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Western Australia - Event

Inquiry into the Welfare of Former British Child Migrants (1997 - 1998)

House of Commons Health Committee, Parliament of the United Kingdom

From
July 1997
To
23 July 1998

An Inquiry into the Welfare of Former British Child Migrants was undertaken by the Parliament of the United Kingdom's House of Commons Health Committee in 1997-98. In relation to Australia, the Inquiry was most interested in the fate of children who were sent from Britain in the twentieth century.

Details

The inquiry and its report (known as 'Health Committee - Third Report' 1998) focused on:

  • The experiences of people who had been sent to Australia as child migrants
  • The role of the 'sending' agencies at the time of sending and at the time of the inquiry
  • The role of 'receiving' agencies when they 'cared' for the children, and at the time of the inquiry
  • The role of governments in child migration, and at the time of the inquiry
  • Records relating to the migration and placement of children
  • Access to records by former child migrants
  • Family separation, family tracing and reunion
  • The services and other support mechanisms available and necessary for former child migrants and their families of origin

During the Inquiry, members of the Committee visited Perth to hear 'evidence' in public sessions and meet with former child migrants privately.

One key outcome of this inquiry in Western Australia was the creation of the WA government's Former Child Migrants Referral Index. That index matches records for child migrants held in WA with records known to be held in the UK.

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CCWC Minutes of Evidence Document 3
Title
CCWC Minutes of Evidence Document 3
Type
Document
Date
11 June 1998
Source
House of Commons Health Committee, Parliament of the United Kingdom

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Health Committee, House of Commons, Health - Third Report, Parliament of the United Kingdom, 23 July 1998, https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmhealth/755/75502.htm.

Prepared by: Debra Rosser