a free passage.

The register usually detailed the name of the immigrant ship, the captain's name, the immigrant's name, occupation, county of origin in England and Wales, Scotland or Ireland, religion, literacy and numeracy, sex, age, marital status, the name of the person employing the immigrant, his address, date of departure from the depot, amount per annum to be paid by the employer, the minimum period to be worked and with or without rations. Sometimes, especially in the 1840's, lists of births and deaths at sea, passengers employed en route, ships officers and a report of the voyage written by the captain were also included. Some immigrants, however, were unable to find employment. The registers record such cases with the phrase "left own account".

The registers conclude in 1871 with the end of the bounty system. All lists of immigrants after that are to be found in either VPRS 3501 (hard copy VPRS 947), Microfilm copy of passenger lists of unassisted immigrants from British Ports 1852-1923 or VPRS 3505 (hard copy VPRS 947), Microfilm copy of Passenger Lists of Unassisted Immigrants from foreign Ports 1852-1923. Immigration became a Federal Government function after 1923, the lists after that date are held by the National Archives of Australia.