Please contact the SA Police Information Services Branch, Freedom of Information Unit:
Postal Address: GPO Box 1539, Adelaide SA 5001
Phone: (08) (08) 7322 3347 or (08) 8207 5590
Website: https://www.police.sa.gov.au/services-and-events/freedom-of-information
Quote this number to access your records: State Records of South Australia Series ID, GRS/4060
These records are held by State Records of South Australia (1919 - current).
This series of Case Cards comprises a record of cases dealt with by the Women Police Branch. The date range of the cards runs from 1940 to 1974. Women Police during the period dealt primarily with the moral and social welfare of women and children, such as domestic issues or missing persons, with criminal offences being handled by the regular police force. The cards include basic personal details about the woman or child in question, alongside details of the incident, observations made by police, general information, and sometimes a photograph. These cards may include information about children who were placed in out-of-home care.
Access to these records is restricted for 75 years in order to protect personal privacy. People mentioned in these records have a right to access information about themselves. To request access to restricted records please contact the South Australian Police, Freedom of Information Unit. To arrange access to open records please contact State Records South Australia.
The cases documented in these cards include: domestic issues, persons placed in or missing from institutions, including the elderly, missing children and family members, advising people re: conduct in public, charges of drunkenness and larceny, and enquiries made for other government departments.
Cards are arranged alphabetically by name of woman or child, with contacts listed chronologically on each card. The date range of the cards is circa 1940 to 1974, although the bulk of them date from circa 1962 to 1974. It may be that ‘inactive’ cards were removed from this set while in use.
Information includes personal details of woman or child, e.g.. Age, address, and occupation, together with details of incident, observations by police officer, circumstances of case and other general information. In some cases, a photograph is also attached to the card.
This series ended in 1974 when women were integrated into the same chain of command as male police officers, and the welfare aspect of the job was undertaken by officers of the Department for Community Welfare.
These cards are arranged alphabetically by surname. There is another similar series (GRS/14019) that is arranged by subject matter, and cross-references to this series.