Making Australia Home is a service allowing migrants and their families to access information about their arrival and settlement in Australia. This information is contained in various immigration records held by the National Archives.
If you wish to request records of a migrant, you will need to provide us with as much information about the individual or family you are researching, including:
Once we receive your request, we will conduct a search for immigration records relating to the individual or family you have named. Please allow 30 days for a response.
If records are identified, there will be a charge for provision of a copy of the record. A quote will be sent to you detailing the record or records found and the cost for an online copy or a colour print copy. You can select the records you would like to purchase.
If you order an online copy an image of each page of the record will be made available for public viewing in our online collection database, RecordSearch.
The cost for an online copy of a record is:
If you order a colour print copy:
a colour print copy of the record will be mailed to you in a presentation folder, and
at no additional cost, an online copy of the record will be made available for public viewing in our collection database, RecordSearch.
The cost for a colour print copy of a record is:
AU$25 or AU$48 (including GST) for purchases within Australia (depending on the size of the record)
AU$28 or AU$50 (GST-free) for purchases made outside Australia (depending on the size of the record)
The information in migration records will give the name of the person. It may also include their nationality, date and place of birth, occupation, information about education and qualifications, and details of the person’s spouse, children, parents or other family members.
The types of records you find in the National Archives will vary, depending on the person’s country of origin and when they arrived. Information about migrants to Australia may be contained in records such as:
Under the Archives Act 1983 records become available to the public once they are more than 30 years old. This means that in 2009 you can request access to records created in 1978 or earlier. On occasions sensitive personal information about named individuals may be withheld.
There are a number of ways you can contact us to make your request.
Online
Complete one of our online inquiry forms:
Telephone
1300 886 881 (within Australia) or +61 2 6212 3900 (if overseas)
Translating and Interpreting Service
13 14 50
Request your language and ask to be connected to the National Archives Reference Service on 1300 886 881. Languages include Arabic, Croatian, Dutch, Italian, Greek, Hungarian, Polish, Russian and Vietnamese.
Fax
1300 886 882
Mail
Send your inquiry to:
Making Australia Home
National Archives of Australia
PO Box 7425
Canberra BC ACT 2610
Australia
Be sure to include your postal address.
Find out more in the Making Australia Home brochure: