Useful Links

This publication lists all known centres and Homes run by organisations of the Catholic Church across Australia and outlines what you need to do to obtain information from your records, if they still exist.

Find and Connect ACT has information and where you can find personal records and files on ACT's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

Find and Connect NSW has information and where you can find personal records and files on NSW 's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

Find and Connect NT has information and where you can find personal records and files on NT 's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

Find and Connect QLD has information and where you can find personal records and files on QLD's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

Find & Connect Australia is a website for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants, and for everyone with an interest in the history of out-of-home 'care' in Australia.

Find & Connect Australia, brings together historical resources relating to institutional 'care' at the national level in Australia. You can use Find & Connect Australia to find information, including documents and images, about:
- policies
- public figures, and
- legislation

Find & Connect Australia is also the overarching website for the other State and Territory websites.

You can use Find & Connect Australia to search across all of the national, state and territory websites.

You can also access the individual State and Territory websites from the Home page. Child welfare was and remains largely under the administration of the state and territory governments, and this is why individual Find and Connect websites have been developed for all Australian jurisdictions.

Find and Connect SA has information and where you can find personal records and files on SA's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

Find and Connect TAS has information and where you can find personal records and files on TAS's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

Find and Connect Victoria has information and where you can find personal records and files on Victoria's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

Find and Connect WA has information and where you can find personal records and files on WA's orphanages, children's Homes and other institutions.

This guide is published by SA Link-Up 'to provide a resource for Aboriginal people seeking personal records'. However, it is also described in the Introduction as 'a research guide to existing records of South Australian children's homes and institutions, both government and non-government'. So it is in effect a guide for all, whether white or black, to available records of orphanages and Children's Homes in South Australia.

This publication is designed to help people separated from their families to search for their records. It covers both state and non-government Homes and past services. You can consult the guide in your local library or your local NSW Community office, or access it through the link above.

The Queensland Department of Families is committed to providing former residents with information about themselves. "Missing Pieces" is one of the strategies in place to meet this commitment. This publication is designed to assist former residents by providing information about the records of institutions that have been located to this date.

A guide to some of the Homes in the South Island of New Zealand, with information on the location of records.

"Signposts" aims to help adult care leavers who were placed in residential, out of home care as children - or who have lived in Supported Accommodation as a young person - find records and other documents related to their time in those facilities. The publication contains information and contact details for more than 200 facilities that provided some sort of residential, out-of-home care in Western Australia from 1920, and sometimes even earlier, as well as the history of institutions, where known.

Go to this website for information about The Commission of Inquiry (Children in State Care) which was set up in South Australia in November 2004 to inquire into allegations of sexual abuse of children who were in state care, and into allegations of criminal misconduct that resulted in the death of a child in state care. This inquiry is still taking evidence. The Commissioner, Hon. Ted Mullighan, is prepared to listen to all stories, so if you were raised in a South Australian orphanage, Children's Home or in foster care, please contact the Commission and tell them your story. You can ring on a national toll free number - 1800 258 668.

Go to this link for information about the 2001 Senate Inquiry into Child Migration, and to read submissions to the Inquiry, as well as its report, "Lost Innocents Righting the Record".

"Forgotten Australians", the report from this groundbreaking inquiry, was released in August 2004. It contains 39 recommendations for reparation and redress for Australians who grew up in institutional care. The Federal government has not yet responded to the report. A second report by the committee, dealing with children in out of home care today and called "Protecting Vulnerable Children", was released in March 2005, and is also still awaiting response from the government.

This is the website for the inquiry conducted recently by the Tasmanian Ombudsman's office, and now completed. Go to the link above to read its report.

The Child Migrants Trust, a registered charity in both Australia and Britain, provides a range of social work services, including counselling and support for family reunions. The Trust's offices in Nottingham, UK as well as Perth and Melbourne in Australia also offer information, advice and family research to former child migrants and their families.

Contact:

Australia:

Melbourne
Child Migrants Trust Inc.
169 Riversdale Road
Hawthorn
Melbourne
Victoria 3122

Tel: (03) 9815 2022
Fax: (03) 9027 0910
International: +613 9815 2022

Perth
Child Migrants Trust Inc.
8 Sunbury Road
Victoria Park
Perth
Western Australia 6100

Tel: (08) 9472 7582
Fax: (08) 9472 7549
International: +618 9472 7582

UK:

Child Migrants Trust
28a Musters Road
West Bridgford
Nottingham, U.K.
NG2 7PL

Tel: (0115) 982 2811
Fax: (0115) 981 7168
International: +44 115 9822811

"Lost in Care" - the 2000 Report of the tribunal of inquiry into the abuse of children in care in the former county council areas of Gwynedd and Clwyd since 1974. You can read this online or print it out but you can't download it.

