Archives



Attorney-General’s Department, State of Tasmania

The Attorney General’s Department, which served the state government from 1901, was mostly concerned with the administration of justice in the Supreme Court of Tasmania. It had other, subsidiary functions that varied over the years. One of them was, from 1946, the administration of the Probation and Paroles Service for adults and children, formerly run…

Sherriff and Gaols Department, State of Tasmania

The Sheriff and Gaols Department, originally established in 1824 and managed by the colonial government, enforced Supreme Court judgements and administered the jury system. In this role, it oversaw local gaols, many of which housed children. In 1924, it became the Supreme Court and Sheriff’s Office.

Attorney General’s Department, Colony of Tasmania

The Attorney-General’s Department was one of the first three ministerial portfolios in Tasmania. It contained the Sheriff and Gaols Department and the Supreme Court which, among its other functions, included the Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. A Statistical and Registry Department took over this function in 1882. In 1901, following Australian federation, Tasmania became…

Law Officers’ Establishment, Colony of Tasmania

The Law Officers’ Establishment, set up in 1823, was a loose term to describe the organisation that contained the Supreme Court and the Sheriff’s Department, which after the early 1830s, included gaols, which housed children. In 1856, following self-government, the Law Officer’s Establishment became the Office of the Attorney-General, one of the first three ministerial…

Tasmanian State Archives

The Tasmanian State Archives opened in 1949. This was the first attempt in Tasmania to manage, rather than just hold, state records. In 1962, it became the Archives Office of Tasmania. Before 1949, the Chief Secretary’s Department held state records. They kept them in the basement of the government buildings in Franklin Square, Hobart. In…

Southern Parenting Centre

The Southern Parenting Centre, run by the government, was established in the late 1980s or early 1990s with funds from the sale of the Mothercraft Home. It provided support and advice to parents with children up to the age of five. During the 1990s, more Parenting Centres opened throughout the state.

Guardianship and Administration Board

The Guardianship and Administration Board, established in 1995, replaced the Guardianship Board. In 2014, it appoints guardians for adults with intellectual disabilities, manages their financial affairs if necessary, and organises enduring powers of attorney. According to the website of the Guardianship and Administration Board, it ‘can make decisions for the benefit of persons who have…

Launceston City Mission

The Launceston City Mission, Launceston Town City Mission until 1889, was founded in 1854. Its brief was to spread the gospel to non-church goers in inner city working class communities. In 2014, the Launceston City Mission is still active. Like the London City Mission, the Launceston City Missioners were Protestant but non-denominational. City Missioners saw…

Neglected Children’s Department, Colony of Tasmania

The Neglected Children’s Department was established in March 1897. It was the first government department in Tasmania that specifically managed children who were considered to be offenders or neglected. In 1901, following Australian federation, Tasmania became a state and the state government took over the management of the Neglected Children’s Department. The Youthful Offenders, Destitute…

Anglicare Tasmania

Anglicare Tasmania began in 1977. It was originally called the Diocesan Social Welfare Committee, and was established in October 1977 by the Anglican Church of Tasmania Synod. From 1983 until 1988 the organisation was called the Anglican Family Care Service. In 1988 it officially changed its name to Anglicare. Anglicare Tasmania assists people who have…