The series consists of migrant registration cards used to record details of migrants and refugees newly arrived in Australia who were sent to the at Migrant Reception and Training Centre, Bonegilla between 1957 and 1971.

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. A registration card was also created for employees of the Reception Centre.

The registration cards contain hand-written and typed text. Information recorded is divided into two sections. One section of the registration card, records important information about individuals and employees who arrived, resided and worked at the Reception Centre. The other section of the card was designed to be detached and given to the individual who was the subject of the card for their reference.

Registration cards in this series only contain the first section of the card. The second section of the registration card is not in National Archives’ custody.

Specific information recorded by the Reception Centre varies between individual registration cards, but generally includes the individuals name, nationality, age, marital status, religion, nominal roll number associated with passenger arrival information, the name of ship upon which the individual travelled to Australia, their date of departure and date of arrival in Australia; trade, address of next-of-kin and/or employer, block number or letter of the barracks the individual or employee resided in at the Reception Centre and intended destination upon departure from the Reception Centre. Information recorded on registration cards for employees of the Reception Centre includes job title and periods of employment at the Reception Centre.

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.

Passenger arrival information recorded on some registration cards has also been identified as being inconsistent and incorrect, and in some examples known to lack any obvious relationship to information contained within related passenger arrival records.

The registration cards are arranged in two alphabetical sequences. The first sequence begins at AA – Backman and continues to Wood – Zywek. The second sequence begins at Aaberg – Aramayo and continues to Wittek, B – Zythalisa.

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