Catholic Archdiocese of Perth CEMWA and CMC Files [Former Child Migrants], Catholic Archdiocese of Perth

The Archive of the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth holds around 1,000 files relating to Former Child Migrants. The collection includes files created by the Catholic Episcopal Migration and Welfare Association and the Catholic Migrant Centre. The files may include information from Malta, from Children’s Homes in Britain and the Catholic Homes to which children were sent in WA: Bindoon, Castledare, Clontarf, Nazareth House, St Joseph’s Girls’ Orphange, St Vincent’s Foundling Home, and Tardun. Family tracing information may also be included on the files.

Access Conditions

Access to these records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals. You are very welcome to enquire or to telephone for an appointment.

Records

The Archive of the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth holds around 1,000 files relating to Former Child Migrants. The collection includes:

• Files that originated from the Catholic Episcopal Migration and Welfare Association (CEMWA) which was the main ‘receiving agency’ for child migrants from Britain and Malta after World War II
• Files that originated from the Catholic Migrant Centre’s ‘Former Child Migrants’ program which was focused on locating records and family tracing in Britain and Malta.

The files may hold information relating to the personal histories of people who came as child migrants to Catholic institutions in Western Australia after World War II.

The type of information that may be held on a file includes:

• Correspondence about a child’s transfer from one institution to another
• Correspondence confirming financial subsidies and government allowances
• Immigration forms and information about the child’s family
• Letters from relatives or from former child migrants
• Birth and Baptismal certificates
• Information about medical procedures and hospitalizations while a child was in the institution
• Information about the child’s education
• Information about the young person’s work placements.

Many files have very little personal information. No new records have been added to this collection since December 2008, when the Catholic Migrant Centre program closed.