Phone Support:

  • 1800 16 11 09
    (free call)

Monday–Friday 9am–5pm

Want some help?

Does this page need updating?

What to expect when accessing records about you

What to expect when accessing records about you.

What to expect

Look for Similar

Other Find & Connect resources

Organisation Department for Community Welfare (1972 - 1985)

State of Western Australia

From
16 June 1972
To
1 January 1985
Categories
Care Provider and Government Department

Summary

The Western Australian Department for Community Welfare existed between 16 June 1972 and 1 January 1985. The Department for Community Welfare was a preceding agency to the Department for Communities and the Department for Child Protection and Family Support, which were established in 2007 in response to the Ford Review.

Details

The State Records Office website provides an overview of the Department for Community Welfare:

The Child Welfare Department was abolished under the Child Welfare Act Amendment Act (No. 2) 1972 and its functions transferred to the new Department. The Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act of 1972 repealed the earlier Native Welfare Act and transferred the welfare functions of the Department of Native Welfare to the Department of Community Welfare from 1 July 1972.

The functions of the Department for Community Welfare, as defined by the Community Welfare Act 1972, were: 'a) to promote individual and family welfare in the community; b) to prevent the disruption of the welfare of individuals and families in the community, and to mitigate the effects of any disruption; c) to coordinate, assist and encourage the provision of the social welfare services to the community, and for that purpose to confer and collaborate with other bodies and instrumentalities who offer, or may offer, a social welfare service; d) to conduct, promote and encourage research into the problems of community welfare; e) to conduct, promote and encourage programmes of training or rehabilitation, or which are otherwise of a nature that is concerned with the advancement of the welfare of particular individuals or groups in the community who are disadvantaged; f) to consider and initiate, or to assist in, the provision and development of new or additional welfare services, whether of a general or specific nature, for individuals or groups within the community who are needy or disadvantaged; g) to encourage the development of the greatest possible degree of service and administration at the local level, and to emphasize the value of preventative measures; h) to provide assistance, where the Minister considers it to be necessary, when the welfare of any individual, family or group is threatened or in jeopardy; i) to provide and, where appropriate, to manage facilities, which may include land, buildings and specialised appliances, for specific purposes consistent with the objects of the Act; j) generally, to administer and give effect to the provisions of this Act and to carry out such other functions as may be prescribed, or as the Minister may direct.'

The Department for Community Welfare was abolished and its name changed to the Department for Community Services on 1 January 1985.

Events

1972 - 1985
Department for Community Welfare was located in Western Australia

Skip to

Timeline

 1886 - 1898 Aborigines Protection Board
       1898 - 1908 Aborigines Department
             1909 - 1920 Department of Aborigines and Fisheries
             1909 - 1920 Department of Aborigines and Fisheries
                   1874 - 1908 Superintendent of Poor Relief and Inspector of Charitable Institutions
                   1920 - 1926 Department of the North West
                   1920 - 1964 Fisheries Department
                         1908 - 1917 Public Charities and State Children Department
                         1926 - 1936 Aborigines Department
                               1917 - 1927 State Children Department
                               1936 - 1954 Department of Native Affairs
                                     1927 - 1972 Child Welfare Department
                                     1955 - 1972 Department of Native Welfare
                                           1972 - 1985 Department for Community Welfare
                                                 1985 - 1992 Department for Community Services
                                                       1992 - 1995 Department for Community Development
                                                             1995 - 2001 Department for Family and Children's Services
                                                                   2001 - 2007 Department for Community Development
                                                                         2007 - Department for Communities
                                                                         2007 - Department for Child Protection and Family Support

Provided 'care' at

Related Archival Series

Related Events

Publications

Reports

  • Department for Community Welfare, Annual Report of the Department for Community Welfare for the Year Ended 30 June 1973, Western Australia. Department for Community Welfare, Government of Western Australia, Perth, 1973. Details
  • Western Australia. Department for Community Welfare, Annual Report: Department for Community Welfare, Dept. For Community Welfare, [Perth], 1973-1984. Details

Statutes

Online Resources

Gallery

Title
Adoption of Children Amendment Act 1976
Type
Document
Date
25 November 1976
Source
State Law Publisher of Western Australia

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Department for Community Welfare, State of Western Australia (1972-1985) Agency Detail (State Records Office), Archive Collection of Western Australia, with State Records Office of Western Australia, State Records Office of Western Australia, 2012, http://aeon.sro.wa.gov.au/Investigator/Details/Agency_Detail.asp?Id=39.

Prepared by: Leanne Howard

Created: 6 June 2011, Last modified: 7 March 2013