Function / Content

The index was created to provide access to the migrant nomination papers and schedules of nominations of migrants maintained by the recording agencies. The following information was recorded for each migrant:

Their nomination number: nomination papers were filed using this number;
Their migrant number: migrants were listed on the schedules of nominations by this number;
The name of their sponsor.

Although it probably wasnt specifically created to do so, the index can also be used to access the shipping and air-flight nominal roles (VPRS 5979 and VPRS 5980), as it provides the name of the ship or flight-number on which the person arrived. The shipping roles are arranged by ship name and the air-flight roles by flight date.

The recording agencies for this series are as follows:

Immigration Branch/State Immigration Office, VA 475 Chief Secretarys Department, 1946-1971;
Immigration Division, VA 552 Department of State Development and Decentralisation, 1971-1977;
VA 1042 Ministry of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, 1977-1983.

How to use the records

Cards are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the nominee (migrant). Consult the Records Description List for this series and call up the unit corresponding to the surname of the person of interest.

Depending on the series you wish to access, note the nomination number, migrant number, ship name, flight number, or date of arrival recorded on the card. Use this information to identify the relevant unit in the series of interest.

Recordkeeping system

The cards are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the migrant.

Number prefixes used on the cards and their meanings are as follows:

NP: Personal nomination number. Indicates a personal nomination made prior
to 1975.

VS: Victorian State migrant number. Indicates a personal nomination made
from 1975.

VG: Victorian Group number. Indicates a group nomination.

EVS: Employer Victorian State number. Indicates an employer nomination.

VF: Victorian Free-passage migrant number.

VA: Victorian Assisted-passage migrant number.

VIR: Used for migrants under the assisted passage scheme for Eire.