Indexes to letters received - Destitute Poor Department, Destitute Persons' Department and Children's Welfare and Public Relief Department (1867 - 1955)

Access Conditions

A Research Centre Members card, obtainable at the Archives, is required to research records held at State Records.

Although some very early records relating to children in care in South Australia are open for access, most records relating to children are subject to a 100 year restriction, particularly those which contain personal information about individuals. Written permission must be obtained from the government agency which created the record in order to access restricted material. To obtain permission a Freedom of Information (FOI) request form must be submitted to the relevant government department. State Records staff will be able to assist you with this.

Records

The indexes include name of writer, number of file, date of letter, date of receipt of letter and subject of letter i.e.. "W. Holmes, 137, 7/3/1900, 9/3/1900, Maintenance of E.M. Howell's child; Remittance on account of".

The indexes contain some references to destitute people who have NOT been admitted to the Destitute Asylum, the so called 'town cases'. As the Town Cases Registers are now missing, and as much of Destitute Board correspondence prior to 1921 is also missing, these indexes may be the only trace left of such people.

These volumes do not index the State Children's Department files, but there are many references to the maintenance of children, and to letters from the State Children's Department regarding children.

7 volumes.

With gaps 1873-1878.