Access to these records is restricted. In New South Wales, records relating to individuals, such as case files and correspondence are closed to public access for 100 years. Records such as registers and indexes are closed to public access for 80 years.
Care Leavers wishing to access records about themselves will need to complete a Care Leaver Records Access Application Form (downloadable from the Care Leaver Records Access Unit website or available at a Community Services Centre). Completed application forms with proof of identity can be sent to the Care Leaver Records Access Unit, or lodged with a Community Services Centre. For further information please contact the Care Leaver Records Access Unit.
The following information was published in the Museums of History NSW (State Archives) catalogue, or was published in Connecting Kin. Some records at the State Archives have not been fully processed as of the time of writing (May 2023), and as such further information may not be available for all records.
State Ward 'B' Files (also referred to as Institutional or Substitute Care 'B' Files) are records relating to children and young persons up to eighteen years of age committed to the care of the Minister as State wards, and subsequently placed in departmental establishments, residential or foster care programs, or with non-government agencies. The information on each file varies, but comprises records such as court orders, reports on wards and foster Homes, correspondence, details about the child and their family situation, and requests for adoption.
If a ward was adopted, the State Ward 'B' File was discontinued. Otherwise, the State Ward file was discontinued when the young people turned 18.
Files dated 1954-1983 are in the State Archives collection. Later files are held by the Department of Family and Community Services. In 1998 it was reported in Connecting Kin that State Ward 'B' files were created from 1936, but that many had been destroyed. If files dated between 1936 and 1954 are not held by State Archives or the Department, it is likely that they were destroyed.
State Archives holds four separate series of Departmental State Ward 'B' Files, as follows:
In addition to these series, State Archives NSW holds several other series of Institutional 'B' Files directly relating to state-run youth justice and training institutions, dated 1959-1985. These can be found by searching the institution name in the State Archives catalogue, or listed on the Find and Connect records pages for those institutions.
Family Casework ('C') Files relate to the Department's case work with children, young people and families. Although the information in each file varies, they generally contain records such as case worker reports, information about family backgrounds and situations, information about child placements in departmental institutions or foster homes, correspondence, information about name changes and requests for adoption.
If a child or young person was reunited with their family, adopted, or married (by applying to the courts) the File was discontinued. Otherwise, the File was discontinued when the young person turned 18.
Files dated 1965-1967 are in the State Archives collection. Later files are held by the Department of Family and Community Services.
Foster Parent ('W') Files relate to applications made by prospective foster parents to care for state wards. Files dated 1941-1979 are in the State Archives collection. Later files are held by the Department of Family and Community Services.
No further detail about these records has been published in the State Archives catalogue. However, these records are open to the public and can be ordered from State Archives.
No further detail about these records has been published in the State Archives catalogue.
These files relate to the application for and operation of private remand homes. These files are only a sample of those originally created for this purpose, the rest having been destroyed.
No further detail about these records has been published in the State Archives catalogue.
These records are weekly reports received by the Department from State-run children's Homes and institutions. They contain information about children who have received punishment whilst in State care, including the child's name and age, the reason they received punishment (listed as 'offence'), and details about the punishment received (e.g. corporal punishment, extra duties, or deprivations).
The following records were unprocessed by State Archives at the time of writing (May 2023), and as such no further detail about them has been published in the State Archives catalogue. Access to these records is restricted to protect personal privacy, and requests for these records should be made to the Care Leaver Records Access Unit. Access approval for these records may take longer than for processed records.
We do not currently have any records linked to this organisation, but records may exist. The Find & Connect Support Service can help people who lived in orphanages and children's institutions look for their records.
We do not currently have any photographs linked to this entry. If you know of any additional photographs, please contact us.
The Find & Connect Support Service can help people who lived in orphanages and children's institutions look for their records.
Last updated:
26 July 2023
Cite this: http://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/nsw/NE00930
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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