The Infants’ Custody Act 1854 [1/1854 (18 Vic. No.1)] allowed mothers to claim custody of children under the age of seven who had been in the care of their fathers, upon the father’s death. It did not apply, though, to women who had ‘criminal conversation’, or adultery, findings against them. It was repealed by the…
The Infants’ Marriage Settlements Act 1856 [ 2/1856 (20 Vic. No.2)], was also known as ‘An Act to enable Infants, with the approbation of the Supreme Court in its Equitable Jurisdiction, to make binding settlements of their real and personal estate on marriage’. This Act allowed some young men and women who were minors, and…
The Apprenticeship Act 1844 [2/1844 (8 Vic. No.2)], also known as ‘An Act to regulate and amend the Law of Orphan and other Apprentices in the Colony of New South Wales’, increased penalties on child ‘apprentices’ who ‘absconded’, including prison terms. It also increased penalties on masters and employers who mistreated or abandoned children. This…
The Custody of Infants Act 1875 [23/1875 (39 Vic. No.16)] dealt with the ways Courts had to treat separation and custody arrangements between parents. It provided that the ‘next friend’ of a mother could petition the Supreme Court to allow a mother to have access or custody of her children. This Act was repealed by…
The Apprenticeship Act 1851 [2/1851 (15 Vic. No.2)], also known as ‘An Act to make further provision for the apprenticing of the Children in the Male and Female Orphan Schools and other poor Children’, amended the Apprenticeship Act 1844. It gave greater powers to supervisors of the Male and Female Orphan Schools. It gave them…
The Admissions Register of the Home of Hope for Friendless and Fallen Women (South Sydney Women’s Hospital) are two volumes of registers. The registers contain pre-printed forms requesting personal details of pregnant women who were admitted. Details on the firms include the mother’s medical history, current circumstances, and additional notes relating to outcomes after the…
The Apprenticeship Act 1828, also known as ‘An Act for enabling persons holding certain Public Offices in New South Wales to take Apprentices to serve under them and their Successors in Office and for regulating all matters relating to Masters and Apprentices’, [98/1828 (9 Geo. IV No.8)] allowed apprentices to be bound, as well as…
The Deserted Wives and Children Act 1840 [10/1840 (4 Vic. No.5)] was created to protect women and children who had been ‘deserted’ by their husbands or fathers, and left without financial support. It included ‘illegitimate’ as well as legitimate children in its terms, so long as proving paternity didn’t rest only on the mother’s oath….
Surry Hills Children’s Court, in Glebe, holds some records of the Bidura Children’s Court and the former Metropolitan Children’s Court. These records were previously held by Bidura Children’s Court until its closure in 2017, when they were transferred to Surry Hills Children’s Court. Surry Hills Children’s Court continues to operate and holds records for the…
The Liverpool State Hospital and Home was formerly the Liverpool Asylum for the Infirm and Destitute. It was a hospital and home that was for adults and young people in need of support, including people with disabilities. It was run by the New South Wales Government and operated from 1933 until 1962.
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