Infoxchange Australia is a not-for-profit community organisation based in Melbourne, Victoria with a mission to create social equality and opportunity by empowering people through access to information technology and enabling the exchange of information and ideas.

The following link will take you to the relevant information on the Department of Health and Ageing website for information on improving aged care for Care Leavers.

This information includes the latest newsletter describing the project, opportunities to participate in the focus groups, and access to a registration form.

The Commission provides legal assistance through two programs - the Access Services Program and the Representation Program. Within the Access Services Program, staff provide advice, minor assistance, community legal education and publications, including the Law Handbook Online. The Representation Program is commonly called Legal Aid. When services beyond advice and minor assistance are required, people must apply for Legal Aid. The Commission has several offices, go to their website for contact details.

MensLine Australia aims to:

•provide a national 24 hour telephone counselling referral service for men and families with relationship concerns that is highly visible, accessible and respected and provides prompt, safe, anonymous and respectful support to callers
•raise awareness in the community and influence policy and service developments by providing dynamic, relevant and credible research and information about the aspirations, concerns and difficulties men face in their personal relationships
•facilitate personal, interpersonal and cultural change through consultancy, education and training for men, women, families, work places and the community.

NCPC is an information, advisory and research unit focused on child abuse prevention, child protection and out-of-home care

Provides information about the Parramatta Girls Home, Hay Institution for Girls, Roman Catholic Orphanage, Female Factory, Parramatta Gaol, and Parramatta Asylum; history,archives,photos,stories,research,pictures and contact register.

Public Record Office Victoria holds records created by Victorian government departments and authorities, the State’s courts, municipalities, schools, public hospitals and other public offices.

The records date from the establishment of the Port Phillip District in the mid 1830s and include information relating to areas of activity managed or regulated by government such as the administration of justice, immigration, health and welfare, land, education, Indigenous communities, planning, transport, and resource management

Catholic Social Services Australia advances the social service ministry which is integral to the Mission of the Catholic Church in Australia

Contact them for any records from the following homes: St Joseph's Baby Home, Glenroy; St Augustine's Boys' Home, Geelong; St Vincent's Boys Home, South Melbourne; St Catherine's Home, Geelong; and St Vincent de Paul Home, Black Rock.

The Tasmanian government has no published guide to records for people who grew up in Tasmanian institutions or in state care.

The United Protestant Association conducted 13 Children's Homes in New South Wales for several decades from 1938.  Contact UPA if you were in one of their Homes, and would like to access the record of your time there, or  require other assistance. 

If the link given doesn't work, go to the UPA website at http://www.upa.org.au and click on the Services tab. Then click on the 'Child Care' link and it will take you to the right page.  As they say,  'UPA is committed to offering a just and compassionate response to all former children-in-care who make contact with us'.

The Victorian government has no guide to records as yet, but are working on publishing one.

If you once lived in a  Wesley Dalmar Home in NSW, they may still have records of your time in their care, and they have an After Care worker to help you. If you would like to access your file, click on this link to find out how. 

ANGLICARE is the urban mission and community care arm of the Sydney Anglican Church. As one of Australia’s largest Christian care organisations, ANGLICARE aims to help people.
 

CBERS Consultancy was established as a part-time service in January 2006, and carries forward the some of the counselling and advocacy roles formerly provided by CBERS Services in Subiaco.

The service is funded exclusively by the Christian Brothers, and is "functionally independent from the Congregation of Christian Brothers, but financially accountable to it".

CBERS Consultancy also provides counselling services to former residents of Sisters of Mercy and Sisters of Nazareth childcare institutions, through funding provided by these Orders.

This site has been set up by a CLAN member to offer support to other Bexley boys, and to share photos and memories.

A website "dedicated to those boys who were in Blackheath Boys Home Oxley from 1927 to 1963"

A website dedicated to stories, photos and services for British Child Migrants.

An informative website covering all the schemes that sent children to Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc, we are also building a comprehensive database on the website of all children sent overseas by the various organisations from the 1860s onwards.

A blog website by ex-Clontarf member Michael, dedicated to the history and his time in Clontarf as a young boy.

Also known as Lynwood Hall, Lyndwood Hall. Click on the link to launch the website for the Hall, once a residential Home for girls operated by the NSW Department of Child Welfare, now a Heritage listed building.

