This series consists of bound volumes that contain form P1 - Passenger lists for outgoing passengers departing from Port Adelaide. National Archives of Australia has imposed
a single number control system on the volumes, which are arranged in chronological order. A typed contents list is located inside the front cover of each volume and provides in alphabetical order the names and departure dates of the ships. 
 
The double-sided form is structured into five sections. The first section relates to the ship and provides details on the name of the ship, its official number, port of registry, steam ship line to which it belongs, the master's name, tonnage of the ship, aggregate number of superficial feet in the several compartments set apart for passengers other than cabin passengers, total number of statute adults exclusive of master crew and cabin passengers which the ship can legally carry, date of arrival at port and where bound.
 
The second section is titled "Names and descriptions of passengers" with the section ruled into columns and while over time the titles varied, they included: class, Port of disembarkation, name, nationality, Racial origin (European, Asian, African, Polynesian), sex, age last birthday (at date of disembarkation) Conjugal condition (married, single, widow, divorced), occupation and industry, country of last permanent residence (if Australian State only), country of intended future permanent residence, purpose of journey and proposed length of journey. 
 
Titled "Summary of passengers", the third section provides the statistical information of the voyage. It records the total number of males or females in the following categories: adults, children 1 to 12 and infants. 

The fourth section is where the Master signs to certify that the return for the passengers is true and correct and that the ship has sufficient provisions.

The fifth section is for official use only and provides the ships name, departure time and destination.

Passenger lists from the outports of Port Lincoln, Wallaroo and Port Pire have been located in this series 

History Prior/Subsequent to Transfer:
PTT - Dept. of Immigration correspondence reference 60/66641 of 21/10/1963 Commonwealth Archives Office correspondence reference 1963/52 of 30/7/1963.

Administrative information

The following data was keyed from the paper documentation:
Form number:              CA 17
Creating department:      , Dept. of Immigration., S.A. Regional                           Office, Registry Section
Transferring department:  , Immigration, S.A. Regional Office,                           Registry Section
Date of transfer:         20/09/1968
Archives file number:     RWA28/1/2