The aim of this study was to determine whether the NSW Inpatient Statistics Collection (ISC), a census of hospital admissions, could be used to estimate the magnitude of, and reasons for, antenatal transfer of rural women. Data from the ISC were compared with results of a clinical audit of all antenatal admissions of rural women to perinatal centres in NSW during 1997-1998. While the overall number of perinatal centre admissions identified by the ISC and the audit were similar, the ISC identified only about 70% of antenatal transfers. Rural hospitals identified 12% of women as indigenous compared with 9% at perinatal centres. The ISC showed 28% of rural women admissions and 42% of transfers were for threatened preterm labour compared with 21% and 30% respectively from the audit.