Hunter Living Histories

On Wednesday 22 May 2019 I attended a workshop at the University of Melbourne convened by the Find & Connect team.

The Find & Connect site was established to bring together historical resources relating to institutional ‘care’ in Australia, so that care leavers could get help locating information and locate records relating to their childhoods in care, as well as connect with support groups and services in their state/territory.

The aim of the workshop being to bring all successful applicants of Find & Connect’s Records Access Documentation (RAD) Grants funding program for a round table discussion, and provide status updates on progress of the projects.

Importance of records to people who were in out of home care.

Greg Baker, a Care Leaver representative spoke about the importance of access to records for people who were in out of home care. He described records as:

“the fabric of our personal lives” and that

“they help us to make sense of our worlds”.

He drove home how crucial this was through a photograph of his childhood football team, (see page 5 of his powerpoint slides below) and pointed out that besides himself and one other person, the rest had all taken their lives.

He said that he had harbored the guilt of believing that it was his bad behaviour as a child that was responsible for both he and his brother being placed into institutional care. He only discovered decades later, that his mum had placed both her sons in care, as she had to work in Sydney, and that once she became unable to do so, the Institution made both he and his brother wards of the State in order to continue the payments. Unfortunately nobody sought to inform the children. Access to records helped him understand what had happened to him, and his brother, and helped put the pieces of his childhood together.

He also brought a file of photocopied materials, that he said had taken two years to put together. I responded that the reason it took that long was because someone (an professional archivist) would have had to go through every file searching for any mention of him, and copying as they went. That it had taken so long was a good thing, as it meant that they presumably did a thorough job; if it had taken two weeks, I would have been suspicious that they may have missed something. He responded by saying “why do you have access to this stuff, and I don’t?” Good question. The reason being the nature of the records themselves. In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, we can’t supply personal information relating to individuals to third parties, and when you have records that are all mixed up with personal information mixed with routine and mundane, it is impossible to have someone sit there looking for information on themselves without accessing the personal information of others. Hence the need for a professional intermediary to the conduct the searches.

In our Hunter Region example, these Anglican Diocese Children’s Homes files have always been closed to public access, and generally the only access has been mediated through the Samaritans (the successor organisation to the Children’s Homes) who organise searches through the records to be made, through the custodians at the University of Newcastle Archives (Cultural Collections), and at the request of the former child residents (care leavers), who approach them. These searches have generally been very time consuming, and since 2014 we have been digitising and indexing all our records relating to Children’s Homes with little to no funding, in order to speed up the process as best as we can.

Greg Baker – Accessing records, what they mean to me and the importance of them. (Slides of Powerpoint Presentation)

Greg Baker’s Speech Notes to Presentation

To gain further insight into the importance of access to records for care leavers, please watch and listen to this presentation from Frank Golding. Recorded on 20th October 2016 at Session 10: Towards a National Summit. Setting the Records Straight for the Rights of the Child from the Australian Society of Archivists 2016 Forging Links Conference, Parramatta.

Addressing the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recordkeeping recommendations – summary and update

Alison McNulty from the Public Record Office Victoria outlined PROV’s recommendations to the Royal Commission. Good recordkeeping = good evidence. proper recordkeeping will establish what happened and the context in which it happened in. As part of assessing risk, they asked the question: what records would need to be created in high risk scenarios? If an incident came into a court of law, what records would be needed to prove the incident, and what other records do we need to create in order to prove beyond a reasonable doubt? It was also interesting to see that they marked their closed for public access period from the last file created, whereas we would err on a more precise delineation of the records from point of creation.

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Recordkeeping recommendations and PROV Actions
RCIIRCSA-PROV-20190521 (Powerpoint Display)

Access to Records by Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants: Access Principles for Records Holders, Best Practice Guidelines in providing access to records.

Barbara Reed from Recordkeeping innovation said that there had been a real change in attitudes over the years. Past attitudes to adoption records was that they needed to be destroyed, as something that was needed to be left behind. All from from the point of view of the institution and the mothers. Now the attention has turned to the children, the care leavers.

And after a number of Royal Commissions what is it that care leavers want?

Give Us Access To The Records!

Care leavers want to know their identity;

Who am I? Why and how was I put into care? Where is my family? Where were they? What were they doing?

Family is really important.

So the defining principles are to secure maximum access to records containing all the information about them and their childhoods; identify the context; the ability to annotate the record with their point of view or side of the story; and finally express access to their records.

