National Archives of Australia
'John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II' is a file held online by the National Archives of Australia. The file has drafts of reports made by Mr John Moss CBE a 'UK Child Expert' who worked for the Home Office in Britain. Moss visited Australia and New Zealand and examined the Homes and support systems for child migrants from Britain.
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Information in the file, 'John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II' documents Moss' impressions of Fairbridge Farm School Pinjarra, St Joseph's Girls' Orphanage, Clontarf, Castledare, Nazareth House Geraldton, Bindoon, Tardun, Swan Homes, Padbury Farm School, William A Saw Home, Coogee, and the Methodist Children's Home in Western Australia. Clarification about Moss' findings, through Minutes or correspondence, is given by authorities in Australia. In particular, the file refers to the following matters:
The John Moss Visit to Australia file Part II documents the reasoning behind child migration practices and policies including: reasons why British children were sent to institutions rather than foster care in Australia (pp.32-33); age of child migrants and matters of consent (pp.39, 45-48, 174-175); 'case histories' of children (pp.49-50); inspections (p.51) and administration (p.156) by the Child Welfare Department and the lack of child guidance and social work facilities in WA (p.55); employment and aftercare (pp.66-75); types of institutions (pp.105-114); ablutions, sanitation and meals in the institutions (pp.115-118); staffing and child labour (pp.119-124); education of children (pp.126-131) and policy regarding IQ tests (p.151); conditions and environment of the Homes (pp.132-134); pocket money (pp.135-136); outside contacts, visitors, camps and trips (pp.137-142); legislation and subsidies (pp.149, 154); and pre-emigration practices in the UK (pp.173-174).
Sources used to compile this entry: John Moss C.B.E. U.K. Child Welfare Expert. Visit to Australia. Part II [Document], Date: 1951 - 1952.
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 19 March 2013, Last modified: 26 November 2020