Archives



Health Act 1898, Western Australia

The Health Act 1898 (62 Vict. No.24) was the first comprehensive piece of legislation to regulate public health matters in Western Australia. In Part 7, the Act contained a number of elements that were relevant to children in out of home care: ‘Infant Life Protection’. Alice Mitchell, the famous Baby Farmer, was in breach of…

State Library of Western Australia

The State Library of Western Australia is the State’s main reference library. It has resources dedicated to the history of Western Australia and the people of the State.

Methodist Home for Children: reports and general correspondence (Volume 1 of 2)

Methodist Home for Children: reports and general correspondence (Volume 1 of 2) is an item within the main series of child welfare files for Western Australia. It contains many handwritten and typed Inspector’s Reports on the operation of the Methodist Homes for Children. The reports were written by Inspectors from the State Children Department and,…

Files – Child Welfare, State Records Office of Western Australia

‘Files – Child Welfare’ is a large series of files on administrative matters relating to the welfare of children in out of home care in Western Australia from 1917 to 1972. It contains files created by the State Children’s Department and the Child Welfare Department. Many records in this series directly relate to the administration…

Tuart Place

Tuart Place is a resource service for people who were in any type of out-of-home care during childhood, including foster care and children’s Homes. It is located in Fremantle, Western Australia and is open three days each week. Tuart Place has been set up to provide people who have been in out of home care…

Adoption Services, Child Protection and Family Support

Adoption Services is a section of Child Protection and Family Support within the Department of Communities. Its purpose is to ensure that people who are legally able to do so can gain access to adoption records. The publication ROADS – An index of locations and access to adoption records shows that the following types of…

Old Fairbridgians Association, Western Australia

The Old Fairbridgians Association (OFA) was established in the 1930s to provide aftercare assistance for young people leaving Fairbridge Farm at Pinjarra. The website of the OFA was re-badged as ‘fairbridgekids’. The website was developed for people who spent some of their childhood or youth at Fairbridge Farm. People were encouraged to ‘walk down memory…

Uniting Church (Synod of Western Australia) Archives, Records

The collection held by the Uniting Church Archives in Perth dates from around 1918 to the 1980s. The collection includes information about Children’s Homes run by the Methodist and Presbyterian churches and, after 1977, the Uniting Church. Most of the information in the collection is about fundraising for the Homes, or copies of newsletters. There…

School Journals [Burnbrae Glen School]

School Journals are the Head Teacher’s record of events and activities at Burnbrae Glen School. Children who were in ‘care’ at Burnbrae Presbyterian Children’s Home mostly went to the local school, so these journals may give useful information about memorable events in their daily life. Access Conditions These records are open and accessible to the…

Aboriginal Education and Employment Hostel

Aboriginal Education and Employment Hostels were operated by the Western Australian Department of Native Welfare from 1950 to 1972, and then came under the administration of the Department for Community Welfare and its successors. They were set up to provide accommodation for young Indigenous people who needed to come to the metropolitan area, or large…