This is a particular interest of mine and I am working in this space almost continually. I include only some of the many activities that I have been associated with.
Conventional histories of children’s institutions are dominated by the voices of officials, administrators, and agencies seemingly fixated on funding and facilities. With the demise of such institutions, their heritage was often reduced to bricks and mortar. In the process, the resident children separated from their families and community have been all but invisible.
However, in Australia, as elsewhere, an outpouring of survivor testimony stimulated, and in turn was stimulated by, a chain of formal inquiries and a national sentiment of remorse ushering in an age of apologies. In this new age, the voices of survivors are now being heard with a force not heard in previous eras. The exposure of atrocious child abuse has rightly focussed attention on apologies and redress, but many survivors of institutional ‘care’ are equally intent on understanding why they were in ‘care’ and, where possible, reconnecting with lost or fragmented families.
Many pinned their hopes on official records but discovered what was recorded is painful to read not only because of inaccuracies but also the negativity towards them and disparaging slander of their parents.
In other cases, the narrative is woefully inadequate with long gaps in time when nothing was recorded and an overall lack of crucial information. This paper presents a case study in which the author goes beyond such sources and uncovers a startling story of multi-generational custody in welfare facilities. In doing so, he illustrates the historic ideology underpinning child welfare in Victoria.
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Records can re-traumatise
The exposure of atrocious child abuse has rightly focussed attention on apologies and redress – and the records, if any exist, of abuse and maltreatment. But many survivors of institutional ‘care’ are equally intent on understanding why they were in ‘care’ and, where possible, reconnecting with lost or fragmented families. Many pin their hopes on official records but In many cases the narrative is woefully inadequate with long gaps in time when nothing was recorded and crucial information about parents, medical history and critical incidents is missing.
Many discover that what was recorded is painful to read, not only because of inaccuracies, but also because of the overwhelming negativity towards them and disparaging slander of their parents. Care Leavers find that reading the records can be re-traumatising.
For discussion of the issues see: Jacqueline Z. Wilson & Frank Golding (2016). “Latent scrutiny: Personal Archives as Perpetual Mementos of the Official Gaze”, Archival Science, Vol. 16, No. 1: pp 93-109 First published on line October 2015, DOI 10.1007/s10502-015-9255-3. Available at:https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10502-015-9255-3
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Access to Care Leaver Records
Finding Records in Victoria
Finding Records Website Victoria
A Victorian government website containing more than 200 collection guides to assist in finding historical records of former wards of the state, Care Leavers, Forgotten Australians and Stolen Generations (children, young people, and adults).
It is important to note that there may be more than one record. Each orphanage or children’s Home would have kept a record for each child. If that child was also a state ward, there are also central department records and institutional records in Victoria Start Here
A publicly-funded but independent national website for people who were in out-of-Home Care as children in Victoria. You can use Find and connect to:
- Read about and view images of orphanages, homes, and other residences providing institutional Care in Victoria from its beginnings in the 1840s through to the present.
- Track down records – where they are, who to contact, and what to expect
- Find out about key institutions, agencies, public figures, legislation, and policies.
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More on Care Leaver Records
A number of my publications are on the topic of Cre Leaver records. Find them in chapters or articles.
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Other useful publications are listed on the next page