Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1947-10-03 - (Creation)
- 1947-10-03 - 1960-08-08 (Accumulation)
Level of description
Medium
Format
Status
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
In 1927 the State Children Act Amendment Act was passed changing the name of the principal Act and the State Children's Department to Child Welfare Act and Child Welfare Department respectively. Responsibility for the Child Welfare function remained with the Chief Secretary until 1931 when it was passed to the Minister for Mines.
In 1934 a separate portfolio was created for child welfare. The Child Welfare Department was abolished in 1972 and its functions passed to the newly created Department for Community Welfare.
Repository
Archival history
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Under the terms of the Immigration (Guardianship of Children) Act 1946 (Cwth), guardianship of immigrant children was vested in the Minister for Immigration in each State.
By an Instrument of delegation dated 19 December 1946, the powers and functions of guardianship for Western Australia were delegated to the Under Secretary for Lands and Immigration.
This series of records consists of two types of indentures:
Items 1 to 4 consists of legal agreements between the Under Secretary and custodians of child migrants to be placed in State care;
Items 5 to 14 consists of legal agreements between the Under Secretary and various children's homes which acted as custodians of child migrants.
The records also contain a small selection of apprenticeship agreements for child migrants.
(Files in this Record Series include items that were previously listed at the State Records Office at reference: AN 320/10, Accession 2868).