In return they have received redacted documents, in some cases, hundreds and hundreds of pages of blacked out text. How can a story be told with all the relative characters expunged? It would be like trying to understand the story of Othello, of all the information relating to other characters was redacted from the play. How would you understand the story then? We are but characters in our own plays, and so why not explain why the text was redacted? Or perhaps redraft the principles of the redacting to include others that were part of the shared story? Let out as much as you can.

Introduction to Principles, Guidelines and Report Find and Connect May 2019 (Powerpoint Display)

 

Access to Information for Care Leavers in the Anglican Children’s Homes of the Hunter Region

The University of Newcastle’s Cultural Collections (Archives) holds the holds the archival records of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle including those of the children’s homes. The Children’s homes records are closed to general public access.

If you are a care leaver wishing to access information please contact the Samaritans.

https://www.samaritans.org.au/

36 Warabrook Boulevard, Warabrook NSW 2304
PO Box 366, Hunter Region Mail Centre, NSW 2310

P 02 4960 7100 (Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm)
P 1300 656 336 (local call cost)
E mail@samaritans.org.au
F 02 4960 7160

The Samaritans Foundation, Diocese of Newcastle is the successor to the former administrations of the children’s homes, and therefore requests for information from those  files relating to the former homes operated by the Diocese should in the first instance be directed to the Director of the Foundation.

With regard to requests for information on individuals held in the collections we are prevented by law from providing access to personal information to third parties and have always acted through the Samaritans in processing such requests from the individuals concerned.

The process that we have followed here is that upon notification by mail from the Director of the Samaritans we conduct a search into the files regarding the individual and the results sent to the Samaritans to provide to the individual(s) who requested the information.

Since 2014 The University of Newcastle Cultural Collections staff have been digitising all the Children’s Homes related records with the aim of speeding up the search time taken to locate information for care leavers.

We sincerely welcome the assistance that the Find & Connect’s Records Access Documentation (RAD) Grants funding program has provided to help in the task.

Thus far, (as at May 2019) we have 79 files that have been digitised, Optical Character Recognition-ed and indexed; 37 files that have been digtised, but not indexed; and 18 items yet to be digitised.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE CHILDREN’S HOMES

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – REGISTRAR:  Correspondence and Miscellanea:

A5266 (i) Children’s Homes correspondence, 1928 – 1930.

A5266 (ii) Applications for employment in Children’s Homes, 1957 – 1964.

A5266 (iii) Copies of pamphlets and broadcast addresses in connection with the three homes for children, including addresses by C.A. Brown, 2HR November and December, 1938.

A5266 (iv) Children’s Homes monthly reports, 1939 – 1943.

A5266 (v) Printed material relating to subsidies for orphanages, 1926 – 1928.

A5267 (i) N.S.W. Association of Child Caring Agencies, correspondence and general information, including minutes of meetings, 1958 – 1969. [Transferred to A6017].

A5267 (ii) Child Welfare Department – copies of letters, 1961 – 1969.

A5267 (iii) Children on probation, 1923 – 1931.

A5268 St. Alban’s Home correspondence, 1921 – 1930.

A5269 (i) St. Alban’s Home list of children’s names and miscellanea, 1926 – 1927. Donation cards [n.d.].

A5269 (ii) St. Alban’s Home (Aberdare), foundation stone invitations, acceptances etc., 1962 and opening invitations, 1965.

A5269 (iii) Local appeal and dealings with Architect, 1965 – 1966.

A5269 (iv) St. Christopher’s Home correspondence including lists of names, 1928 – 1931.

A5269 (v) St. Elizabeth’s Home, 1924 – 1930.

A5270 St. George’s Farm Home, 1921 – 1946.

A5277 (iii) Correspondence with I. W. Pender – Children’s Homes, Booragul, St. John’s College etc. 1956 – 1971.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – REGISTRAR – CHILDRENS HOMES [Restricted Access]. 1981 Transfer:

 

ST. ALBAN’S HOME:

A6011A (i) Board of Social Work agendas, minutes and reports, 1968 – 1974.

A6011 (ii) St. Alban’s Management Committee minutes and agenda, 1969 – 1979. [Includes plans of driveway and entrance, 1974.]

A6011 (iii) Licences to control Children’s Homes of Reverend Milton David Folwell, 1970 – 1975.

A6011A Children’s files from St. Alban’s, St. Christopher’s and St. Elizabeth’s, 1960 – 1980.

A6011B As above, 1960 – 1980.

