The National Archives of Australia (NAA) was established in 1998. It was formerly known as the Australian Archives. The National Archives collects, preserves and makes publicly available records of the Australian government. The collection includes records related to family history research, as well as records relevant specifically to child welfare and child migration. The head…
The first Colonial Surgeon of South Australia was appointed in 1836. The duties of the Colonial Surgeon’s Office of South Australia include overseeing and advising the Government in relation to public health matters and sanitation, managing the Public Hospital, and acting as superintendent to the Lunatic Asylum. The Colonial Surgeon’s Office was also called the…
The Inspector General of Hospitals Office was established in 1914, replacing the Colonial Surgeon’s Office. The Inspector General conducted visits and inspections of the public hospitals, asylums, and mental hospitals, and the superintendents of these institutions reported to the Inspector. In 1940 the Inspector General of Hospitals Office was replaced by the Hospitals Department.
The Housing and Community Services Bureau was established on 14 December 1989. The aim of the Bureau was to provide and facilitate the delivery of housing and community services to individuals, facilities and the community. The Bureau operated under various administrative structures, but in 1995, the Housing and Community Services Bureau’s functions were separated. Some…
The Department of Human Services was created in 2018 when the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion was renamed. The Department of Human Services has responsibilities for youth justice, disability services and child safety.
The Corporate Integrity Information and Resolutions unit (CIIRu) was responsible for Freedom of Information requests and complaints management for both the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Health (DH). In 2013 the Department of Human Services created a new Freedom of Information Unit with responsibility for the release of wardship (state ward)…
The Government Welfare Training Council was established in 1963, in Lisson Grove, Hawthorn. It provided what was for many people the first formal staff training in child care. Previously, the only training offered for child care workers was a course run by the Victorian Council of Social Service. The training centre was established in response…
The Department of Mental Hygiene was established in 1934 following the proclamation of the Mental Hygiene Act (No.4157). The Department was responsible for the development and direction of policy governing the treatment of the ‘mentally ill, the intellectually handicapped and inebriates’ and for the establishment and administration of institutions for their care for the period…
The Central Board for the Protection of Aborigines was established in 1869, under the provisions of the Aborigines Protection Act 1869. Previously, the Central Board Appointed to Watch Over the Interests of Aborigines had been operating in Victoria since 1860. The Board, which ran missions and reserve stations in Victoria, had significant statutory power over…
The Office of the Child Safety Commissioner was established in December 2004 to monitor the out of home care system in Victoria. (The Office was formally created in April 2005, and the first Child Safety Commissioner was appointed in May 2005). The legislative functions and powers of the Child Safety Commissioner are set out in…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
