Please contact the Family Records Unit, Department of Aboriginal Affairs:
Postal Address: PO Box 207, Mascot NSW 1460
Phone: 1800 019 998
Email: familyhistory@aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au
Website: https://www.aboriginalaffairs.nsw.gov.au/healing-and-reparations/family-records-service/
Quote this number to access your records: State Records Authority of New South Wales Series Number, 11
These records are held by State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales (June 1961 - current).
Applications for Certificates of Exemption is a series of records created by the Board for the Protection of Aborigines, and the Aborigines Welfare Board. Certificates of Exemption could be granted to an applicant who, in the opinion of the Aborigines Welfare Board, ought to no longer be subject to the provisions of the Aborigines Protection Act and Regulations 1909-43, Section 18c (Regulation 56). Upon being issued with a Certificate of Exemption, a recipient was no longer eligible to receive any benefit, assistance or relief from the Board, and had to undertake to provide a home deemed by the board to be ‘proper’ for themselves and their family.
Due to the sensitive nature of these records access is restricted. Persons wishing to view these records must first contact the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.
These records include language and statements that is often offensive, derogatory, and based on the judgements and assumptions of the departmental officers at the time, and so are not necessarily an accurate reflection of the applicants.
Most files in this series contain two official application forms for exemption (one form titled Application for Exemption from Provisions of Aborigines Protection Act and Regulations thereunder, and the other titled Personal Report on Applicant for Exemption from Provisions of Aborigines Protection Act and Regulations thereunder) and correspondence relating to the outcome of the application.
The Application for Exemption from Provisions of Aborigines Protection Act and Regulations thereunder records full name of applicant, “caste” [please note this is the language as it is used in the record], address, age, name; address and occupation of referees.
The Personal Report on Applicant for Exemption from Provisions of Aborigines Protection Act and Regulations thereunder is divided into sections. Section one includes identifying personal information about the applicant. Section two contains information about the applicant’s family. Section three contains employment details about the applicant, including recent employment history. Section four includes comments made by departmental officers about the habits and ‘morality’ of the applicant and their family, and the state and condition of their home. Section five includes information about the applican’ts household income and financial assets. The final section of the form records general remarks and recommendations, the signature of the recording official, official designation, date, and address.
Other documents in these files can include the following: correspondence requesting application forms; personal references attesting to the character of the applicant; press clippings; police or welfare officers reports on applicants, photographs, certificates of exemption, expulsion orders and requests to have individuals removed from areas, correspondence from solicitors and Commonwealth agencies re pensions, requests for maternity allowance, reports on child endowment payments, requests for replacement certificates of exemption, and extracts from Aborigines Welfare Board Minutes.
Issued Certificates of Exemption are held in a separate series. For more information on the certificates please see https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/permalink/f/1ednqkf/ADLIB_RNSW110016875