They have been referred to as Malta's forgotten children. Over three hundred of them sent unaccompanied to Western Australia during the 1950`s and 60`s. They were sent from the perceived dismal life prospects in Malta to an expected wealth of opportunities down under. The media went in a frenzy unearthing sad stories of child abuse. Governments and institutions initially scrambled for cover then finally put their hands up, became contrite and offered compensation.

But one group of children was seemingly left out of all of this activity and attention – the Maltese. All investigations, discussion and exposure focus on the British and Irish child migrant. The Maltese former child migrant stood in the shadow of the British and the Irish organisations, relying on them to gain some closure to their unfinished business.

That has now changed. They are no longer content to sit on the bench. They formed their own team, determined to play their own game and equally determined to gain their own results.

This site is designed to keep you informed of reunions organised for past residents of Monte Pio, and provide the reader with some information about Monte Pio.

Paddy Doyle was born in County Wexford, Ireland in 1951 and now lives in County Dublin.

He is recognized as one or Ireland’s leading disability activists and has served as member of the government-appointed Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities.

Paddy has recently been appointed by the Government as a member or the Memorial Committee to Survivors of Child Abuse. His appointment follows a recommendation of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, that a memorial be established to the memory of children who were abused, physically, sexually, psychologically and emotionally while in the care of Religious Orders.

Created and run by CLAN members to get in touch with other people who were in the Renwick boys/girls home, as ther are a lot of people that went to Renwick Boys home from 1906 to 1984 (Farm Home for Boys at Mittagong)

This site is dedicated to all of the people who passed through the doors of Aberlour Orphanage in Scotland (UK)

Established in 2006, the Alliance for Forgotten Australians (AFA) is a national group of organisations and individuals from across Australia that promotes the interests of the estimated 500,000 people who experienced institutional or other out-of-home care as children in the last century and who suffered physical, emotional and/or sexual abuse. 

AFA is commited to:

• obtaining adequate acknowledgemnt, accountablity and redress for past wrongs
• achieving the full implementation of the recommendations of the Senate Report, overseen by a National Watch Committee
• supporing current efforts to highlight child protection issues, including those relating to Indigenous people and child migrants.

ASCA (Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse) is a national Australian organisation - the voice of survivors, campaigning for the recognition of the life impact of childhood abuse. ASCA aims to educate and advocate for healing and personal growth, and offers many individual and group services for adult survivors of abuse (women and men), their families and the community. Contact numbers are: Info/Support line 1300 657 380 Head office 02 4965 7126; Fax 02 4965 7359

This is a non-denominational support group for people who have been abused sexually, physically or emotionally in religious institutions. These institutions include parishes, church schools, church youth clubs and church-affiliated Children's Homes. The offenders may be priests, ministers, religious brothers, church-school teachers, lay officials or other church personnel. Broken Rites offers support and advocacy for victims throughout the justice process. It operates throughout Australia, with a network of contacts in all states. Broken Rites is non-profit and unfunded, relying on donations.

The CLA is a user led charity run by Care Leavers for Care Leavers from the UK. They aim to bring together the voices of Care Leavers of all ages so that we improve the current care system, improve the quality of life of care leavers throughout their life and change for the better society’s perception of people who have been in care

The page provides a forum for information about clergy sexual abuse, and society's, the Church's and the victims' responses to it. Some abuse in a church context is not perpetrated by clergy, however, but by religious or by lay people.

The Cornwall Care Leavers is a support group and charity for care leavers in Cornwall, UK. Cornwall Care Leavers are acutely aware of the tragic deportation of many orphaned children from Cornwall to Australia and would like to forge friendship links between Australian and Cornish care leavers both old and new.

The CCL website provides information on entitlements of Care Leavers in Cornwall including advice on issues such as accommodation, financial support, health and other matters.

The Friends of the Orphan School and St John's Park Precinct (FOSP) was formed in December 2007 under the umbrella of the National Trust in Tasmania, to highlight the importance of this significant heritage site and ensure its preservation and conservation.

The group aims to:
* Raise awareness of the historical, architectural, social, cultural and archaeological significance of the precinct and the need for conservation
* Conduct and support research into the history and heritage significance of the site
* Encourage the development of a Conservation Management Plan
* Successfully list the precinct on the National Heritage Register as a place of "outstanding heritage value to the Nation."
 

