Please contact General Enquiries, National Archives of Australia:
Postal Address: PO Box 4924, Kingston, ACT 2604
Phone: (02) 6212 3600
Email: archives@naa.gov.au
Website: https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/ask-us-about-collection
Quote this number to access your records: National Archives of Australia Reference Number, A461, P349/1/5
These records are held by National Archives of Australia (1998 - current).
This file contains correspondence between the Prime Minister’s Department, the Commonwealth Immigration Office and the Premier’s Department, South Australia, relating to the scheme to introduce 6 000 British boys for farm work, 2 000 per year for three years, commencing in 1922. Quantity: 65 pages.
Open.
Under the Archives Act 1983, most Commonwealth records in the open access period are available for public access. The open access period is 20 years after the date of the creation of the record. Some records are subject to exemption for various reasons. Care leavers and other researchers need to apply for access to records if they are not already open. The National Archives website provides further information about access.
Two trial batches of 50 boys were sent a month apart, then monthly quotas as arranged. Boys were to be at least fifteen years of age before acceptance. Press statements, cables and letters reveal some early friction between the Prime Minister W M Hughes and Premier Henry Barwell, in the working out of the details of the scheme. Information is provided on financial arrangements between governments, the terms of agreement, loans and wages for the boys, conditions of their apprenticeship and the monthly requisitions. Although early shipments of boys were well received, there were complaints over the selection process when some proved to be below expectations.
This page was written by Karen George and Gary George, last updated 23 December 2024. Sources used to create this entry:
Title: Immigration encouragement - Correspondence with States - South Australia - Settlement of 6,000 boys
Type: Image
Date: 1920 - 1925