The State Library of Queensland, Australian has created a database from the British convict transportation registers 1787-1867. The database has been compiled from the British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm. You can find details for over 123 000 of the estimated 160 000 convicts transported to Australia in the 18th and 19th centuries - names, term of years, transport ships and more.

This database has been compiled from British Home Office (HO) records which are available on microfilm as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP). The HO 11 Criminal – Convict Transportation Registers series has been indexed by the State Library of Queensland and the index contains the following information:

• Name of convict, including any known aliases
• Place of trial *
• Term of years
• Name of ship and date of departure
• Place of arrival
• Miscellaneous notes e.g. Died at sea; Ticket of Leave, etc.

* The date of trial is recorded on the original registers and will be gradually added to this database

Over 123,000 out of the estimated 160,000 convicts transported to Australia are recorded in this database. These include prisoners sent to New South Wales, Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), Moreton Bay (Brisbane), Port Phillip. Western Australia and Norfolk Island. Also recorded are some ships which were bound for Gibraltar. The records cover the period of 1787 to 1867.

These records mainly include those convicted in England, Wales and Scotland. Only a small number of Irish convicts appear in this series of the Home Office records. The database also includes soldiers who had been court-martialled and sentenced to transportation. These 'soldier convicts' may have been convicted in various British colonies including the West Indies, India, Pakistan and Canada.

If you have ancestors who were transported to Australia take a look at the Convict Transportation Registers Database .

Source:State Library of Queensland website