Some people may find content on this website distressing. Read more
Western Australia - Archival Item

John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II (1951 - 1952)

  • John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II

    John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II, 1951 - 1952, courtesy of National Archives of Australia.
    Details

National Archives of Australia

From
1951
To
1952
Website
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=279747
Reference No
A445, 133/3/7
Legal Status
National Archives of Australia Reference Number

'John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II' is a file held online by the National Archives of Australia. The file has drafts of reports made by Mr John Moss CBE a 'UK Child Expert' who worked for the Home Office in Britain. Moss visited Australia and New Zealand and examined the Homes and support systems for child migrants from Britain.

Details

Access Condtions

Open

Records

Information in the file, 'John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II' documents Moss' impressions of Fairbridge Farm School Pinjarra, St Joseph's Girls' Orphanage, Clontarf, Castledare, Nazareth House Geraldton, Bindoon, Tardun, Swan Homes, Padbury Farm School, William A Saw Home, Coogee, and the Methodist Children's Home in Western Australia. Clarification about Moss' findings, through Minutes or correspondence, is given by authorities in Australia. In particular, the file refers to the following matters:

  • Reports on institutions: general reports, type of instiution (cottages, dormitories), education, ablution and sanitation, meals and other conditions, child labour in the Homes, employment and aftercare
  • Age at migration and procedures for obtaining consent to emigrate
  • Other children in the Homes, activities and contact with people outside the institutions
  • Emigration and immigration legislation, and British, State and Commonwealth subsidies paid to the institutions
  • General observations about the professionalism of the child welfare system in Western Australia

The John Moss Visit to Australia file Part II documents the reasoning behind child migration practices and policies including: reasons why British children were sent to institutions rather than foster care in Australia (pp.32-33); age of child migrants and matters of consent (pp.39, 45-48, 174-175); 'case histories' of children (pp.49-50); inspections (p.51) and administration (p.156) by the Child Welfare Department and the lack of child guidance and social work facilities in WA (p.55); employment and aftercare (pp.66-75); types of institutions (pp.105-114); ablutions, sanitation and meals in the institutions (pp.115-118); staffing and child labour (pp.119-124); education of children (pp.126-131) and policy regarding IQ tests (p.151); conditions and environment of the Homes (pp.132-134); pocket money (pp.135-136); outside contacts, visitors, camps and trips (pp.137-142); legislation and subsidies (pp.149, 154); and pre-emigration practices in the UK (pp.173-174).

Photos

John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II
Title
John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II
Type
Document
Date
1951 - 1952
Source
National Archives of Australia

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II [Document], Date: 1951 - 1952.

Prepared by: Debra Rosser