New South Wales is one of 6 states and 2 Territories of Australia. It is located on the east coast of Australia. Established as the Colony of New South Wales, it was the first European settlement on mainland Australia. After Federation in 1901, it became the State of New South Wales. NSW has a population of over 8 million people, of which about 3.4% recognise as Indigenous Australians.[1] The capital of NSW is Sydney, home to over 5.3 million people.
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
History of New South WalesHistory of New South Wales
Indigenous settlementIndigenous settlement
Evidence of Indigenous settlement in Australia goes back over 60 thousand years. Aboriginal Australians have a deep and abiding cultural connection to the land, with around 70 different tribal or language groups identified in NSW[2]. In the 2021 Census, 278,000 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in New South Wales. This represents 3.4% of the New South Wales population, up from 2.9% in 2016, and 2.5% in 2011[3]
European settlement in New South WalesEuropean settlement in New South Wales
During the 17th century, explorers from several European nations, including Holland and Spain, mapped the coastline of a large southern land mass they dubbed New Holland.[5]
In 1770 Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook mapped the East Coast aboard the HMB Endeavour. Cook and his crew came ashore at Kamay/ Botany Bay and stayed in the area for 8 days, interacting, sometimes violently, with local indigenous inhabitants.[6] [7] In August 1770, at Possession Island in the Torres Straight, Cook claimed this new territory for King George III[8].
In 1778, the British colony of New South Wales was established as a penal colony. About 850 convicts, their Marine guards and officers, led by Governor Arthur Phillip, arrived at Botany Bay in the First Fleet of 9 transport ships accompanied by 2 small warships. Unable to fifresh nd water, they sailed further north to Port Jackson, and settled at Sydney Cove, where a stream of fresh water, the Tank Stream, ran down to the shore.
For more than 30 years, New South Wales was the only colony in Australia. Its borders originally included the areas that are now Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. These became separate colonies between the 1820s and 1850s; Western Australia was established in this period as well. Australia remained as six separate colonies until Federation in 1901.[9]
The first free settlers came to New South Wales in 1793 - five single men and two families. Over time the number of free settlers and merchants steadily grew, babies were born to European parents, and convicts who had served their time received their ticket of leave and became free citizens. So it wasn't long before a civil administration was required to manage the needs of this growing population.[10] Exploration of the territory around Sydney led to the establishment of more settlements along the coast, like Newcastle, Wollongong and the Central Coast, and further inland, like Bathurst, Goulburn and Bourke. From 1810, Governor Lachlan Macquarie encouraged European settlement by leasing crown land[11]. By 1918 19 Counties had been declared. But some people chose to settle outside these boundaries, claiming possession of land they deemed unoccupied. This inevitably created conflict with local indigenous populations, with the history of the Australian Frontier Wars still being written.
People choosing to settle on unoccupied land outside the jurisdiction of the Nineteen Counties were classed as 'squatters'. The term (first appearing in 1828) soon came to refer to a person of high social prestige who grazed livestock on a large scale - often having no legal title to the land beyond being the first European to settle on it. Successful squatters were among the wealthiest class of people in the colony and came to be described (in a play on the English aristocracy) as the 'squattocracy'.[12]
Gold rushes were pivotal to the development of Australia. Gold was discovered in NSW as shepherds, surveyors and missionaries moved westward over the mountains, onto the wide plains of the interior. In 1823, surveyor James McBrien noticed gold particles by the Fish River east of Bathurst. Edward Hammond Hargraves developed the first payable goldfield in NSW, at Ophir, near Bathurst, in February 1851. The rush was on and in 1852 alone, 370,000 immigrants arrived in Australia[13]. Many of these immigrants came from countries like China, Indonesia and Afghanistan.
On January 1st, 1901, New South Wales joined with the five other British self-governing colonies of Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia to form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia[14].
