This file in the National Archives of Australia contains reports to the Commonwealth Department of Immigration about children who had come as unaccompanied child migrants to Western Australia. Some children are named in the file, and there are general reports on educational and health conditions as well as correspondence about bringing Maltese child migrants to…
The child migration selection documents for Maltese children were created by the Chief Migration Officer of Australia House in Rome under the Commonwealth Child Migration Scheme. Many of the records hold a lot of information about children from Malta (and their brothers and sisters if they were travelling together). However, some records unfortunately have less…
The title of this series at the National Archives of Australia (‘child migrant selection documents)’ is a bit misleading, because these records don’t usually give any information about why a child was ‘selected’ to come to Australia, except for his/her general medical fitness. These documents were prepared by the child’s guardian before they left Britain…
This series comprises 2 books of duplicate copies of Certificates of Naturalisation as Australian citizens for Children (special cases). Prior to 1949, people wishing to become naturalised in Australia were made British citizens. However, from 26 January 1949 (Australia Day), people who immigrated to Australia were able to apply for Australian citizenship. Children who arrived…
The Metropolitan Cemeteries Board is a statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia. The Board is responsible for managing cemeteries at Fremantle, Guildford, Karrakatta, Midland, Pinnaroo and Rockingham. Their website holds a number of useful links and resources to help people discover their family history.
Sunday Island Mission was established in 1899 as a private mission by Sydney Hadley. It was run by the Australian Aborigines’ Mission (1923-1929) and the United Aborigines Mission from 1929 to 1934 when it relocated to Wotjulum (1934-1937) before returning to Sunday Island. From 1905, children at Sunday Island were under the guardianship of the…
The Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, known widely as the ‘Trappists’, came to Beagle Bay in Western Australia in 1895 to establish a mission. The mission was transferred to the Pallottines by 1901.
The Orfelin Ecole, or ‘orphan school’ in Broome was established some time during or after 1895 by the parish priest, Trappist Father Nicholas Maria Emo, known as ‘Father Nicholas’. It ran for three years with a total of thirty seven students who most likely lived at the school. Father Nicholas gave testimony (in French) to…
The Swan Native and Half-Caste Mission was run by the Anglican Church in Guildford (Middle Swan) from 1888 to 1920. It continued Bishop Hale’s Institution for Native and Half-Caste Children. Aboriginal boys and girls were accommodated at the mission, in separate ‘branches’. The boys’ branch included non-Aboriginal boys by 1899, possibly earlier. The mission closed…
St Joseph’s Native School and Orphanage, New Norcia, dates from 1861 when it established by the Benedictine Fathers. From 1904 until it closed in 1974, it was run by the Benedictine Missionary Sisters. Aboriginal girls and young women lived and went to school there. Tilbrook (1983) reports that sisters ‘Elizabeth and Helen (or Ellen) Tainan…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
