Orphanages, institutions and child migrants 

Orphanage and home records

Access to most records relating to orphanages and children’s homes is restricted. Records are generally held by the government or by the organisation which ran the institution. Early records of government run institutions are held in the relevant State archival repository. The State Library of Queensland holds a number of published resources that can assist family historians to locate the appropriate records and there are a number of websites that are also helpful.

Australia

Find and Connect is a first port of call. It provides up-to-date lists of support groups and services available to Forgotten Australians and former child migrants. There is an email enquiry form and practical help and advice about accessing records. This is an Australia-wide site but records are organized on a state basis.

Queensland

The locations of records of Queensland institutions are listed in:

Missing Pieces: information to assist former residents of children’s institutions to access records
It lists locations of records for government and non-government Queensland institutions. It provides brief details of the establishment and operation of each institution, the types and date ranges of records available, and contact details for access to the records. Find and Connect is more up-to-date.

SLQ holds the book in hard copy. Check One Search online catalogue for details. 

Index to registrar of Townsville Orphanage 1878-1943 [microfiche] (MFC 929.39436 1994)

See also

Queensland State Archives Brief Guide 28 Orphanages and Children's Homes
This guide includes links to catalogue records that provide access to digitised admissions registers for a number of the institutions.

For other States, check with the relevant State Archives or State Record Office.

New South Wales

State Records NSW Indexes online

Check the online indexes under Education and Child Welfare for:

• Orphans schools, 1817-86
• Mittagong Farm Home for Boys, 1907-21
• Randwick Asylum for destitute Children, 1852-1915

Sydney Benevolent Asylum – Index to admissions and discharges 1857-1900

SLQ holds the following indexes:

• NSW Orphan School Index 1817-1933 [microfiche] (MFC 929.3944 1944)
• Application for admission into the orphan schools : letters received 1825-1833;  Applications: children out of orphan schools, letters received, 1825-1833 / [NSW] Clergy and School Lands Corporation. [microfilm] (MFL 929.3944 1984 [AO reels 2776 and 2777]).

Victoria

Public Record Office Victoria
PROVguide 60: Education, Health and Welfare –Adoption, Wardship and Related Records
Records held include Ward of State registers, 1864-1965 and Child migration files, 1947-1971.  Access to many of the files is restricted.

SLQ holds:

• Childrens registers of state wards in the colony of Victoria: old series (admissions) 1864-1899 [microfiche] (MFC 365.4209945 1995)
• Index to children in Victorian institutions 1860-1863 /compiled by Helen Doxford Harris [microfiche](MFC 929.3945 1994)
• Index to children's registers, c.1850-1893 / compiled by Jenny Carter and Marion Paul [microfiche] (MFC 929.3945 1994).
• Infant life protection act / compiled by Helen D. Harris [microfiche] (MFC 613.0432 2001-)

Tasmania

Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office
Records include personal files of children who lived at the Northern Tasmanian Home for Boys (Glenara) 1921-1983. Access to files is restricted.

SLQ holds the following indexes:

• Children in Queen's Orphanage, Hobart Town, 1828-1863 / compiled by Joyce Purtscher (PAM 929.309946 1993)
• Infants at Queen's Orphanage Hobart 1851-1863 / Joyce Purtscher (PAM 929.3946 1993)
• Applications for Queen's Orphanage, Hobart Town 1858-1878 / compiled by Joyce Purtscher (PAM 929.39461 1993)
• Apprentices and absconders from Queen's Orphanage, Hobart Town, 1860-1883 / compiled by Joyce Purtscher (G 929.309946 1994)
• Juveniles requiring education in Van Diemen's Land c1821-1822 / compiled by Thelma McKay (PAM 929.3946 1994)
• More references for Tasmanian children in care 1826-1899 / compiled by Joyce Purtscher (FAMHIS 929.3946 1996)

Western Australia

State Records of Western Australia
Records include files relating to Maltese child migrants between 1952 and 1963 (Item 1952/1358). Access to the files is restricted.

Swanleigh admission and discharge records 1868 -1960 [microfiche] / compiled by Shirley Meek with assistance from Kay Frost and Ivy Beeson (MFC 362.732099412 1990)

South Australia

State Records of South Australia

Find your own way home / Karen George
A guide provided by South Australia Link-Up to “help people to access existing records of South Australian children's homes and institutions.”

Far from a low gutter girl: the forgotten world of state wards: South Australia 1887-1940 / Margaret Barbalet (G 362.73 1983).  Case studies of state wards.

Child migrants

From 1900-1960 state governments and charitable institutions operated a number of schemes to bring child migrants to Australia. Many of the children were orphans but large numbers were illegitimate and had at least one parent living. The Federal Government provided support for these schemes but most records that name individual migrants are located in State government archives or in the archives of the relevant charitable institutions. 

National Archives of Australia Fact sheet on child migration (No. 124) provides background information and a list of the personal documents on child migrants held in the NAA collection.

The United Kingdom. Department of Health provides advice for former British child migrants and maintains an index of basic information on individual child migrants compiled from the surviving records. Use the search engine to locate information.

PHIND The Personal History INDex is a confidential index to personal, migration, residence, and other records of individual child migrants sent from Britain and Malta to Catholic Homes in Western Australia between 1938 and 1965. Only former child migrants or their representatives may access the index.

Child Migrants: Accessing records held by Commonwealth and State Archives / Council of Australasian Archives and Records Auhtorities 

SLQ holds the following books published about British child migrants include:

• Orphans of the empire / Allan Gill (G 362.730994 1997)
• Child migration to Catholic institutions in Australia : objectives, policies, realities, 1926-1966 / B.M. Coldrey (G 325.94 1995)

Check One Search online catalogue for further titles.

Irish orphans

Information about Irish orphans shipped from the workhouses to Australia during the 1840s Famine may be found in:

• Barefoot and pregnant? Irish famine orphans in Australia: documents and register / compiled and introduced by Trevor McClaughlin. (FAMHIS 929.102594 1991-2001).  A database and images of some of these orphans may be viewed at The Australian Irish Famine Memorial 
• Unnamed Irish boys on convict ships, 1841-1843, sent to Queen's Orphanage, Hobart, Van Diemen's Land / Joyce Purtscher (PAM 929.3946 1993)
• Wages paid to orphans index, 1849-1851 / compiled by Aileen Trinder & Pat Stemp. [microfiche] (MFC 331.21086945 1996)

Info guide

Orphanages, institutions and child migrants: family history info guide   (PDF 89.7 KB)