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Western Australia - Glossary Term
Unmarried Mothers ( - )
- Categories
- Term commonly found on child welfare records
- Location
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Single pregnant women (and their children who were born out of wedlock) were the targets of various charitable endeavours in WA from the earliest days of white settlement. Until at least the late 1970s, to be an unmarried mother carried significant stigma and the approach taken by institutions was usually to hide the young woman away from society. Single pregnant women were generally regarded as a disgrace, and institutions often took a punitive approach to their care. From about the 1940s to the late 1970s, many of these mothers experienced enormous pressure to consent to have their child adopted, which was seen to be a fresh start for both mother and baby.
- Item Title
- Interview with Beryl Grant, Matron of Ngala, 1959-1980
- Date Range
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- Reference
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OH2795
[State Library of Western Australia Call Number]
- Contact
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Please contact the State Library of Western Australia:
Postal address: 25 Francis Street, Perth WA 6000
Phone: (08) 9427 3111
Email: info@slwa.wa.gov.au
Website: http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au
DETAILS
Matron and sisters at the Salvation Army Hillcrest maternity home, North Fremantle, with some new arrivals
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