An Inspector of Public Charities appears to have been first appointed in late 1880 within the Department of the Treasurer. The position of Inspector had been recommended by the Royal Commission into Charitable Institutions of 1870 . The Inspector undertook the investigation of the management, and audit of the accounts, of institutions receiving assistance from…
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 Aborigines Welfare Board was established by the Aborigines Act 1957. This Act abolished the Board of Protection (first formed in Victoria in 1860). The new Aborigines Welfare Board had the function ‘to promote the moral, intellectual and physical welfare of aborigines (full blood and half-caste) with a view to their assimilation in the general…
The Central Board Appointed to Watch Over the Interests of Aborigines came into being in 1860, as a result of an inquiry into Aboriginal welfare in Victoria in 1858. The Board was given statutory authority in 1869, with the passing of the Aborigines Protection Act 1869. At this time, the organisation became known as the…
The Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) was established under the Public Records Act 1973, as the archives of the State Government of Victoria. PROV holds records relating to the government’s involvement in child welfare and protection, charitable institutions, adoption, and juvenile justice. It also holds records relating to Aboriginal people. PROV is also home to…
The Chief Secretary’s Department played a significant role in the administration of Victorian government agencies from the time of its establishment in 1855. Prior to this, the Colonial Secretary had responsibility for many of these functions. For a long period of Victoria’s history, the Chief Secretary’s Department was the body with ultimate responsibility for wards…
The Hospitals and Charities Commission came into being in 1948 under the terms of the Hospitals and Charities Act 1948 (no.5200). The Commission assumed responsibility for functions previously administered by the Charities Board. Its responsibilities included the management and registration of institutions providing residential care to children and young people. The Commission was responsible for…
The Charities Board of Victoria came into being in 1923 under the terms of the Hospitals and Charities Act 1922 (no.3260). The Board was responsible for benevolent societies and institutions which were supported in whole or in part by voluntary contributions and which had as one of their objects the provision of ‘charitable relief to…
The Adoption and Family Records Service (AFRS) was a program within the Department of Human Services (DHS) for former wards of the state of Victoria and their families. The purpose of the Service was to release state ward files and provide assistance to locate other relevant records and information; give counselling and support and referrals…
The Social Welfare Branch was established under the provisions of the Social Welfare Act 1960 (No.6651) which was proclaimed in stages between 6 July 1960 and 21 June 1961. The Social Welfare Branch sat within the Chief Secretary’s Department and assumed all of the functions of the former Children’s Welfare Department and the Penal and…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
