Some people may find content on this website distressing. Read more
New South Wales - Archival Series

Dependent Children Registers (1883 - 1923)

From
1883
To
1923
Alternative Names
  • DCR (acronym)
Website
https://mhnsw.au/indexes/child-care-and-protection/dependent-children-registers/
Reference No
13358
Legal Status
State Records Authority of New South Wales Series Number

The Dependent Children Registers relate to children who were admitted to State care between 1883 and 1923. They record where the dependent children were placed (whether with foster parents or guardians). Some of the children were eventually adopted. The registers give: name of child; age; religion; where received; name and known address of parents and remarks; particulars of foster parents and guardians, i.e. names, addresses, dates when received and when transferred, and how placed; and how eventually disposed of and date (this may be by adoption, back to custody of one or both parents, or the child may have attained the age of eighteen).

Details

Access Conditions

Open access and available online.

Records

Quantity: 37 volumes

The Dependent Children Registers have been indexed and digitised and are available online. There are 28910 entries in the index. The index records a child's name, date of birth, date admitted to care, names of parents, and foster parents. For each child listed in the index, their Register entry is available digitally.

Related Organisations

Publications

Resources

  • Dependent children registers, 1883-1923 [microform] / State Children's Relief Board, Manuscript, Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies, Blackburn, 1995. Details

Online Resources

Sources used to compile this entry: Thinee, Kristy and Bradford, Tracy, Connecting Kin: Guide to Records, A guide to help people separated from their families search for their records [completed in 1998], New South Wales Department of Community Services, Sydney, New South Wales, 1998, https://clan.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/connectkin_guide.pdf.

Prepared by: Naomi Parry