These are records created by May Villa and the May Villa Community Care School that are held by Museums of History NSW (State Archives). The records contain information about children that lived at May Villa, and include admission and discharge registers, punishment registers, medical records, information about foster parents, financial records, and a school diary.
Access Conditions
Access to these records is currently restricted. In New South Wales, records relating to individuals, such as case files and correspondence are closed to public access for 100 years. Records such as registers and indexes are closed to public access for 80 years.
Care Leavers wishing to access records about themselves will need to complete a Care Leaver Records Access Application Form (downloadable from the Care Leaver Records Access Unit website or available at a Community Services Centre). Completed application forms with proof of identity can be sent to the Care Leaver Records Access Unit, or lodged with a Community Services Centre. For further information please contact the Care Leaver Records Access Unit.
Records
The following are a selection of records created May Villa and May Villa Community Care School, and held by Museums of History. Listed here are the titles and dates of records, their series/reference number (required when ordering records for viewing), and summaries of descriptions as published on the Museums of History State Archives catalogue.
These records are known to contain information about children at May Villa. In addition to these records, Museums of History hold further administrative and operational records created by the Home that are less likely to contain personal information about children. For a list of all records created by the Home please see the May Villa Agency description on the Museums of History website.
- Admission and Discharge Register, 1933-1956. Reference Number: NRS-20476.
This register contains information about children admitted to and discharged from May Villa. It includes information such as date of admission, child’s name, date of birth, religion, from whom received, address, date of discharge, to whom discharged, address, how placed, and additional remarks.
- Admission and discharge register, weekly movement, 1956-1960. Reference Number: NRS-20482.
These registers record information about children admitted to and discharged from May Villa. It includes information such as date of admission, child’s name, date of birth, religion, reason for admission, name of court that ordered their admission, if transferring from another institution or returning from leave/absconding/hospital stay, date of discharge, where being discharged to and why.
- Admission Register, 1977-1979. Reference Number: NRS-20483.
This register records information about children admitted to May Villa. It includes information such as date of admission, name, date of birth and age, type of admission, from whom received, address, and other notes.
- Punishment register, 1942-1976. Reference Number: NRS-20484.
This register records names of children who received punishments at May Villa. The only information in the register is in an index, which lists the name of the child, punishment received, reason for punishment, and date. Although the register contains a form for recording of details of punishments delivered, this has not been used.
- Medical Register, 1949-1980. Reference Number: NRS20513.
This register records information about children receiving medical treatment at May Villa. It includes information such as date, name of child, medical complaint, treatment, and additional notes on ongoing medication or instructions to be followed.
- Cash Envelopes, 1965-1978. Reference Number NRS-20495.
This series of cash envelopes record information about payments made for children living at May Villa. They include information such as name of the child, amount paid, balance, signature, and serial numbers of other cast envelopes for that child. State Archives also holds a register of cash envelopes.
- Principal’s diary [May Villa Community Care School], 1966. Reference Number: NRS-20568.
This diary contains information about daily occurrences at the school on the May Villa site. Entries in the diary were written by the principal of the school, and includes personal observations and notes about the students.
- Copy of index to foster-parents and wards, 1982-1983. Reference Number: NRS-20487.
This microfiche index contains information about state wards and foster parents in NSW. It is a copy of an index held by the Department overseeing child welfare, and as such includes information about children who were placed at other institutions, not just May Villa. The index includes information such as file number, name of child or foster parent, reference to “B” (state ward) or “W” (foster parent) case files, address, sex, birth date, and commitment and commencement dates.
- Automatic Data Processing (A.D.P) printouts of wards, 1982-1983. Reference Number: NRS-20492.
These printouts contain information about state wards placed at May Villa. Information on the printouts includes file number, name, reference to “B” (state ward) or “W” (foster parent) case files, address, sex, birth date, pocket money rate category, and commitment and commencement dates.
