Edmund Morris Miller, the Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Tasmania, and an adherent of eugenics, was the main driving force behind the Act.
The Act specified four categories of mental deficiency. They were:
Adults or children classified under the Act could be sent to an institution or placed in the care of a guardian.
Adults might include a single woman giving birth to a child while receiving an income from the state.
The Director of Education was obliged to notify the Chairman of the Mental Deficiency Board of any children suspected of having a 'mental deficiency'.
The Act made provision for special Homes to be established where children with a diagnosis of mental deficiency could be trained to lead useful and happy lives.
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The Find & Connect Support Service can help people who lived in orphanages and children's institutions look for their records.
Last updated:
12 February 2019
Cite this: http://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/tas/TE00251
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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