A6011C As above, 1964 – 1976.

A6011D As above, 1968 – 1976.

A6012 As above, 1968 – 1977.

 

ST. CHRISTOPHER’S HOME, Taree:

A6013 Notifications of reception (copies), 1953?, 1960 – 1967, 1969.

Admissions register, 1967 – 1969.

Holiday host forms, 1974 – 1975.

Holiday register, 1967 – 1970.

A6014 (i) – (xa) Notifications of discharge 1941 – 1950, 1958 – 1959, 1963 – 1966, 1969 – 1970, 1971 – 1979.

A6014 (xi) – (xiv) Illness registers, 1955 – 1970.

A6014 (xv) Notification of death (one entry, August 7th, 1945).

A6014 (xvi) Numerical record of children in residence, March, 1970.

A6014 (xvii) Register “regulation 46”. [Names, dates of birth, admission dates of children, names and addresses of parents, 1958 – 1969.]

A6014 (xviii) Correspondence, 1969.

A6014 (xix) – (xxi) Scrapbooks, 1970 – 1973, 1970 – 1977.

A6014 (xxii) – (xxiv) Three boxes of photographic slides of children and buildings. [c. 1960 – 1977.]

A6015 (i) (ii) Child allowance claims, 1961 – 1974.

A6015 (iii) (iv) Submissions to the Australian Department of Social Security for financial aid, 1976 -.

A6015 (v) St. Christopher’s Home Management Committee file, 1971 -.

A6016 (i) St. Christopher’s Home Management Committee minutes and Matrons’ reports, 1969 – 1977.

A6016 (ii) Matron’s minutes and Matron’s reports, 1971 – 1978.

A6016 (iii) Copies of correspondence from M.D. Fowell to Matron Onslow, 1970 – 1971; Staff employment records, 1969; Recommendations concerning by-laws of management.

A6016 (iv)(iva) 52 photographs of children from all homes and matrons + negatives and buildings (including Morpeth : St. Alban’s album). [c. 1926?, 1960 – 1979]

A6017 (i)(ii) New South Wales Association of Child Caring Agencies correspondence, minutes and general information, 1958 – 1969. [Transferred from A5267 (i)], 1969 – 1976.

A6018 (i) St. Christopher’s Home Ladies’ Auxiliary minutes, 1973 – 1976.

A6018 (ii) St. Christopher’s Home Ladies’ Auxiliary minutes, 1976 – 1979.

A6018 (iia) Photographs and press clippings, 1928.

 

ST. ELIZABETH’S HOME:

A6018 (iii)(iv) Management Committee minutes and matron’s reports, 1969 – 1971, 1969 – 1976.

A6018 (v) (vi) Child allowance claims, 1969 – 1976.

A6018 (via) St. Elizabeth’s Home House Committee minute book, 1961 – 1969.

A6018 (vib) Press clippings and photographs, 1961 – 1968.

A6018 (vic) Confidential file, 1962 – 1966.

 

REGISTRAR:

A6018 (vii) Children’s Homes budget working papers, 1972 – 1975.

A6018 (viii) St. Hilda’s Hostel, Newcastle : reports to Diocesan Council and financial statements, 1974 – 1978.

A6018 (ix) Diocesan budgets (including Children’s Homes), 1960 – 1974.

A6018 (x) Home Missions Auxiliary general information file, 1963 – 1976.

A6018 (xi) Newcastle Civil Rehabilitation Committee file, 1969 – 1975.

A6020 (iii) St. Alban’s Boys Home, Cessnock – history, press clipping and Order of Service for laying Foundation Stone, 1962 – 1965, 1962 – 1967; A report on child care, Diocese of Newcastle, May, 1976.

A6020 (iv) Reception, death and discharge notification books, 1952 – 1957, 1960 – 1962, 1961 – 1962; numbers of children in residence, 1970 – 1977.

St. Alban’s Boys Home form of service for opening and dedication, February, 1965.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – CHILDRENS HOMES – ST ALBAN’S HOME CESSNOCK [Rec’d August 1996]
[THESE FILES ARE STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL]

A7810(i) Folder containing personal files of individual A. children no longer in foster programme; B. Short term fostered/St Alban’s placements; C. Summary of Short term fostered/St Alban’s placements. [1960s-1980s] [CONFIDENTIAL]

A7810(ii) Folder containing personal files of individual children no longer in St Alban’s care [1960s-1980s] [CONFIDENTIAL]

A7811(i) Assorted papers, financial statements, minutes, and reports relating to Children’s homes incl. Form of Service for the Opening and Dedication of St Alban’s Home for Boys, Cessnock on the 7th February 1965; Proposal for St Alban’s Gateway by Ian W. Pender (Jan 1978) and booklet of the Blessing and Opening of St Alban’s Family Group Home, Greta Street Aberdare on 29th November 1981. Feb 1965 – Nov 1981.

