Find technical information, pictures, logs and histories of passenger and cargo ships.
There is no single comprehensive index of ships' pictures. However, there are a number of extensive indexes and collections, both online and in print, that are well worth checking.
You should bear in mind that unless a ship in operation before 1875 had a very lengthy life, it is rare that any photograph exists. If a ship was particularly popular, prominent or in some way remarkable, then a sketch, drawing or painting may exist. The more modern the ship is, the more likely it is that an image will be available.
If you find a result in one of the picture indexes, remember that several ships may have had the same name. You should try to confirm that you've found an illustration of the correct ship, by cross-referencing with the information that you have found in other ship identification sources.
Keyword search using the name of the ship followed by the word ship in the following online catalogues:
State Library of Victoria catalogue
Passenger and emigrant ships to Australia and New Zealand
Illustrated newspapers
Illustrated Newspapers may also contain images of ships. Some illustrated newspapers have been digitised and can be searched online.
Also refer to the Ships' pictures indexes in print box on the right.
Ships' pictures index, 1491-1991
Maritime illustration indexes compiled by Vaughan Evans
Master index to ships pictures in the Mitchell Library