This is a website set up for all girls and boys who were in the homes run by the Good Shepherd nuns in Australia. Abbotsford, Oakleigh, Albert Park, Ashfield, St Aidans etc.

This is a private site established and funded by Sandi Gamble (Beverley Forster) for all Good Shepherd girls.

Sandi was at St Aidans Bendigo (Maryfield) in the 60s and 70s. Girls/boys (ex-Good Shepherd) who wish to be a member nominate themselves.

They look forward to making contact with many of the girls as they have fond memories of the girls they grew up with. And, they have enjoyed renewing friendships and seeing the courage of the Good Shepherd girls since the website was established.

The Historical Abuse Network is a Queensland site for people who have experienced abuse in institutions, in foster care and detention. Its aims are :

• to maintain a voice so as to continue dialogue regarding the recommendations from the Queensland Government's Forde Inquiry
• to share and disseminate information
• to support each other
• to reconnect and create support groups for ex-residents of each institution and former children in care as required
• to promote affirmative action and ensure recognition of the continued discrimination and disadvantage of ex-residents and former children in care.

Lotus Place is the nation’s first dedicated Forgotten Australians support service and drop in centre.

National Society for Children and Family Contact (NSCFC) is a registered charity which believes that continuing contact with a child’s parents or extended family after separation or divorce is vital for the child’s balanced development and it works tirelessly to foster those all-important family contacts. As such we offer free support and advice to all those in need. Helpline at National rate on UK 0870 794 0075 or at www.nsfc.com

This  site has a special section on setting out the reports of those who have been in both state and church care. It will focus on alleged miscarriages of justice in South Australia. The media monitoring section contains transcripts of a wide range of programs which have been broadcast over the last three years.

Now-Remembered Australians is a peer support organisation for "state care" system leavers in the Northern Rivers Area of NSW.

This new service co-ordinates and provides direct assistance to address the needs and issues of people who grew up in Victorian State care, helps people deal with the legacy of their childhood experiences and provides support to improve their health and wellbeing. It is a service which is accessible, welcoming, open to ideas and to learning, accountable, inclusive and proactive.

The team works in collaboration with service users to deliver high quality, caring services for ‘Forgotten Australians' and their families. The service provides day to day support, life skills, records search and release, support groups, family reunions, counselling, peer support, support in accessing specialist services, financial assistance and advocacy.

The multi-disciplinary team of creative, flexible, professional practitioners are committed to the principles of the service:

* Showing humility and courage
* Being respectful and strengths oriented
* Committed to flexibility and integration
* Demonstrating accountability
* Working together and being inclusive
* Honoring diversity and being culturally sensitive
 

This is a support group for adoption support and provides support and information to people separated by adoption and regular support meetings where mothers have the freedom to speak and be heard in a safe place.

RESPOND SA Adult Childhood Sexual Abuse Service

Respond SA, Adult Childhood Sexual Abuse Service is a free, confidential and professional statewide service for people aged 16 years and over who have been subjected to childhood sexual abuse. Support is also available for significant others such as family members of survivors. Respond SA is funded by the government of South Australia, and is a service provided by Relationships Australia, SA.

Provides support to survivors of institutional abuse in Ireland.  Includes educational re-training and other support programs, such as: The National Counseling Service, Family Tracing, Social Welfare, Repatriation and Social Housing Scheme and Pensions.

A UK organisation which supports siblings who are separated by care.

Survivors Australia is a not-for-profit with the mission of creating awareness in the community for survivors of childhood abuse, providing a portal of useful information assisting survivors in their recovery journey, recovery and support services for survivors, and prevention programmes for children.

Wattle Place is a service for Forgotten Australians funded by the NSW state government. People who were in care in NSW up to the 1990’s can access the service, no matter where they live now.

The main things the service can help with is paid through brokerage funding, which covers the following:

Counselling in addition to sessions available through Medicare

Dental Treatment when services in the public health system aren’t available quickly enough

Medical and Psychological Reports when they can’t be funded through Medicare or Mental Health Services

Victim Impact Statements where assistance can’t be provided through Legal Aid

Books and Materials needed for literacy and numeracy courses, or vocational and recreational training

One-off accommodation establishment costs for those who have been homeless or in detention

Assistance with things to help obtain work such as uniforms, extra training, fares to attend job interviews

Travel to attend family reunions

Lifeskills Workshops and Activities including referrals to personal development programs

If you want to find out more about the service or how to access these things, ring 1800 663 844.

Then if you decide to register with the service, one of the workers will talk with you about what you need and how the service might be able to help you and/or your immediate family.