The New South Wales Department of Child Welfare (and its predecessor and successor departments) created a wide range of records about state wards. These records contain personal information about former wards of the state, and include case files, ward history cards, foster parent files, registers and indexes of children in certain types of institutions, after-care files, and records relating to the operation of Homes and institutions for young people. The majority of these records are held by Museums of History NSW (State Archives), although more modern records from the 1980s onwards remain in the custody of the Department of Family and Community Services.
Access to these records is restricted. In New South Wales, records relating to individuals, such as case files and correspondence are closed to public access for 100 years. Records such as registers and indexes are closed to public access for 80 years.
Care Leavers wishing to access records about themselves will need to complete a Care Leaver Records Access Application Form (downloadable from the Care Leaver Records Access Unit website or available at a Community Services Centre). Completed application forms with proof of identity can be sent to the Care Leaver Records Access Unit, or lodged with a Community Services Centre. For further information please contact the Care Leaver Records Access Unit.
The following information was published in the Museums of History NSW (State Archives) catalogue, or was published in Connecting Kin. Some records at the State Archives have not been fully processed as of the time of writing (May 2023), and as such further information may not be available for all records.
State Ward 'B' Files (also referred to as Institutional or Substitute Care 'B' Files) are records relating to children and young persons up to eighteen years of age committed to the care of the Minister as State wards, and subsequently placed in departmental establishments, residential or foster care programs, or with non-government agencies. The information on each file varies, but comprises records such as court orders, reports on wards and foster Homes, correspondence, details about the child and their family situation, and requests for adoption.
If a ward was adopted, the State Ward 'B' File was discontinued. Otherwise, the State Ward file was discontinued when the young people turned 18.
Files dated 1954-1983 are in the State Archives collection. Later files are held by the Department of Family and Community Services. In 1998 it was reported in Connecting Kin that State Ward 'B' files were created from 1936, but that many had been destroyed. If files dated between 1936 and 1954 are not held by State Archives or the Department, it is likely that they were destroyed.
State Archives holds four separate series of Departmental State Ward 'B' Files, as follows:
State ward "B" files (Local Office files), 1954-1983. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14664.
Substitute Care (State Ward 'B') Files, 1955-1978. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14819.
Institutional files ([I] "B" files), 1959-1974. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14693.
Head Office Institutional files ([I] "B" files), 1972-1981. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14691.
In addition to these series, State Archives NSW holds several other series of Institutional 'B' Files directly relating to state-run youth justice and training institutions, dated 1959-1985. These can be found by searching the institution name in the State Archives catalogue, or listed on the Find and Connect records pages for those institutions.
Family Casework ('C') Files, 1965 onwards. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14818.
Family Casework ('C') Files relate to the Department's case work with children, young people and families. Although the information in each file varies, they generally contain records such as case worker reports, information about family backgrounds and situations, information about child placements in departmental institutions or foster homes, correspondence, information about name changes and requests for adoption.
If a child or young person was reunited with their family, adopted, or married (by applying to the courts) the File was discontinued. Otherwise, the File was discontinued when the young person turned 18.
Files dated 1965-1967 are in the State Archives collection. Later files are held by the Department of Family and Community Services.
Foster Parent ('W') Files, 1941 onwards. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14817.
Foster Parent ('W') Files relate to applications made by prospective foster parents to care for state wards. Files dated 1941-1979 are in the State Archives collection. Later files are held by the Department of Family and Community Services.
Registers of Children on Probation, 1918-1922. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-13360.
No further detail about these records has been published in the State Archives catalogue. However, these records are open to the public and can be ordered from State Archives.
Register of inmates of lying-in homes, 1930-1950. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14690.
No further detail about these records has been published in the State Archives catalogue.
Private Remand Home Files, 1958-1980. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14692.
These files relate to the application for and operation of private remand homes. These files are only a sample of those originally created for this purpose, the rest having been destroyed.
Ward History Cards, 1960-1980. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-18111.
No further detail about these records has been published in the State Archives catalogue.
Punishment Returns, 1973-1976. State Archives Reference Number: NRS-14636.
These records are weekly reports received by the Department from State-run children's Homes and institutions. They contain information about children who have received punishment whilst in State care, including the child's name and age, the reason they received punishment (listed as 'offence'), and details about the punishment received (e.g. corporal punishment, extra duties, or deprivations).
The following records were unprocessed by State Archives at the time of writing (May 2023), and as such no further detail about them has been published in the State Archives catalogue. Access to these records is restricted to protect personal privacy, and requests for these records should be made to the Care Leaver Records Access Unit. Access approval for these records may take longer than for processed records.
Maintenance Branch: Ward maintenance private ledges cards, c.1942-c.1981. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5040.
State Wards- shelter admission record card, c.1950-c.1970s. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5123.
Casework notebooks, index cards and files [Newcastle District], 1954-1974. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-7300.
Index cards to children's admissions (N-R), c.1978-1983. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5015.
Residential and Non Residential care units for young offenders: Index of discharges, undated. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5080.
Residential and Non Residential care units for young offenders: Record of committals, undated. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5081.
Residential and Non Residential care units for young offenders: Senior Officer's log books, undated. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5082.
Parramatta probation files and after-care files, undated. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5065.
Queanbeyan probation files and after-care files, undated. State Archives Reference Number: RNCG-5073.
Sources used to compile this entry: 'Are you a former ward of NSW?', Department of Community Services, New South Wales Department of Community Services, 2001, http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/319254/formerward_broch.pdf; 'Child Care and Protection Guide', in Museums of History NSW website, Museums of History NSW, https://mhnsw.au/guides/child-care-and-protection-guide/; 'Child Care and Protection Index 1817-1942', in Museums of History NSW website, Museums of History NSW, https://mhnsw.au/indexes/child-care-and-protection/child-care-and-protection-index/; Thinee, Kristy and Bradford, Tracy, Connecting Kin: Guide to Records, A guide to help people separated from their families search for their records [completed in 1998], New South Wales Department of Community Services, Sydney, New South Wales, 1998, https://clan.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/connectkin_guide.pdf.
Prepared by: Constance Thurley-Hart
Created: 31 August 2011, Last modified: 26 July 2023
Last updated: 4 August 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE00930b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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