Please contact the Library & Archives NT:
Email: ask@lant.nt.gov.au
Darwin Office:
Postal Address: GPO Box 874, Darwin NT 0801
Phone: (08) 8924 7677 or 1800 019 155
Alice Springs Office:
Postal Address: PO Box 8225, Alice Springs NT 0871
Phone: (08) 8951 566
Quote this number to access your records: Northern Territory Archives Service Series ID (NTRS), 3755
These records are held by Library & Archives NT (2019 - current).
Correspondence files, Welfare Branch is a large series of correspondence files on many different types of welfare related subjects. This series also includes many files on individuals assisted by the Welfare Branch, including children under the care of the Branch. The files relate to both Aboriginal and non Aboriginal children and families.
Most government records in the Northern Territory are open for research 30 years after the end of the year in which the records were created. Some records, however, are subject to restrictions due to their sensitive or confidential nature. This is the case with many records related to children under the care of the government. These records are restricted for 100 years from the date of their creation.
To apply for access to closed records, you will need to write to the Northern Territory Archives Service. The government agency responsible for the records you wish to access will then consider the granting of access. This is done on a case by case basis. Please contact the Archives for assistance and further information about how to apply for access to closed records. A number of Fact Sheets for researchers are also available on the Archives website.
The files in this series were indexed during 2011-2014. The kind of information collected in each index includes: client name (including aliases and nicknames), date of birth, birth parent names, names of foster and/or adoptive parents, sibling names, names and locations of other institutions (Northern Territory or interstate – non government or church organisation, and other state welfare institutions or hospitals), other file numbers or references, and whether there are photographs on file.
This series of correspondence files also includes information related to Government Receiving Homes and other institutions for children in the Northern Territory and interstate. The files also provide insights into welfare policies. Some of these types of files also contain the names and details of children.
The previous Series Number for these records was F941. It is currently NTRS 3755.