Sharon Guy, Heritage Worker, with Ballarat Orphanage Exhibition Board, 2008, courtesy of The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre.
Details
The collection at Child and Family Services Ballarat dates from 1865. It includes records of Ballarat District Orphan Asylum, Ballarat Orphanage, Ballarat Children's Homes, Ballarat Orphanage Boys' Hostel and Ballarat Children's Homes and Family Services. The records relate to children who were placed in these residences. The types of records include admission book registers, individual files (from approximately 1930's on), photographic record, short films, and other memorabilia.
Care leavers (and their families) wanting to find information about their time in care, or access personal files can contact Child and Family Services Ballarat.
The collection includes:
* Former residents are given the original copies of letters addressed to them, school reports, wages receipts, and other receipts of purchases, and Child and Family Services Ballarat may keep a copy for their record. The organisation is legally required to keep client files forever. Some former residents have added information to their client file as a way of completing the picture.
Ballarat Female Refuge records
In 2018, the Central Highlands Libraries (Ballarat) transferred records relating to Ballarat Female Refuge from its custody to Child and Family Services Ballarat. The records transferred to CAFS are:
Highlights of the collection include:
In 1992, there was a flood on New Years Eve in the basement at Ballarat, and the photos and files in the bottom of the compactus were damaged.
There are several databases, typed lists and other documentation which are used to search records by Heritage support staff. They include:
Sources used to compile this entry: Andrew Eales, 350 houses threatened, The Courier, Ballarat, 31 June 2002, http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/350-houses-threatened/225591.aspx. Includes a reference to the flood of December 1992 in Ballarat..
Prepared by: Sharon Guy and Rachel Tropea
Created: 11 October 2011, Last modified: 17 February 2021