Fact sheet 87 – Family history sources held in Adelaide
Family history sources in our Adelaide office consist mainly of records created by Commonwealth agencies located in South Australia. Most of the records date from Federation in 1901, although some records – naturalisation, post and telegraph, lighthouse and mercantile marine records – also cover the colonial period.
The Archives in Adelaide also has microfilm copies of selected genealogical research records that are located in other offices of the National Archives of Australia.
Family history sources held in Adelaide
The main categories of genealogical information located in the Adelaide office are listed below. Reference staff can assist in directing you to particular records of interest.
| Description of records | Date |
|---|---|
| Citizenship and naturalisation Pre-1904 (colonial) naturalisation certificates and memorials, Commonwealth certificates to 1937 (microfilm) and later applications (case files) | 1848–1937 |
| Commonwealth employees Commonwealth staff list (microfiche) Commonwealth of Australia Gazettes | 1903–72 1901–50 |
| Customs service Correspondence files (including some early immigration records) Record of officer’s service | 1845–1996 1865–1953 |
| Defence services
Boer War Attestation papers of the 5th South Australian Contingent Veterans’ funeral benefit files World War II Army pay files for those who enlisted in South Australia | 1901
|
| Electoral Printed electoral rolls for South Australia | 1905–75 and 1994 |
| Immigration Alien registration documents – non-British arrivals Migrant case files Migrant accommodation – registers and index cards for migrant hostels Migrant selection documents – assisted migrants (British) Migrant selection documents – assisted migrants (non-British) Passenger lists – overseas arrival and departure lists | 1917–80 1946–91 1947–87 1947–81 1947–54 1941–76 |
| Indigenous people Index cards for deceased and exempt aboriginal people – South Australian Aborigines Department | 1917–57 |
| Internment and investigation World War I – includes nominal rolls of prisoners-of-war/internees at Torrens Island, index cards of prisoners-of-war/internees (incomplete) and investigation case files (see also Fact Sheet 106 – WWl internee, alien and POW records held in Adelaide) World War II – includes index cards (incomplete) and case files related to Loveday internment camp as well as investigation case files (see also Fact Sheet 107 – WWll internee, alien and POW records held in Adelaide) | 1910–87 1910–87 |
| Land Acquisition and disposal of Commonwealth land in SA | 1895–1996 |
| Lighthouses Log books for South Australian lighthouses – beginning in the colonial period Correspondence files – related largely to lighthouse properties | 1852–1973 1915–92 |
| Mercantile marine (Maritime records) Agreements and account of crew – oversees and local vessels Competency and service – registers of certificates (officers) Port Adelaide* Crew discharged – Port Adelaide and other SA ports# Deaths at sea – reported at Port Adelaide* Deserters – Port Adelaide and other SA ports# Engagements – at Port Adelaide and other SA ports (with index)# Register of British Ships – Various Australian ports (with index)* Vessel arrivals and departures – Port Adelaide and other SA ports# * Available as microform # Portion available as microform | 1895–1983 1851–1921 1852–1942 1893–1922 1852–1975 1852–1942 1838–1982 1874–1957 |
| Patents, trademarks and copyright Including registers, applications, correspondence and graphic material such as invention specifications and trademark designs | 1867–1969 |
| Pensions Index cards to SA and NT age pensions | 1948–82 |
| Post and telegraph Staff registers Postal guides (including lists of personnel) Correspondence files – mostly relating to property | 1872–1936 1868–1977 1872–1990 |
| Railways Staff cards – Commonwealth Railways employees (incomplete) | 1912–59 |
Sources held in other locations
Other offices of the National Archives
Further information relating to family history research will be found in other offices of the National Archives. Contact the National Reference Service by telephone (1300 886 881) or by email to ref@naa.gov.au.
State Records of South Australia
Many records that complement holdings of the National Archives (such as passenger lists for arrivals in Adelaide before 1941) are held by State Records of South Australia.
Access to the records
Records held by the National Archives become eligible for public access once they are more than 30 years old.
For more information
You can obtain more information from RecordSearch, the Archives database. You can also use RecordSearch to find out about the agencies that created the records and to locate more records on your subject. You might also explore PhotoSearch to find out if there are photos pertaining to your subject.
RecordSearch and PhotoSearch are also available in all Archives reading rooms. Reference staff are available in the reading rooms to help you, or email ref@naa.gov.au.
Comments or other feedback can be sent to archives@naa.gov.au
updated August 2004