In the

colony In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the ''metropole, metropolit ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, a muster was an extension of a Military Muster to the general populace. A general muster was held when deemed necessary to count the

convict A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...

s and general population. Many people were not included. Musters were held in the years: * 1788 A list of persons victualled in NSW and

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

* 1806 A General Muster in NSW of convicts,

emancipist An emancipist was a convict sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia, who had been given a conditional or absolute pardon. The term was also used to refer to those convicts whose sentences had expired, and might sometimes ...

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...

and land. * 1810 to 1820 Returns of convicts in the Colony on 1 January 1810 and of those who arrived up until September 1820. * 1811 A General Muster in NSW, Port Dalrymple,

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

Town and Norfolk Island * 1814 A General Muster was held in NSW which was arranged by districts. * 1818 Muster of free persons at Hobart Town. * 1819 Muster of persons at Hobart Town and Port Dalrymple. * 1820 and 1821 Muster of convicts and their children at Hobart Town. * 1822 Muster supplying alphabetical returns of persons in NSW and also of convicts in

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sepa ...

. * 1823 Muster of convicts in Van Diemen's Land. * 1825 General muster of all inhabitants in NSW, except the military. * 1837 General muster of all convicts in NSW and Norfolk Island. * 1841 Censuses of NSW, Adelaide, Van Diemen's Land and

Port Phillip Port Phillip (Kulin languages, Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped bay#Types, enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, ...

. * 1891 Census of NSW.Reakes, Janet, The A to Z Genealogical Handbook, Methuen Australia, 1986,

References

History of New South Wales {{NewSouthWales-stub