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Western Australia - Event
Child and Youth Migration to Western Australia (1913 - 1968)
- From
- 1913
- To
- 1968
- Categories
- Policy
Children and young people under the age of 21 have been sent to Australia as unaccompanied child migrants since the 1800s. Western Australia was the major destination for post-World War II child migrants to Australia, with 48 per cent of the children from Britain and Malta coming to the State. The Commonwealth Immigration (Guardianship of Children) Act 1946 made the Commonwealth Minister for Immigration the child migrants' legal guardian. This guardianship power was delegated to the relevant state-based organisations. British, Maltese and State Governments subsidised the program financially.
Publications
Books
- Bean, Philip and Melville, Joy, Lost Children of the Empire, Unwin Hyman, London, 1990. Details
- Coldrey, Barry M., The Scheme: the Christian Brothers and Childcare in Western Australia, Argyle-Pacific Pub., O'Connor, W.A., 1993. Details
- Gill, Alan, Orphans of the empire : the shocking story of child migration to Australia, Millenium Books, Alexandria, NSW, 1997. Details
- Hawkins, John Patrick, The bush orphanage : recollections of a British child migrant and the truth about Australia's human trafficking past, Jolo, Docklands, Victoria, 2009. Details
- Humphreys, Laurie, A Chip off What Block?, Laurie Humphreys, Samson, Western Australia, 2007. Details
- Plowman, David, Enduring Struggle, Scholastic Press Australia, Broadway, Nedlands, Western Australia, 2003. Details
- Sherington, Geoffrey and Jeffery, Chris, Fairbridge : Empire and child migration, University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, Western Australia, 1998. Details
- Taylor, Robert Bernard, Who am I?, Chargan My Book Publisher, Perth, Western Australia, 2011. Details
- Wagner, Gillian, Children of the Empire, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London, 1982. Details
- Welsh, Lionel P, Geordie: orphan of the empire, P&B Press, Perth, 1990. Details
Journals
- Catholic Church, Archdiocese of Perth (ed.), The Record, 1874-. The Catholic newspaper ‘The Record’ has many articles about the Catholic Migration Scheme. Details
Newspaper Articles
- 'Bob breaks silence on sad Bindoon past', Community Newspaper Group, 2 June 2011. Details
- Turnbull, Malcolm, 'Malcolm Turnbull apology to Forgotten Australians', The Australian, 16 November 2009. Details
Online Resources
- Child migration, National Archives of Australia, https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/immigration-and-citizenship/child-migration. Details
- On their own: Britain's child migrants, Australian National Maritime Museum and National Museums Liverpool 2010, http://www.britainschildmigrants.com. Details
- 'Children on the Asturius arriving in Western Australia, October 1950 [picture]', in State Library of Western Australia website, State Library of Western Australia, http://catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b1983529~S2. Details
- Hidden Lives Revealed [The Children's Society, UK], The Children’s Society, http://www.hiddenlives.org.uk. Details
- 'Boy Migrants', The West Australian, 10 August 1938, p. 8, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42103871. Details
- 'Cosgrove, Oliver Manuscript Note', in State Library of Western Australia website, State Library of Western Australia, 1998, http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn1501_2000/mn1621.pdf. Details
- Father Hudson's Society, Father Hudson’s Society, 2008, http://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk. Details
- 'Database of Archives of Non-Governmental Organisations', University of Birmingham, 2009, https://web.archive.org/web/20090316042456/http://www.dango.bham.ac.uk/index.htm. Details
- 'Remember: Bob Taylor', ABC, 30 June 2011, http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2011/06/21/3249817.htm. Details
- 'Forgotten Australians: Laurie's story - A child migrant story', in Forgotten Australians: life stories, Alliance for Forgotten Australians, 2011, https://youtu.be/rnO5mCR8ggs. Details
- 'The ‘Adoption Search Reunion’ web resource may be a useful source of information for people who were involved in child and youth migration from Britain who wish to reconnect with families of origin.', Adoption Search Reunion, 2014, http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/default.htm. Details
- Catholic Child Welfare Council, 'CCWC Minutes of Evidence Document 5', in Minutes of Evidence Taken Before the Health Committee on 11 June 1998, Parliament of the United Kingdom, 11 June 1998, https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmhealth/755/8061108.htm. Details
- Coldrey, Barry, 'Submission No. 15 Inquiry into Child Migration', in Inquiry into child migration, Senate Community Affairs Committee, Commonwealth of Australia, 2001, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/completed_inquiries/1999-02/child_migrat/submissions/sublist.htm. p.15. Details
- Coldrey, Barry, Good British Stock: Child and Youth Migration to Australia, National Archives of Australia, 1999, https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research/research-guides/good-british-stock-child-and-youth-migration-australia. Details
- Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities, Child Migrants: Accessing records held by Commonwealth and State Archives, CAARA, 2010, http://www.caara.org.au/index.php/publications/child-migrants-accessing-records-held-by-commonwealth-and-state-archives/. Details
- SS Asturias, 2012, http://www.ssasturias.net/the_lost_children.html. Details
- National Directory of Records of Catholic Organisations Caring for Children Separated from Families, A Piece of the Story: A Research Project Undertaken by the Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission and the Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, November 1999, https://cssa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Piece-of-the-Story.pdf. Details
