The Adoption of Children Act Amendment Act 1964 (1964/100) made a number of changes to ‘modernise’ the Adoption of Children Act 1896, and bring it more into line with adoption legislation in other States. WA was the only jurisdiction to not pass new model legislation in the 1960s, although the amendments in 1964 significantly modernised…
The Adoption of Children Act Amendment Act 1976 (1976/112) amended and modernised the Adoption of Children Act 1896. It removed the term, ‘illegitimate child’ and replaced it with ‘a child whose parents were not married to each other at the time of his birth or subsequently.’ It also further clarified the concept of ‘undue influence’…
The Child Welfare Amendment Act (No 2) 1976 came into operation on 1 October 1977. It amended the Child Welfare Act 1947 and aimed to modernise policy and practice. The Act (s.5d) replaced the terms ‘destitute child’ and ‘neglected child’ with ‘child in need of care and protection’ and referred to children’s needs throughout. A…
The Child Welfare Act Amendment Act 1962 (Act no.1962/022 (11 Eliz. II No.22)) was passed on 4 October 1962 and commenced on 1 December 1962. This Act (s.3) amended the Child Welfare Act 1947 to make the director of the department responsible for child welfare the guardian of all children who were wards of the…
The Native Welfare Act Amendment Act 1960 amended the Native Welfare Act 1954, so that people in Western Australian defined as a ‘quadroon’ or ‘less than quadroon blood’ were no longer to be considered ‘natives’. The Native Welfare Act Amendment Act 1960 was repealed by the Native Welfare Act 1963. The Native Welfare Act Amendment…
The Child Welfare Act Amendment Act 1958 (s.4) amended the Child Welfare Act 1947 to again increase the ability of authorities to take children into the ‘care’ of the Child Welfare Department and (s.5) extend a period of wardship from 18 to 21 years for all young people who were wards of State, not only…
The Native Welfare Act 1954 (Act no. 1954/064 (3 Eliz. II No.64) was passed on 30 December 1954 and commenced on 20 May 1955. It was ‘An Act to amend the Native Administration Act, 1905-1947.’ The Act changed the titles of the Commissioner and Department of Native Affairs to Commissioner and Department of Native Welfare….
The Child Welfare Act Amendment Act 1952 amended the Child Welfare Act 1947 to increase the power of authorities to make children wards of the State. Changes were made to the definition of destitute and neglected children and to the definition of ‘ward’ (s.2) and it became an offence to try and prevent an officer…
The Native Administration Act Amendment Act 1941 amended the Aborigines Act Amendment Act 1936, also known as the Native Administration Act 1936. It restricted Aboriginal people living in the north of Western Australia from travelling south of the 20th parallel. The Amendment Act 1941 was repealed by the Native Welfare Act 1963. The stated purpose…
The Aborigines Act Amendment Act 1936, also known as the ‘Native Administration Act 1936’, amended the Aborigines Act 1905. It created the Department of Native Affairs, and changed the title of Chief Protector to the Commissioner for Native Affairs. The Act also extended the powers of that role, especially as they affected children: the Commissioner…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
