Children's Overseas Reception Board Files comprises client files of children evacuated to Australia from the United Kingdom during World War Two and a few files relating to the administration of the scheme. Upon arrival in Victoria the children were boarded out with families. The Children's Welfare Department oversaw the welfare of the children from when they arrived in Australia.
Access to these files is restricted (the Department calls them 'closed' files) to protect the privacy of individuals. Care leavers and their families can contact the Care Leaver Records Service, Freedom of Information Unit, Department of Health and Human Services to access records about their time in 'care'.
Most of the files comprise case documentation including:
The case files appear to have been initially arranged in numerical order by a UK Childrens Overseas Reception Board (C.O.R.B.) client number. Some files relate to individual children while others document the arrangements for several children from a single family. In 1997 the files were re-arranged alphabetically by client surname and listed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Custodians' family names were recorded during this process.
Prepared by: Rosemary Francis
Created: 20 October 2011, Last modified: 10 August 2021
Last updated: 7 August 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/vic/biogs/E000713b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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