The House of Mercy and Retreat for Women Records is a collection of records created between 1881-1975 by staff and officers of the Home. The records collection includes an admissions and discharges register; baptism records; committee minutes and correspondence; annual reports; matron's reports; social workers' reports and correspondence; financial records; property records; and a small number of photographs.
Former residents of the children's Homes of the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide and Church of England, or members of their families, can apply to the Diocesan Archivist to be provided with information and/or copies of records relevant to their time in care. Physical access to the historical records of the children's Homes or the church's Social Welfare Bureau is not permitted due to the fragility of the material and the need to protect the privacy of third parties.
Record keeping practices varied significantly from one Home to another and from one time period to another, with respect to the quantity and types of records that were created and preserved. Many of the following records are fragmentary or incomplete, or were created only for specific time periods during the overall duration of the Homes.
The House of Mercy and Retreat for Women Records includes an admission and discharges register, baptism records, annual reports, minutes and correspondence, matron's reports, social workers' reports, financial records, property records and some photographs.
The records in this collection include:
(Some of these records were previously described on the Find & Connect web resource as Miscellaneous Records, House of Mercy (1960s - 1970s).)
Sources used to compile this entry: George, Karen, 'Section 1:12', Finding your own way, Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc., 2005, http://nunku.org.au/resources/; This entry has been updated with information received from the record holders. The source documents are held in the eScholarship Research Centre files at the University of Melbourne.
Prepared by: Nicola Laurent
Created: 11 August 2011, Last modified: 28 June 2018