- Parliament of Australia Senate, Lost Innocents: Righting the Record Report on Child Migration, Community Affairs References Committee, Senate Printing Unit, Canberra, 2001, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/completed_inquiries/1999-02/child_migrat/report/index.htm. A definition of child migrants relevant to WA can be found in Chapter 2 at paragraph 2.8. Details
- Rudd, Kevin, Address at the apology to the Forgotten Australians and former child migrants Great Hall, Parliament House, Commonwealth of Australia, 16 November 2009, http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/110625/20091116-1801/www.pm.gov.au/node/6321.html. Details
- Senate Community Affairs Committee, 'Inquiry into child migration', in Parliament of Australia website, Commonwealth of Australia, 2001, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/completed_inquiries/1999-02/child_migrat/submissions/sublist.htm. Details
- Senate Community Affairs Committee, 'Inquiry into Children in Institutional Care - Submissions received by the committee as at 17/3/05', in Forgotten Australians: A report on Australians who experienced institution or out-of-home care as children, Parliament of Australia Senate, Commonwealth of Australia, 17 March 2005, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/inst_care/submissions/sublist. Details
- Senate Community Affairs References Committee Secretariat, Parliament of Australia, Lost Innocents and Forgotten Australians Revisited: Report on the progress with the implementation of the recommendations of the Lost Innocents and Forgotten Australians Reports, Parliament of Australia website, Commonwealth of Australia, 25 June 2009, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2008-10/recs_lost_innocents_forgotten_aust_rpts/report/index. Details
- Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs, 'Protecting vulnerable children: a national challenge', in Inquiry into Children in Institutional Care (2003 - 2004), Commonwealth of Australia, 17 March 2005, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/completed_inquiries/2004-07/inst_care/report2/index.htm. Details
Photos
- Title
- Departures from Britain and Malta Slideshow
- Type
- Video
- Date
- 1940s - 1950s
- Source
- Christian Brothers Institution Albums 1 & 2 (Holy Spirit Collection)
Details
- Title
- Child Migrants at Bindoon
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1944
- Source
- Christian Brothers Institution Albums 1 & 2 (Holy Spirit Collection)
Details
- Title
- Group of Child Migrants at Bindoon
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1947
- Source
- Christian Brothers Institution Albums 1 & 2 (Holy Spirit Collection)
Details
- Title
- Seven Child Migrants from Britain, Bindoon
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1948
- Source
- Christian Brothers Institution Albums 1 & 2 (Holy Spirit Collection)
Details
- Title
- British Child Migrants, Bindoon
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1948
- Source
- Christian Brothers Institution Albums 1 & 2 (Holy Spirit Collection)
Details
- Title
- Migrant Girls at Home in Victoria Park, 1950
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1950
- Publisher
- State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- Child Migrants at Home in Victoria Park, 1950
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1950
- Publisher
- State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- Child migrants on the Asturius, 1950
- Type
- Image
- Date
- October 1950
- Publisher
- State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- Man talking to a group of children, 1950
- Type
- Image
- Date
- November 1950
- Publisher
- State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II
- Type
- Document
- Date
- 1951 - 1952
- Source
- National Archives of Australia
- Note
- The John Moss Visit to Australia file Part II documents the reasoning behind many post-World War II child migration practices and policies.
Details
- Title
- Cottage for migrant children, Fairbridge, 1953
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1953
- Publisher
- State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- Girls at a cookery lesson, Fairbridge, 1953
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1953
- Source
- Government Photographer collection, State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- Boys at the Fairbridge forge, 1953
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 1953
- Publisher
- State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- Woodwork class, Fairbridge, 1953
- Type
- Image
- Date
- June 1953
- Source
- Government Photographer collection, State Library of Western Australia
Details
- Title
- The Leaving of Liverpool
- Type
- Video
- Date
- 1992
- Source
- National Film and Sound Archive
Details
- Title
- A Chip off What Block?
- Type
- Image
- Date
- 2007
Details
- Title
- Prime Minister says sorry
- Type
- Video
- Date
- 15 November 2009
- Source
- Posted on Youtube by NewsOnABC
Details
Sources used to compile this entry: Coldrey, Barry, 'Submission No. 15 Inquiry into Child Migration', in Inquiry into child migration, Senate Community Affairs Committee, Commonwealth of Australia, 2001, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/completed_inquiries/1999-02/child_migrat/submissions/sublist.htm. p.15.;
Parliament of Australia Senate, Lost Innocents: Righting the Record Report on Child Migration, Community Affairs References Committee, Senate Printing Unit, Canberra, 2001, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/completed_inquiries/1999-02/child_migrat/report/index.htm. A definition of child migrants relevant to WA can be found in Chapter 2 at paragraph 2.8..
Prepared by: Rosemary Francis and Debra Rosser
Created: 9 November 2011, Last modified: 8 February 2019