Archives Resources Kit (ARK)
The ARK is held by 40 community access points across NSW. The majority of access points are libraries. The ARK consists of microfilm copies of our most popular and heavily used colonial records. Included are records relating to convict arrivals, assisted immigrants, births, deaths and marriages, publicans' licences, electoral rolls, naturalisation, returns of the colony ('Blue Books'), land grants, and the wide range of functions of the Colonial Secretary (1788-1825).
About the ARK
The ARK was a result of our Access for All initiative to provide people in regional and rural NSW with better access to the State's archives. The Kit contains over 1565 items (962 fiche and 604 reels) of our most popular and heavily used colonial records. It builds on a genealogical research kit issued in the 1980s and already held by some of the community access points. The Kit includes explanatory material and links to information available on our website.
You may find that the ARK (or parts of it) are held at a library near you.
What's in the Archives Resources Kit
Births, death and marriages
Title | Series | Fiche/Reel |
|---|---|---|
Abstracts of all licences for marriages granted to free persons, 1813-27 | Fiche 836 | |
Registers, 1787-1856 | Reels 5001-5048 | |
Reports of inquests, 1796-1828 | Reels 2232-2233 | |
Indexes and registers of Coroners' inquests and magisterial inquiries, 1834-1942 | Reels 2921-2927, 2224-2225, 2763-2769 |
Shipping
Title | Series | Fiche/Reel |
|---|---|---|
Indexes to ships arrived, 1837-1925 | Reels 2502, 2503A | |
Assisted immigrants, 1828-42 | Reels 1286-1349 | |
Assisted immigrants (Port Phillip), 1839-51 | Reels 2143A-2145 | |
Assisted immigrants Sydney, 1838-96, and Moreton Bay, 1848-59 | Reels 2134-2143 | |
Persons on bounty ships to Sydney, Newcastle and Moreton Bay, 1848-91 | Reels 2458-2498 | |
Unassisted Passengers arriving in Sydney, 1826-53, 1854-1900 | Reels 399-560, 1263-1280, 2851 | |
Wage agreements & entitlement certificates (Sydney), 1844-45 | Reels 2449-2456 | |
Germans on bounty ships (Sydney), 1849-52 | Fiche 851 | |
Wives and families of convicts on bounty ships (Sydney), 1849-55 | Fiche 837-838 | |
Immigration deposit journals, 1853-1900 | Reels 2668A-2676 | |
Members of the Family Colonization Loan Society, 1854-57 | Fiche 839 | |
Passenger lists of the Family Colonization Loan Society, 1854-55 | Fiche 839 | |
Departures | ||
Ships musters: passengers departing, 1816-25 | Reels 561-562 |
Convict records
Title | Series | Fiche/Reel |
|---|---|---|
Index to Convict Indents, 1837-42 | Fiche 803-806 | |
Convict Indents, 1788-1842 | Fiche 614-744 | |
Musters and other papers relating to convict ships, 1790-1849 | Reels 2417-2428 | |
Registers of convicts' applications to marry, 1825-51 | Fiche 780-802 | |
Assignment Registers, 1821-24 | Fiche 745-748 | |
Register of Tickets of Leave, 1824-27 | Fiche 752-754 | |
Ticket of Leave butts, 1827-67 | Reels 909-965, 2688A | |
Registers of Conditional Pardons, 1791-1825 | Fiche 820-823 | |
Registers of convicts recommended for Conditional Pardons, 1826-56 | Fiche 824-835 | |
Registers of Absolute Pardons, 1791-1843 and Registers of recommendations for Absolute Pardons, 1826-46 | Reel 800 | |
Convict Deaths, 1828-79 | Fiche 749-751 |
Professions and occupations
Title | Series | Fiche/Reel |
|---|---|---|
Public Service Lists, 1858-70 | Fiche 807-819 | |
Returns of the Colony (Blue Books), 1822-57 | Fiche 438-613 | |
Record of Appointments to Government Offices, 1814-25 | Fiche 755-756 | |
Register of Police, 1862-1904 | Fiche 846-850 | |
Register of Chemists and Druggists, 1876-1920 | Fiche 844-845 | |
Roll of barristers, solicitors, attorneys, etc, 1824-76 | Fiche 852-853 | |
Medical Board Minutes of proceedings and register, 1838-1901 | Fiche 840-843 | |
Certificates of publicans' licences, 1830-61 | Reel 5049-5066, 1236-1242 |
Colonial Secretary
Title | Series | Fiche/Reel |
|---|---|---|
Colonial Secretary's Papers, 1788-1825 | Reels 6001-6072, Fiche 3001-3312 |
Guides and other explanatory material
Title | Fiche/Reel/Guide |
|---|---|
Using the Archives Resources Kit (ARK) | Guide |
Births, deaths and marriages | |
Birth death and marriage records | Short Guide 2 |
Attorney General and Justice: registry of births, deaths and marriages: microfilm copies of registers of baptisms, burials and marriages, 1787-1856 | Short Guide 4 |
Index to abstract of all licences for marriages granted to free persons, March 1813 - December 1827 | Short Guide 5 |
Shipping | |
Shipping and free passenger records | Guide 17 |
Index to assisted (bounty) immigrants, 1828-42 | Reels 30-37 |
Index to assisted immigrants arriving Sydney and Newcastle, 1844-59 | Fiche 2481-2491 |
Index to assisted immigrants arriving Sydney, 1860-79 | Fiche 2492-2498 |
Index to assisted immigrants, 1880-96 | Fiche 2499-2504 |
Index to assisted immigrants to Port Phillip, 1839-51 | Fiche 2476-2478 |
Index to assisted immigrants to Moreton Bay, 1848-59 | Fiche 2479-2480 |
Convicts | |
Convict guide supplementary list: microfiche copies of indents | Guide 14a |
Professions and occupations | |
Returns of the Colony, 1822-57 | Short Guide 3 |
Professions and Occupations: a select list of records | Short Guide 10 |
Land | |
Land grants, 1788-1856 | Short Guide 8 |
Naturalisation | |
Naturalization and denization records | Short Guide 9 |
Other | |
1901 Census - collectors books | Short Guide 7 |
Electoral Rolls | Short Guide 1 |
Colonial Secretary | |
Index to the papers of the New South Wales Colonial Secretary, 1788-1825 | Handbook |
Index to the Colonial Secretary's papers, 1788-1825 | Guide 30 |
Other finding aids | |
A guide to New South Wales State archives relating to the teaching of English to post WWII migrants | Guide |
A guide to New South Wales State archives relating to Aboriginal people | Guide |
Government (Colonial) Architect | Guide 19 |
Surveyor General: select list of maps and plans (and supplement), 1792-1886 | Guides 23 and 26 |
Surveyor General: Surveyors' Field Books, 1794-1831 | Short Guide 13 |
Department of Education: subject files, 1876-1948 | Short Guide 6 |
Muster and Census Records | Short Guide 12 |
Clerk of the Peace: quarter sessions records, 1824-1920 | Guide 24 |
Archives in Brief | Helpful hints for researchers |
Now&Then | Our e-newsletter for public clients |
Vital Signs | Our magazine, launched in April 2002 |