This paper presents a catalogue of previously unpublished optical and infrared photometry for a sample of 162 emission-line objects and shell stars visible from the southern hemisphere. The data were obtained between 1978 and 1997 in the Walraven (WULBV), Johnson/Cousins UBV(RI)_c_ and ESO and SAAO near-infrared (JHKLM) photometric systems. Most of the observed objects are Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) stars or HAeBe candidates appearing in the list of HAeBe candidates of The et al. (1994, Cat. <J/A+AS/104/315>), although several B[e] stars, LBVs and T Tauri are also included in the sample. For many of the stars the data presented here are the first photo-electric measurements in the literature. The resulting catalogue consists of 1809 photometric measurements. Optical variability was detected in 66 out of the 116 sources that were observed more than once. 15 out of the 50 stars observed multiple times in the infrared showed variability at 2.2 microns (K band). Table 1 contains the stars identifiers, positions, types and a summary of the observational data on each star. Tables 2, 3 and 4 contain all obtained photometry in the Walraven WULBV, Johnson/Cousins UBV(RI)_c and ESO and SAAO near-infrared (JHKLM) photometric systems.