The Social Services Department replaced the Charitable Grants Department in 1934. It managed outdoor and indoor relief, child welfare services and, between 1934 and 1946, the State Immigration Office. The Social Services Department became the Social Welfare Department in 1961. The Social Services Department replaced the Charitable Grants Department following an amendment to the Public…
The Children of the State Department replaced the Neglected Children’s Department. The Department oversaw the care of wards of state. In 1934, the new Social Services Department took over the role of the Children of the State Department, although the name persisted in annual reports well into the 1940s. The Children of the State Act,…
The Neglected Children’s Department, was originally established in March 1897. In 1901, following Australian federation, the newly formed state government took the Department over. It was the first government department in Tasmania that specifically managed children who were considered to be offenders or neglected. In 1918, the Children of the State Department replaced the Neglected…
The Charitable Grants Department, also known as the office of the Administrator of Charitable Relief, was established in 1873. It provided outdoor relief, that is, funds or food given to poor people not living in an institution. The Department also administered legislation relating to the care of destitute children, including the boarding out system introduced…
Adoptions – South Australia is part of the Department for Child Protection. Previously, it was called the Adoption and Family Information Service. It is the central authority in South Australia to provide adoption support, advice and access to information. In 2018, the Department for Child Protection published a Guideline, titled: ‘Provision of adoption information and…
The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide dates back to 1847. Initially, the diocese included Western Australia and South Australia. Its first bishop was Augustus Short (1847 to 1882). In 1855, Short created a system of diocesan self-government through a synod. The Diocese of Adelaide, together with the Diocese of Willochra, to the north and west, and…
The Department for Child Protection was formed in 2016 when it replaced Families SA, Department for Education and Child Development. The Department was established in response to recommendations from the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission in November 2016.
The Mount Gambier Aborigines’ Home was opened in Mount Gambier in 1865 by missionary Mrs Christina Smith. The establishment of the Home was assisted by the Bishop of Adelaide and funded by charitable donations. Up to 16 Aboriginal children lived and were taught at the Home at one time. Due to declining donations the Mount…
The Youth Court of South Australia was established under the Youth Courts Act (SA) 1993 to hear matters related to youth offending, child protection, adoption and surrogacy. The Court was made up of three branches: the Court, the Family Conference Team and the Care and Protection Unit. The Youth Court was closed to the public….
The Children’s Court in South Australia was established in 1895 under the provisions of the State Children Act. This Act formalised an arrangement which had been in place in the colony since the early 1890s, to separate hearings of juveniles from those of adults. The Children’s Court went by a number of names in the…