Summary heading

PP19/2 – Medical examination forms (Form 47A) for non-British migrants, single number series

Function and purpose

This series comprises medical examination forms, submitted by aliens, and British subjects born outside the United Kingdom, on arrival in Australia.

When aliens, or British who were born outside the United Kingdom, applied for a visa to enter Australia they were required to submit Form 47A, Medical Examination form.  They were required to undergo a medical examination and return the form 47A with their completed visa application.  If satisfactory, the form was returned to them with their visa. Upon arrival in Australia migrants were required to produce both these documents to the Department of Immigration.  If, on arrival, the form 47A was lost or mislaid the person concerned was admitted on a Certificate of Exemption for the three months. They were required to complete a new form 47A and until this completed form was received by the department, no decision could be given whether or not permanent residence, or specified periods of residence, would be permitted.

The forms are double sided. The first page consists of a declaration by the intending migrant regarding their medical history, particularly whether they, or their family, have a history of tuberculosis, mental illness, trachoma and other serious medical conditions. Following this is a table in which the medical examiner was required to state whether various characteristics were “normal” and if not were required to “give particulars of any departure from normal”. These include heart rate, blood pressure, lungs, nervous system, mental condition and intelligence, digestive organs, skeleton, skin, hearing, sight, genito urinary organs, urine, teeth, deformities, X-Ray, and blood test. The reverse side of the form is for the medical examination of any of the migrant’s children, and comprises a similar table as for the second half of the first side. Photographs of any children are also attached to the reverse side of the form. The forms are also signed by the intending migrant as well as the medical examiner and have been stamped as sighted by the relevant country’s local British Consulate.

The records in this consignment relate predominantly to Italian and Dutch migrants.  

Physical characteristics

The form 47A is a one page double sided form which is completed at the time of the medical examination and certified by the signatures of the medical examiner and the intending migrant. The majority of the forms also have a passport sized photograph attached of the intending migrant, as well as any children which are also included on the form.  

System of arrangement and control

The medical examination forms were maintained in alphabetical order by surname of the intending migrant while in use within the agency. This has been preserved upon transfer to the Archives, however a numerical system of control has been imposed as the primary control system in order to aid retrieval. 

Relationships with other records

This series is part of a larger group of records that document the permanent migration of individuals to Australia. This group includes medical examination forms, migrant selection documents, nominal rolls and passenger cards. See series links for individual series numbers. 

Finding aids

As all medical examination forms in this series have been entered into the RecordSearch database, a form relating to a particular person(s) can be retrieved by keyword search in RecordSearch (limiting search by Series No PP19/2).     

Additional information

The following data was keyed from the paper documentation at the time of transfer to the Archives:

Form number:                           CA 17

Creating department:                 Immigration, General Division, Records

Transferring department:           Immigration, General Division, Records

Date of transfer:                        19/12/1957

Archives file number:                 RWP28/1/4