An orphan is a child whose mother or father or both has died. Historically, in the context of institutional ‘care’, the term ‘orphan’ did not necessarily mean a child whose parents had died. It was most often used to describe a child whose parent/s were (or were judged to be) unable, for many different reasons,…
The Wattle Day Appeal was an annual fundraising event, used to raise funds for children’s institutions and other charitable organisations. The annual Wattle Day Appeal began in 1910, with Wattle Day events held in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Over the next few years, Wattle Day events were also held in Queensland and…
The Aborigines Welfare Ordinance 1954 (Act no. 8/1954) was Commonwealth legislation, established to ‘provide for the welfare and control of Aborigines, particularly those at the Wreck Bay reserve’ (Jervis Bay Territory). The 1954 Ordinance followed the lines of the New South Wales Aborigines Protection Acts, 1909-1943 and was approved by the Aborigines Welfare Board of…
The Juvenile Offenders Ordinance 1941 (Act no. 11/1941) was Commonwealth legislation that allowed for children from the ACT to be placed in NSW institutions. It provided that a court in the ACT may commit a person under the age of eighteen to a NSW institution, in accordance with the Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Act…
The Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Ordinance 1949 (Act no. 9/1949) was Commonwealth legislation, which amended the definition of ‘neglected child’ in the Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Act 1905 (NSW). It commenced on 29 September 1949 and was repealed by the Child Welfare Ordinance 1957 on 1 March 1958. The NSW child welfare legislation…
The Adoption of Children Ordinance 1938 (Act no. 2/1938) was Commonwealth legislation that regulated adoption of children in the ACT for the first time. This Ordinance was repealed by the Adoption of Children Act 1965, commencing on 18 October 1966. Under the Adoption of Children Ordinance 1938, adoption required the consent of the child’s parent…
This is a copy of 2 images that were published in an article in the New Dawn in March 1973. The top image has the following caption: ‘The children sleep in these units at the back of the main building of OPAL’s Joyce Wilding Home at Brisbane. “Uncle” Wally Sheppard, matron’s husband, can be seen…
This is a copy of an image of a group of children on the beach which illustrated an article in the Church Chronicle, 1 November 1966, p.4. The article was about the annual seaside holiday camp organised by the One People of Australia League (OPAL) for children from around Australia.
This is an image of the house ‘Glenugie’, also known as Archibald Hosue, published in the Brisbane Courier pictorial news section on 10 July, 1930. The caption reads “The family of the late Mr. John Archibald, as beneficiaries under his will, have made available to the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, for joint use as a…
This photograph comes from the Betty McKenzie Collection at the Queensland Museum and is published on The Cherbourg Memory website.
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