Australia & New Zealand

Australia Naturalization records

Prior to 1949, Australians were British subjects. On 26 January 1949 the status of Australian citizen was created when the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948came into force.

The two main types of citizenship records are naturalisation certificates and case files. Naturalisation case files, which include the application for citizenship, oath of allegiance and other correspondence, generally give more detail than the certificate.

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Citizenship records provide much information about the migrant including date of arrival in Australia, ship (or flight) travelled on, town and country of birth, names of other family members, education, profession and address in Australia at the time of naturalisation. (Source: National Archives of Australia)

New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Naturalization, 1849-1903

New South Wales (NSW) Naturalization Index 1834-1903 

Victoria Australia Index to Naturalisation Certificates, 1851-1928

Queensland, Australia, Naturalisation Index, 1851-1904

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New Zealand naturalization records

From 1840 until 1 January 1949 most people in New Zealand (including Māori) were British subjects/citizens. Non-British were ‘aliens’

New Zealand, Naturalisations, 1843-1981