One of the first national laws introduced to the new Australian Parliament was the Immigration Restriction Act 1901, which favoured British immigrants over those from any other country. This so called "White Australia" policy entrenched deeply racist beliefs in Australian society, with many Australians of British descent resentful of non-white migrants who would work for lower wages. When the Act went into effect in December 1901 it shifted the demographics of the population. The government incentivised British migrants with programs like the Ten Pound Poms, but was not able to attract enough people to maintain population growth. With an influx of refugees after World War 2, the rules were relaxed to allow migrants from Northern Europe, and eventually Southern Europe, with large influxes of Baltic, Greek and Italian migrants bringing exotic food and drinks like espresso. The White Australia edifice finally collapsed in the 1970s, with the passage of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 under the Whitlam Government. Since then the country has welcomed waves of refugees and skilled migrants from all over the world[15]. Today NSW is home to a vibrant, diverse community of 8.1 million people, nearly 30% of whom were born overseas.[16]
Government & demographics of New South WalesGovernment & demographics of New South Wales
NSW is divided into seats represented by state parliamentarians. The NSW State government is responsible for areas of public administration such as schools, hospitals and public transport. They also manage the State Library of NSW and Museums of History NSW, which holds the state archives.
Local Government Areas (LGA's), also known as local councils, are responsible for issues that relate to a local area, sometimes referred to as the 3-Rs - Roads, Rubbish and Recreation.[17] Councils are also responsible for local libraries.
Demographics of New South WalesDemographics of New South Wales
Over 40% of New South Wales residents were born in overseas. The 2021 Census included a question on ancestral background. The top ancestral backgrounds in New South Wales are:
- English 29.8%
- Australian 28.6%
- Irish 9.1%
- Scottish 7.7%
- Chinese 7.2%
- Other 17.6%
The top countries of birth of residents New South Wales were:
- Australia 65.4%
- China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 3.1%
- England 2.9%
- India 2.6%
- New Zealand 1.5%
- Philippines 1.3%
- Other 23.2%
Almost 40% of Australians had both parent's born overseas, and while most residents speak english at home, almost 30% spoke a language another language, including Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Hindi.[1]
Most popular surnames in New South WalesMost popular surnames in New South Wales
Researching family history in New South WalesResearching family history in New South Wales
Records relevant to family history research can be found in collections at a national, state and local level. As a British colony, some very early records may also be found in The National Archives in the UK. The primary sources for genealogical records in NSW are Government agencies, archives and libraries.
The NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages manages vital records and certificates. Privacy restrictions apply to the index, with access to data for births over 100 years, marriages over 50 years and deaths over 30 years accessible.
The NSW State Archives Collection at Museums of History NSW (MHNSW), holds records of the early colony, including the first NSW census, taken in 1828. The City of Sydney Archives hold records from as early as 1842, when the Municipal Council of Sydney was established. These include directories, municipal maps, and photographs.
The State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) holds hard copies of several directories and rolls that can assist in researching NSW residents. Trove, managed by the National Library of Australia, is an extraordinary free resource that aggregates content, including digitised newspapers, magazines, images, diaries and letters, and other material, dating from the establishment of the colony, from collections around Australia. Military Archives from around the country are predominantly held at the Australian War Memorial (AWM). The collection includes millions of items relating to individuals, units and conflicts, including digitised service records.
In regional areas and small country towns, local history and genealogical societies are a great source of local records. Many regional towns in NSW have a local history society, and/or a local library and museum. The Federation of Australian Historical Societies has a searchable index where you can find contact details for a society in a specific town or locality, or simply do a web search for the town name plus historical society.
And of course, MyHeritage holds a large number of records for NSW.
See alsoSee also
Explore more about New South WalesExplore more about New South Wales
- New South Wales - Collection Catalog at MyHeritage
- Polled! Finding your Ancestors in New South Wales Colonial Muster and Census Returns webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- They really didn't swim! Finding your ancestors in New South Wales colonial shipping records webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- MyHeritage’s AI Technology Brings the Stories of Australian Convict Ancestors to Life on the MyHeritage blog
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 ABS - Snapshot NSW
- ↑ Britannica.com
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics - NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population Summary 2022
- ↑ National Maritime Museum Collection
- ↑ Wikipedia - Exploration of Australia
- ↑ NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service - Captain Cook's Landing Place
- ↑ Wikipedia - Australian Frontier Wars
- ↑ Wikipedia - Possession Island (Queensland)
- ↑ Museum of Australian Democracy
- ↑ NSW Parliament website
- ↑ Australias Defining Moments
- ↑ SLNSW - Squattocracy
- ↑ SLNSW - Eureka!
- ↑ Wikipedia - Federation of Australian Colonies
- ↑ NMA - White Australia Policy
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics - Snapshot of NSW 2021
- ↑ Australian Parliamentary Education Office