The Adoption of Children Act 1928, ‘An Act to make provision for the Adoption of infants’ (No.3605) became law in July 1929 and the first legal adoption in Victoria was registered in October of that year. Before that time unofficial, de facto adoptions, which were not recognised in law, were sometimes arranged by both Government and non-government organisations, as well as by individuals. The 1928 Act for the first time provided for the transfer of parental rights, duties, obligations and liabilities to adoptive parents and offered secrecy, safety and stability to the child and the adoptive parents.
This Act came into operation on 1 June 1929. It was repealed by the Adoption of Children Act 1958 No. 6192 on 1 April 1959.
It was amended by Act No. 3807 1928; Act No. 3816 1929; Act No. 4191 1933; Act No. 4381 1936: Act No. 4903 1942; Act No. 5666 1953; Act No. 5851 1954; Act No. 5865 1955.