A7811(ii) Certificates awarded to St Alban’s Cessnock. 1972-1976.

A7811(iii) Registers. Child Welfare Act, 1939 (Regulation 46) Numerical Information Respecting Children for premises at Section Street Mayfield. July 1952 – Dec 1964.

A7811(iv) St Alban’s Home for Boys, Cessnock. Register of Services held in Chapel. 7th February 1965 – 2nd December 1980.

A7811(v) Diocese of Newcastle. S. Alban’s Home for Boys Morpeth. Admission and Discharge Register. 1929 – 1950. [CONFIDENTIAL]

A7811(vi) Diocese of Newcastle. Homes for Children. Admission and Discharge Register. 1951 – 1974. [CONFIDENTIAL]

A7811(vii) Printing Block. Cross.

A7812(i) Alphabetical Card Index of Admissions and Discharges, 1956-1970. [CONFIDENTIAL]

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – BISHOP HOUSDEN: Correspondence:

A6814 Children’s Homes, 1966 – 1972.
Council for Christian Education in Schools. Christian Education Department, 1966 – 1972.
Diocesan Churchman, 1958 – 1965.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – BISHOP’S REGISTRY – ALFRED CHARLES HOLLAND – BISHOP OF NEWCASTLE 1978-1992: Correspondence files. [Accessioned by J. Stevenson – June, 2001.]

Confidential:

A8377 (i)-(vii) Chaplaincies: University, 1981-1985, Prison, 1979-1986, Hospital / Media, 1984 ; Church Army, 1981-1987 ; Children’s Homes: St. Alban’s Community Centre, 1981-1984 ; St. Elizabeth’s Group Homes, 1980-1991 ; Community of St. Clare, Stroud, 1978-1986 ; Communities: General, Community of St. Clare, Stroud and St. Francis, 1978-1987 ; Crockford’s Clerical Directory, 1985.

A8434 (v) St. Hilda’s Hostel, 1978-1981.

A8434 (vii) St. Elizabeth’s Home, Singleton, 1976-1979.

A8434 (x) Children’s Homes, 1973-1978.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – REGISTRAR’S RECORDS: CORRESPONDENCE:

B6964 Children’s Courts, 1960 – 1969.

 

Children’s Homes – Closed Access:

B7183 Children’s Homes Appeal, 1938 – 1939.

B7184 Children’s Homes Appeal, 1939 – 1941.

B7185 Children’s Homes Applications, 1920 – 1930.

B7186 Children’s Homes Applications, 1931 – 1934.

B7187 Children’s Homes Applications – A-L, 1935 – 1947.

B7188 Children’s Homes Applications – A-L, 1946 – 1960.

B7189 Children’s Homes Applications – M-Z, 1929 – 1947.

B7190 Children’s Homes Applications – M-Z, 1940 – 1960.

B7191 Children’s Homes, 1931 – 1934.

B7192 Children’s Homes, 1934 – 1935.

B7193 Children’s Homes, 1936 – 1938.

B7194 Children’s Homes, 1939 – 1946.

B7195 Children’s Homes, 1946 – 1952.

B7196 Children’s Homes, 1952 – 1956.

B7197 Children’s Homes, 1956 – 1961.

B7198 Children’s Homes, 1959 – 1963.

B7199 Children’s Homes, 1963 – 1964.

B7200 Children’s Homes, 1964 – 1966.

B7201 Children’s Homes, 1966 – 1969.

B7202 Children’s Homes, 1969 – 1973.

 

 

B7203 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1919 – 1924.

B7204 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1930 – 1935.

B7205 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1936 – 1938.

B7206 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1939 – 1942.

B7207 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1942 – 1946.

B7208 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1945 – 1951.

B7209 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1951 – 1955.

B7210 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1948 – 1959.

B7211 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1959 – 1962.

B7212 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1962 – 1964.

B7213 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1964 – 1965.

B7214 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1966 – 1968.

B7215 St. Alban’s Boys Home, 1968 – 1973.

 

B7216 St. Christopher’s Home, 1931 – 1936.

