Life as a child in care
Introduction
Find Tasmanian records for:
- orphanages and children in care
- charitable institutions
- community welfare organisations
What is online?
For multiple items (for example SWD26):
- Scroll down to “items in series”
- Choose an item. This will link to more details
- ‘View online’ is beside the item number
Queens Orphan School
- 1828-1863 Register of children admitted and discharged from the Male and Female Orphan School (SWD28/1/1)
- 1851-1863 Register of children admitted and discharged from the Infant School, Queen’s Orphan School (SWD6/1/1)
- 1859-1879 Applications for admission to the Queen’s Orphan School, with associated papers, volumes 1-12 (SWD26) Individual names in volumes 1-8 are in the Tasmanian Names Index.
- 1858-1879 Register of applications for admission to the Queen’s Orphan School (SWD27/1/1). The Tasmanian Names Index contains the child’s name for the years 1859-1864 (to volume 8 of SWD26). See also Applications for Queen’s Orphanage: Hobart Town 1858-1878 by Joyce Purtscher (not online)
- 1860-1886 Register of children apprenticed from the Queens Asylum (SWD32)
Launceston Benevolent Society
- 1869-1878 Indexed report book of the inspector on cases seeking aid (NS185/1/1)
- 1898-1915 Launceston Benevolent Asylum (NS1172/1/1) The Society manages these records
Other relevant records online
- 1869-1898 Register of children admitted to the following institutions who had a government allowance (SWD37/1/1 and SWD37/1/2)
- Boys’ Home Lansdowne Crescent Hobart
- Girls’ Industrial School Trinity Hill
- Hobart Training School for Females
- Girls’ Launceston Female Industrial School
- St Joseph’s Orphanage
- 1871 House of Assembly Paper, “Charitable Institutions”, Report of Royal Commission
- 1873-1897 Register of Tasmanian incapacitated persons maintained by institutions in other colonies in Australia
- 1874-1884 Register of paupers sent from Hamilton to the General Hospital and Invalid Depot (POL302/1/1)
- 1876 Return of and applications for paupers to be admitted to charitable institutions (SWD38)
- 1879-1886 Register of boarded out children who have been sent to service (SWD10)
- 1879-1886 Register of persons receiving compassionate allowances who have to make repayments (SWD42)
- 1881-1894 Register of applications from individuals to become foster parents (SWD44)
- 1881-1895 Register of applications for apprentices (SWD34)
- 1887-1954 Correspondence about the custody and welfare of children (SWD1)
- 1890-1894 Register of admissions to the Lying-in Hospital, Cascades (SWD39)
- 1914-1929 Alphabetical register of admissions to the Boys’ Training School, and New Town Infirmary and Consumptive Home (HSD274/1/1). While the latter continued to 1934, digitisation is to 1929 only. The Institution later became the New Town Rest Home, then St John’s Park Hospital.
What else is there?
Archival records
You will find many references to clients through an online basic search. Records less than 75 years will not appear as access is restricted. This will find the following types of records quicker than searching each hyperlink below.
- 1915-1994 General welfare case files (AA226)
- 1913-1971 Applications and associated correspondence for compassionate allowances (SWD70)
- Some record categories are not searchable by name online with a basic search.
Indexes and registers are valuable because:
- not all files have survived
- they can provide a summary history of events.
Unrestricted community welfare finding aids:
- 1897-1919 Indexed register of wards of state (AD243). The index provides the page number in the register. See ‘Description’ on the webpage for details provided.
- 1881-1892 Index to children boarded-out (SWD43)
- 1864-1879 Register of cases admitted to the New Norfolk Asylum on the authority of the Colonial Secretary (SWD36). See especially the separate brief guide, Royal Derwent Hospital 1827-2000.
- 1881-1896 Indexed minutes of meetings, Central Committee for Boarding-Out Destitute Children (SWD57)
- Boys Training School – Alphabetical admission register (AA682). See also HSD274/1/1, above.
Government Agencies
- 1828-1860 Kings/Queens Orphans School (TA148) Some records are online.
- 1861-1879 Queens Asylum (TA149) Some records are online.
- 1872-1934 Charitable Grants Department (TA21)
- 1881-1896 Central Committee for Boarding-Out Destitute Children (TA147)
- 1884-1922 Boys Training School (TA470)
- 1896-1918 Department of Neglected Children (TA145)
- 1918-1936 Children of the State Department (TA146)
- 1934-1961 Social Services Department (TA144)
- 1961-1983 Department of Social Welfare (TA88)
- 1983-1989 Department for Community Welfare (TA1028)
Non-Government Organisations
- 1859-1992 Hobart Benevolent Society (NS1637)
- 1869- Launceston Benevolent Society (NG185)
- 1913-1954 Launceston Home for Invalids (TA1911)
- 1921-1984 Glenara Northern Tasmanian home for boys (NG2054)
Library resources
- Works by Joyce Purtscher
- Poverty is not a crime: the development of social services in Tasmania 1803-1900 by Joan Brown
- Other library holdings about orphans in Tasmania
- The wider scene – library resources on welfare in Australia
Notes
- Always read How to Use Series instructions on the Series Details pages if intending to publish. There might be copyright limits.
- Most records younger than 75 years are not accessible.
- The Queens Orphan School cared for many children born to convict women or who accompanied their mothers on a convict ship. The children stayed at the School until their parents could care for them or they were old enough to work.
Related
What can I find from other organisations?
We provide limited access to welfare records to ensure privacy is respected.
If you believe there are records on a family member, please apply to the Department of Health and Human Services for access.
The following organisations may also be of use:
Hobart Benevolent Society
27 Watchorn Street,
Hobart TAS 7000
(03) 6234 1296
Uniting Care Tasmania has managed the Society since 2013.