VPRS 5979 Shipping Nominal Rolls

BackgroundThe series has its origin in agreements reached between the Commonwealth and British Governments in March 1946 for free and assisted passage for British residents wishing to migrate to Australia. Under the agreements residents of the Australian states could nominate residents of the United Kingdom for assisted passage to Australia, or in the case of British ex-Service men and women and their families, free passage. Nominations were of two types: personal and group. Personal nominations were made by residents of Victoria who were friends or relatives of the nominee, or an employer seeking a particular worker. Group nominations were usually made by employers seeking to recruit particular categories of workers, though groups such as religious organisations also participated. The States agreed at the Premiers Conference of 1946 to take responsibility for verifying nominations and arranging for reception, transit accommodation, travel to final destination and aftercare. The end of the States role in immigration matters came in early 1983, when the Commonwealth (VRG 87) took over its remaining functions relating to administering both assisted and unassisted British sponsorship schemes and associated services.The recording agencies for this series are as follows:Immigration Branch/State Immigration Office, VA 475 Chief Secretarys Department 1947-1971;Immigration Division, VA 552 Department of State Development and Decentralisation, 1971-1976.In essence, this series provided a means for checking that those people expected to arrive on a particular vessel did arrive; that arrangements made during the nomination process for their welcome, dispersal, accommodation, and so forth were followed through; and that any unforeseen circumstances were attended to.Contents includeNominal roles of migrants expected to arrive on the vessel, showing: name, age, religion, occupation, and the VF or VA (Victorian Free or Victorian Assisted immigrant) number assigned to each person by the State Immigration Office.Correspondence regarding amendments to nominal roles, last minute change of plans, special considerations and so forth.Boarding Reports: recording details of the meeting held on board the vessel prior to dispersal between the State Immigration Office boarding-officer and the migrants. Personal details were checked, landing arrangements confirmed, problems attended to, complaints noted, and so forth.Various departmental and interdepartmental correspondence concerning the voyage and dispersal arrangements upon arrival.Various other records relating to accommodation arrangements, reception upon arrival, luggage handling, transport on dispersal, and so forth, may also be found in the series.