B7217 St. Christopher’s Home, 1937 – 1942.

B7218 St. Christopher’s Home, 1942 – 1948.

B7219 St. Christopher’s Home, 1949 – 1954.

B7220 St. Christopher’s Home, 1954 – 1957.

B7221 St. Christopher’s Home, 1958 – 1959.

B7222 St. Christopher’s Home, 1960 – 1961.

B7223 St. Christopher’s Home, 1961 – 1963.

B7224 St. Christopher’s Home, 1964 – 1965.

B7225 St. Christopher’s Home, 1966 – 1968.

B7226 St. Christopher’s Home, 1969 – 1971.

 

B7227 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1930 – 1938.

B7228 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1939 -1944.

B7229 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1944 – 1947.

B7230 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1948 – 1951.

B7231 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1951 – 1954.

B7232 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1955 – 1959.

B7233 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1960 – 1961.

B7234 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1962 – 1963.

B7235 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1963 – 1964.

B7236 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1964 – 1965.

B7237 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1965 – 1966.

B7238 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1967 – 1968.

B7239 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1969 – 1971.

B7240 St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, 1970 – 1973.

 

B7241 St. Hilda’s Hostel for Girls, 1931 – 1939.

B7242 St. Hilda’s Hostel for Girls, 1940 – 1950.

B7243 St. Hilda’s Hostel for Girls correspondence, statements, and Accounts, 1950 – 1962.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – CHILDREN’S HOMES – (RESTRICTED ACCESS):

B7628 Children’s Homes Record Book, 1944 – 1959.

B7629 Children’s Homes Contributions Book, 1938 – 1939.

B7630 Children’s Homes Fees Book, 1928 – 1931.

B7631 St. Alban’s Home Minute Book, 1919 – 1923.

B7632 St. Alban’s Home Cash Book, 1919 – 1923.

B7633 St. Alban’s Home Cash Book, 1923 – 1927.

B7634 St. Alban’s Home Cash Book, 1927 – 1930.

B7635 St. Alban’s Home Press Cuttings and Day Book, 1929 – 1937.

B7636 St. Christopher’s Home Cash Book, 1928 – 1930.

B7637 Girls’ Home (?St. Elizabeth’s) Cash Book, 1927 – 1930.

B7638 Girls’ Hostel Committee Minute Book, 1918 – 1924.

B7638a St. Hilda’s Hostel Cash Book, 1945-1946, including correspondence, 1921 – 1922.

B7638b St. Hilda’s Hostel Cash Book, 1928 – 1930.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – ST. ELIZABETH’S HOME FOR GIRLS, MAYFIELD AND SINGLETON:

B9578 Record Book [birth dates 1913 – 1930], 1926 – 1936.

B9579 Record Book [birth dates 1925 – 1951], 1936 – 1957.

B9580 Record Book [birth dates 1945 – 1964], 1957 – February, 1970.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – REGISTRAR – CHILDREN’S HOMES:

B9651 Register of Children’s Names, Morpeth Home for Children, Bishopscourt, Morpeth, 1920 -1935.

B9652 Children’s Homes Admission Register, 1971 – 1979.

B9653 Punishment Register (blank), 1970.

B9654 St. Alban’s Boys’ Home, Cessnock, Visitors’ Book, 1920 – 1981.

B9655 Altar Service Book, [c.1915 -1918].

B9656 Altar Service Book as proposed in 1928.

B9657 Altar Service Book as proposed in 1928.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – DIOCESAN PHOTOGRAPHS:

A5351 (iv) Sheep at ? Brenda Station, [n.d.].

Boats and boatshed ? Brisbane Water, n.d.).

St. Alban’s Boys’ Home?  or Farm home. [See also A5279.]

Morpeth Pilgrimage [1947].

Postcard with photograph of a painting The place of meeting, [n.d.].

St. Elizabeth’s Homes Staff and girls, 1942.

At the caves, [n.d.].

 

ST. PETER’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND, EAST MAITLAND:

A5342 (iii) Printed material including:
The Church of England Committee for Homes & Hostels for Children, Seventh Annual report…1925. (cum multis aliis)

NON-DIOCESAN RECORDS

PENDER, IAN WALTER – ARCHITECT – CLIENT FILES: (Conduit: Mrs. Winsome Pender. ) [Date Received: May, 2000] [Accessioned 19th November, 2002.]

A8491 (vi) Home for Little Children, Morpeth. Reports, 1951.

