The series consists of migrant registration cards used to record details of migrants and refugees newly arrived in Australia who were sent to the Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla between 1946 and 1956.

A registration card was created for each individual upon their arrival at the Reception Centre. The registration card was designed for use by the Reception Centre to record personal information including familial relationships; the provision of support including clothing provided; and trade and employment details of each individual entering and residing at the Reception Centre.

Information of the dependants of individuals arriving at the Reception Centre, including that of children born after their parent’s arrival at the Reception Centre, was included as part of the registration card of a parent, generally the mother. Registration cards were also created for employees of the Reception Centre, for individuals who transferred to the Reception Centre from another centre, and for individuals arriving at the Reception Centre seeking assistance.

The registration cards vary in size and layout and contain either hand-written and/or typed text. Identity photographs are attached to some cards and these also vary in format.

The registration cards are two-sided.

One side of the card generally includes a registration number issued to the individual by the Reception Centre, an identity photograph, the individual’s first name and surname, nationality, the name of ship upon which the individual travelled to Australia, their date of departure and date of arrival in Australia, trade, standard of education, address of next of kin if known, a physical description, and an account of the individual’s behaviour and experiences at the Reception Centre.

The second side of the registration card generally includes the individual’s surname, first name, date of issue of the registration card, personal or other articles issued to them during their period of residence at the Reception Centre, and the individual’s signature.

Information contained within the cards is often abbreviated and varies in format. This occurs particularly in relation to the recorded nationalities of individuals and the name of the ship upon which the individual arrived in Australia. Some cards also include terms to describe nationalities that are no longer commonly used.

Registration numbers as issued by the Reception Centre are not always present on the registration cards. Other numbers recorded on the cards do not have any known meaning.

The cards are arranged alphabetically by last name with an additional sequence of cards relating to Greek migrants being located at the end of main sequence.

When ordering items from this series please order the box, rather than the individual card.