The Births, deaths and marriages registration 1841 (4 & 5 Vict. No. 9) legislation required that these events be registered in Western Australia. The legislation set up the registry functions and prescribed penalties for failing to register. The registration of births and marriages in particular had a longer-term impact on the treatment of ‘illegitimate’ children…
The Assisted Schools Abolition Act 1895 (59 Vict. No. 27) was designed to stop subsidising private ‘elementary’ (primary) schools in Western Australia. However, the Act allowed schools which operated ‘in connection with an Orphanage or other Institution’ as defined in the Industrial Schools Act 1874 to continue to receive grants-in-aid from the government.
The Colonial Prisoners Removal Act 1894 (58 Vict. No. 10) included Industrial and Reformatory Schools in the definition of ‘gaol’. This enabled the transfer of inmates between industrial and reformatory schools.
The Bastardy Laws Act 1875 (39 Vict. No. 8) strengthened the provisions for obtaining maintence for illegitimate children from their natural relatives. This Act enabled orphanages and other institutions where illegitimate children were in care to attempt to obtain maintenance payments from natural parents.
The Factories Act 1904 regulated employment. It defined a ‘boy’ as being ‘every male under the age of fourteen years’. The Act did not cover employment in an ‘industrial or reformatory school’, or agricultural labour, or household labour. These were the main occupations of young people in out of home care, who were classified as…
The Young Offenders Act 1994 (104 of 1994) repealed sections of the Child Welfare Act 1947 relating to ‘juvenile justice’ (that is, the treatment of children and young people under the age of 18 who were charged with offences). The Act reflected the organisational changes that saw the responsibilty for children in detention move from…
The Freedom of Information Act 1992 (076 of 1992) outlines the way in which information held by government can be released. People who were in out of home care will often have to make an application under this Act so that they can get access to records. The Act has provisions for access to information…
The Disability Services Act 1993 (Act no. 36 of 1993) was passed on 16 September and commenced on 23 December 1993. Its long title is ‘An Act for the establishment of the Disability Services Commission and the Advisory Council for Disability Services, for the furtherance of principles applicable to people with disabilities, for the funding…
The Disability Services Act 1992 (Act No. 77 of 1992) was passed on 18 December 1992. Its long title was ‘An Act providing for the furtherance of principles applicable to people with disablities, for the funding of services to people with disabilities that further certain objectives, for the resolution of complaints by such people, for…
The Authority for Intellectually Handicapped Persons Act 1985 (068 of 1985) established a government agency to ‘develop and carry out policies’ and provide for services to advance the welfare of people with intellectual disabilities. The Act defined an ‘intellectually handicapped person’, regulated the provision of services to those people and licensed the premises in which…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
