Please contact a Librarian at Reader Services, National Library of Australia:
Postal address: National Library of Australia, Canberra ACT 2600
Phone: (02) 6262 1266
Quote this number to access your records: National Library of Australia Bib ID, 4707359
These records are held by National Library of Australia (1960 - current).
The ‘Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project’ was established in 2009 after the National Apology to people who had been in out of home care as children, including people who lived in foster care as children. It is a collection of audio interviews. The project sought to embrace the complexity of the ‘care’ sector across Australia. The interviews with people who were in care as children encompass experiences from their childhood and throughout their life, and demonstrate the diversity of their experiences and life outcomes. The interviews record the impact of experiences of being in care in Australia from the 1920s onwards and relate to over 140 different institutions across Australia. Advocates for ‘care leavers’, staff and religious personnel of children’s homes, administrators of out of home care systems, politicians, lawyers and family members are also included in this collection of interviews.
Access conditions vary. The digital master is held in the National Library of Australia, Oral History and Folklore collection, and a selection of the audio recordings are available online. For access to restricted records please contact the National Library of Australia.
The Collection consists of more than 200 interviews with people from many different backgrounds and experiences which took place between 2009 and 2012. They include interviews with people who were in care as well as with other associated with child welfare, such as welfare officers and institutional staff.