A8491 (vii) St. Elizabeth’s Home for Girls, Singleton, sewing room; Additions. Plans, Specifications, 1951, 1971.

A8491 (xii) St. Hilda’s Hostel for Girls, Darby Street, Newcastle. Painting, Document, 1952.

A8493 (i) St. Christopher’s Home for Little Children, Taree. Home, Erection, Specification, Document ; Alterations and Additions, Plan, Specification, Document, 1954, 1970.

A8493 (xiv) St. Albans Home for Boys, Greta Street, Aberdare. Additions, Plan, Specification, Document; Additions, Specification, 1973, 1981.

 

UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE – DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES – OPEN FOUNDATION COURSE – K.M. HENRY: AUSTRALIAN HISTORY – 1989 PROGRAMMES

A6967 (vi) Audio Tape. Researcher: McLeod, Jan; Person interviewed: Marlene Kennedy; Subject: Saint Elizabeth’s Girls Home, Singleton

 

JAMES (JIM) W. DOWNIE PAPERS
Conduit: Mr Jim Downie; Date Donated: November 2006

A6610 A collection of Australian badges for commemorative and community fund raising initiatives mostly in the Newcastle and Hunter Regions 1940s-1950s, including (Sheet A6610b):

Newcastle Sub-Normal School; Newcastle District Crippled Children; The Kindergarten Union of N.S.W.; Newcastle District Physically Handicapped Association Rehabilitation Centre; APEX Aid for Spastics; Newcastle Sub-Normal Children’s Welfare Association; Monte Pio Girl’s Home; ADDS Newcastle; Newcastle and Northern District – The Totally Permanently Disabled Soldiers’ Association Women’s Auxiliary; Church of England Old Folks’ Home; Subscriber 4 Liberty Loan; Newcastle R.S.P.C.A (Assorted Dogs and Cats featured); Church of England Homes for Children (Assorted featured children); Murray Dwyer Boys Orphanage (Assorted versions).

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE CHILDREN’S HOMES RECORDS FOR SCANNING
[This list only includes items not yet scanned as at 16^th May, 2019]

 

CHRISTOPHER’S HOME, Taree:

A6014 (xxii) – (xxiv) Three boxes of photographic slides of children and buildings, c. 1960 – 1977.

 

ST ALBAN’S HOME CESSNOCK

A7810(i) Folder containing personal files of individual A. children no longer in foster programme; B. Short term fostered/St Alban’s placements; C. Summary of Short term fostered/St Alban’s placements. 1960s-1980s

A7810(ii) Folder containing personal files of individual children no longer in St Alban’s care [1960s-1980s] [CONFIDENTIAL]

A7811(v) Diocese of Newcastle. S. Alban’s Home for Boys Morpeth. Admission and Discharge Register. 1929 – 1950.

A7811(vi) Diocese of Newcastle. Homes for Children. Admission and Discharge Register. 1951 – 1974.

 

DIOCESE OF NEWCASTLE – CHILDREN’S HOMES – (RESTRICTED ACCESS):

B7628 Children’s Homes Record Book,  1944 – 1959.

B7629 Children’s Homes Contributions Book,  1938 – 1939.

B7630 Children’s Homes Fees Book,  1928 – 1931.

B7631 St. Alban’s Home Minute Book,  1919 – 1923.

B7635 St. Alban’s Home Press Cuttings and Day Book,  1929 – 1937.

 

ELIZABETH’S HOME FOR GIRLS, MAYFIELD AND SINGLETON:

B9578 Record Book [birth dates 1913 – 1930],  1926 – 1936.

B9579 Record Book [birth dates 1925 – 1951],  1936 – 1957.

B9580 Record Book [birth dates 1945 – 1964],  1957 – February, 1970.

 

REGISTRAR – CHILDREN’S HOMES:

B9651 Register of Children’s Names, Morpeth Home for Children, Bishopscourt, Morpeth, 1920 -1935.

B9652 Children’s Homes Admission Register,  1971 – 1979.

 

Thanks to Dr Edward Bridle for compiling these listings of Children’s Home Records.

 

If you are a care leaver wishing to access information from the listing of records above please contact the Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org.au/

36 Warabrook Boulevard, Warabrook NSW 2304
PO Box 366, Hunter Region Mail Centre, NSW 2310

P 02 4960 7100 (Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm)
P 1300 656 336 (local call cost)
E mail@samaritans.org.au
F 02 4960 7160

Gionni Di Gravio
University Archivist