Access Conditions
Records more than 99 years old are restricted from public access. Contact the Care Leavers Records Service.
Records
Ballarat Town and City Mission records is a collection of records that relate to a number of institutions in Ballarat: Alexandra Babies’ Home, Mission Rescue and Children’s Home, Canadian, George Street Children’s Home and Ballarat Female Refuge. These institutions were run by the Ballarat Town and City Mission.
These records were previously in the custody of the Central Highlands Library, Ballarat and Child and Family Services Ballarat (Cafs). They were transferred to the custody of the Victorian government in 2024.
This collection includes:
Alexandra Babies’ Home and Alexandra Toddlers’ Home
- admissions register 1941-1973. Information recorded in the Admissions Register includes:
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- admission number and date
- name of the child
- birth place and birth date of the child
- by whom recommended for placement (includes information about who made the referral of the child to the Home. This may include the Children’s Welfare Department, children’s homes such as Allambie and Warrawee Reception Centre, Infant Life Protection and the Red Cross)
- date of leaving the Home and destination, eg: name of prospective adoptive parents, or return to the child’s mother
- details of the child’s parents – name and address, birthplace and religion
- birthplace and religion of the parents
- any other remarks in relation to the child, eg: immunisation details
Earlier entries record the names of individuals as people referring children to the home, these are likely to be members of the Town and City Mission.
- Matron’s reports 1960 to 1973
- a Visitors Book for the Home from 1973
- reports of visits to the Babies’ Home by the Ladies Committee from 1909 to 1921
Mission Rescue and Children’s Home, Canadian
- Minutes and reports book c.1910- 1912
- Receipts and expenditure book 1902-1921
Ballarat Female Refuge
- Admission book 1892-1921
- Daily occurrence books 1901-1921
- Matron’s reports 1918-1930
- Records relating to the operation of the Steam Laundry at the Refuge 1905-1914
- Female Rescue Home Doctor’s Books, containing information about the pregnancies of inmates 1887-1921
