Reply to message from Lorraine Two essential sites for exclusively Australian research are www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/Loz/Lozaust.htm and www.coraweb.com.au These are the CyndisList's for Australia. There a hundreds of links to sites on Migration, Shipping and Convict Transportation. Records are generally split by State, so it is easier if you know port of arrival, but not essential. Prior to about 1850, Sydney was the centre of all record keeping. After that, the other states started to emerge. NSW and VIC have searchable online indexes from 1844 - 1899 approx. VIC recently changed the address. If one link doesn't work, try through the Coraweb site and click on "Access to records" and then migration lists. When using these databases, I often find it useful to use the wildcard searches. If you find an ancestor, just fill in the name of the ship and year and you will get a full list of passengers. Or fill in just Surname and Ship. These are great for finding other relatives who might have accompanied them. Once you know the ship and date, always remember to try to look up the microfiche at your local genealogy centre. Often recorded are parents, sponsors, age, domicile etc. Also on the websites are numerous shipping and passenger lists, which well tell you place of departure etc. If your ancestor was a convict, there should be loads of information. Good luck and Happy Hunting Peter in Sydney.