The Commonwealth Disability Services Act 1986 (Act no. 129 of 1986) commenced on 5 June 1997. It rose from the Handicapped Persons Review in 1985. The Act reshaped the way disability services were funded but initially there was some concern and confusion about the obligations arising from State and federal funding sources. In 1991 the…
The Mental Health Act 1962 (046 of 1962 (11 Eliz. II No. 46)) was amended twice before it came into force on 1 July 1966. It repealed the Lunacy Act 1903 and related Acts less relevant to children in out of home care. Intellectual disability was not distinguished from mental ‘disorder’ in the Act, which…
The Lunacy Act 1903 (015 of 1903 (3 Edw. VII No. 15)) followed the 1900 (Vosper) Select Committee, and was reportedly based on good practice and professional knowledge at the time. Two provisions for children were made: the ability to transfer a child at an industrial school who appeared to be ‘insane’ to a government…
The Lunacy Act 1871 (No. 9 of 1871) did not distinguish between mental illness and intellectual or physical disability. This meant that children with intellectual disabilities, or physical disabilities such as epilepsy could be, and often were, sent to Fremantle Asylum. This act was repealed by the Lunacy Act 1903 (015 of 1903 (3 Edw….
The Anglican Church of Australia (Swanleigh land and endowments) Act 1979 (101 of 1979) enabled the Perth Diocesan Trustees to utlise the land and related endownments that had begun with the Protestant Orphanage for ‘use within the State for general child and family care purposes’.
The Public Education Act 1899 (s.9) (63 Vict. No. 3) appointed officers to ‘accost in the streets or other public places’ children ‘of school age who are apparently not in attendance at school’. Those children accused of truancy and their parents could then be brought before the courts and children who were found to be…
The Industrial and Reformatory Schools Act 1893(1893/005) amended the Industrial Schools Act 1874. It classified children (‘inmates’) into two types: those children deemed ‘neglected’ or in need of protection and those children who had been convicted of offences and were therefore ‘juvenile offenders’. The juvenile offenders were sentenced to a reformatory school and the other…
The purpose of the The Salvation Army (Western Australia) Property Trust Act 1931 (034 of 1931 (22 Geo. V No. 34)) was to regulate the financial affairs of the Salvation Army in Western Australia. In the Preamble, the Act gives some historical information about the establishment of the Salvation Army in Britain and WA.
The Education Act 1928 (033 of 1928 (19 Geo. V No. 33)) consolidated and modernised educational legislation that had developed in Western Australia since 1871. It governed the education of children and young people in Western Australia for the remainder of the twentieth century. The Act gave a lot of attention to developing mechanisms to…
The Criminal Code Act 1902 (1 & 2 Edw. VII No. 14) was assented to on 19 February 1902. It defined crimes and penalties that had an impact on children. Some elements of the Criminal Code were brought into the State Children Act 1907 and there has continued to be a relationship between the Criminal…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
