Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
Also see Passenger Arrival Records.
Also see Sailors.
Aliens are persons who were not British subjects or were not naturalized who were residing in Victoria before 1901 or in Australia after 1901. Aliens also included female British subjects who married aliens until 1946.
Victorian Chinese residents had to apply for exemptions to the Chinese Act 1890 which restricted the entry of Chinese into Victoria from 1890 until federation in 1901.
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT GAZETTES - EXEMPTIONS
Exemptions issued under the Chinese Act 1890 were published in Victorian Government Gazettes. See Victorian Government Gazettes.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - PHOTOGRAPHS RELATED TO EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS 1899-1901 (NAA B6443)
This includes 267 photographs.
The dictation test introduced under the 1901 Immigration Restriction Act was used to stop "coloured" immigration. Long term residents, naturalised and Australian-born "coloureds" were exempt but had to apply and pay for a "Certificate Exempting from the Dictation Test" (CEDT) to prove this or travelled on birth or naturalization certificates. "Coloureds" were Chinese and Indians.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - REGISTERS OF CERTIFICATES EXEMPTING FROM THE DICTATION TEST (DEPARTURES), MELBOURNE 1904-1959 (NAA B6003)
These are not online.
CHINESE AUSTRALIAN FAMILY HISTORIANS OF VICTORIA INC. - INDEX OF REGISTERS OF CERTIFICATES EXEMPTING FROM THE DICTATION TEST (DEPARTURES), MELBOURNE 1904-1959 (NAA B6003)
This includes Chinese and Indians. It is searchable.
https://www.cafhov.com/vic-cedt-index/
During World War 1 enemy aliens were sometimes allowed to live in the community but they had to register with their local police station from 1914 and there were restrictions on their movement and their activities. Enemy aliens who were not allowed ‘parole’ were interned. See Internee and Prisoner of War Records.
In December 1916 there was a war census of all aliens living in Australia. This was not just enemy aliens but all aliens. All aliens were required to register with custom officials or at their local police station. If they changed their place of residence they had to inform their local police station. They then had to register with the nearest police station once they moved. This was in force from 1916 to 1926.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - WORLD WAR 1 INTELLIGENCE SECTION CASE FILES 1914-1923 (MP16/1)
These files include alien registration case files in Victoria. They have been indexed into the RecordSearch on the National Archives of Australia website. The files are located in Melbourne.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - WORLD WAR 1 INTERNEE, ALIEN AND PRISONER OF WAR RECORDS HELD IN CANBERRA
The following is National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet 58.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - WORLD WAR 1 INTERNEE, ALIEN AND PRISONER OF WAR RECORDS HELD IN SYDNEY
The following is National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet 171.
With the outbreak of World War 2, all aliens were again required to register with the government and they had to inform the government if they changed their name or place of residence; this occurred from 1939 and continued until 1947.
Enemy aliens were sometimes allowed to live in the community but they had to register with their local police station and there were restrictions on their movement and their activities. Enemy aliens who were not allowed ‘parole’ were interned. See Internee and Prisoner of War Records.
For aliens who served with the Civil Alien Corps during World War 2 see Civilian Service Records.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - WORLD WAR 2 INTERNEE, ALIEN AND PRISONER OF WAR RECORDS HELD IN CANBERRA
The following is National Archives of Australia Fact Sheet 59.
From 1947 aliens were required to register with the Immigration Department and had to inform them if they changed their name, place of residence or occupation.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA - ALIEN REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS 1948-1965 (B78)
Alien registration documents have been indexed into the RecordSearch on the National Archives of Australia website. Some of these have been digitised.
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