>The family story is that my great grand father jumped ship in Port Phillip >bay near Melbourne and came to live there prior to moving as a selection to >Macks Creek near Yarram. > >I would like to learn more about what happened when people "deserted" ship >and what records are kept. How did this effect citizenship (assuming that >documents of ID may not been available)? Is there a list of deserters? >What were people who jumped ship called? Heather There should indeed be a list of ships deserters. Get in touch with the archives in Melb, I think it is in Lonsdale Street now and ask them. I know there is a list of ships deserters available for Adelaide which goes up to 1952 as I have looked at it. So should be one for Melb too. It would not affect citizenship if the ships deserter was a british subject and he deserted while we were still 'british'. However , if he was from Sweden or perhaps from Germany especially around the time of the 2nd WW, he would have been in trouble. People from these foreign countries ie not british, generally had to be "naturalised" before proceeding very far with their lives in Aus. I have been told that becoming naturalised was not a prerequisite for taking up land, however many who did become naturalised did so before taking up land. I have also looked at part of this list having a german ancestor. Lauris on the Salisbury Plain in Adelaide.