The Adoption of Children Act 1935 (Act no. 26 Geo.V. No.7) with the full title “An Act to Make Provision for the Adoption of Infants, and for purposes incidental thereto or consequent thereon” commenced on 1 February 1936. It provided for the adoption of children up to the age of 21 years who had never married, and for rights of succession to the adoptive parents. It aimed to establish a basis for sound adoption practices protecting the child, the natural parent and the adopting parents. The Director of the State Children Department was empowered to make adoption orders, rather than adoption being made a judicial process. The Director had the power to dispense with the consent of the child’s parents or guardian if satisfied that a parent or guardian had abandoned or neglected the child, or was incapable of giving consent. This act was repealed in 1964 and replaced with the Adoption of Children Act 1964 (Act no. 54/1964).