Victorian Genealogy
Finding People and Places in Victoria, Australia.
Also see Children.
Also see Adoptions.
Also see Benevolent Asylums.
Also see Schools.
Also see Indigenous Victorians.
Also see Courts.
The following were early orphanages in Melbourne and suburbs:
The following were early orphanages in the rest of Victoria:
Industrial schools were established in Victoria in the 1860s. Neglected children who came before the courts were sent to industrial schools.
In 1872 a system of boarding out children was brought in where state wards were placed in foster care in private homes. Industrial schools were abolished in the 1880s.
The following were industrial schools in Melbourne and suburbs:
The following were industrial schools in the rest of Victoria:
There were also training ships for older boys:
Reformatories were established in Victoria in 1864 and continued until 1954. Criminal children who came before the courts were sent to reformatories.
The Public Record Office Victoria holds records of foster children and state wards in Victoria. The Department of Human Services holds more recent records. It should be noted that some of these records are closed under Section 9 and as they relate to children, they will not be released for 99 years after the creation of the records. An application under Freedom of Information may be made.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - WARD OF THE STATE AND CARE LEAVER RECORDS
This is a finding aid for ward of the state and care leaver records.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE VICTORIA - WARD REGISTERS 1864-1894 (VPRS 4527)
These relate to wards of state. These were known as Children's Registers from 1864 to 1894.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/VPRS4527
ANCESTRY - VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA, INDEX TO THE CHILDREN'S REGISTERS OF STATE WARDS, 1850-1893
This is an index of Children's Registers of State Wards. It is culled from the records of the Department for Neglected and Criminal Children and Industrial and Reformatory Schools of the 19th Century. It is searchable and may be browsed.
https://search.ancestry.com.au/search/db.aspx?dbid=1977
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA GENEALOGICAL INDEX OF NAMES - INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS INWARD REGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE 1867-1870
This is an index to correspondence found in Public Record Office Victoria (VPRS 937).
https://www.gsv.org.au/article/our-collection
ARCHIVAL ACCESS VICTORIA - STATE WARD INDEX 1911-1922
This index contains 18,867 names of children who were made wards of the state between 1910 and 1922. The ward number can be used to access the full ward record at Public Record Office Victoria.
https://datastudio.google.com/reporting/1be999a9-5bb1-48fa-8b98-141c82ca7e05/page/xxtWC
ARCHIVAL ACCESS VICTORIA - REGISTER OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS 1893-1925
This database contains approximately 3,000 names of children deemed 'juvenile offenders' between 1893 and 1925 taken from VPRS 545 in Public Record Office Victoria.
https://datastudio.google.com/reporting/e0cc8239-dd7a-4578-880b-fb08c39c4584/page/HLiWC
STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA - MELBOURNE ORPHAN ASYLUM RECORDS 1845-1989 (MS13168)
The collection comprises case files, ca. 1858-1959, admission book ca.1850-1986, official register of inmates, 1887-1975; reports on apprentices, 1913-1917, minute books, annual reports and other documents. The admissions book can be consulted for you by Library staff and if files are found they can be viewed in the Library's Heritage Collections Reading Room.
Access to records that are older than 99 years are available without restriction. To access records 99 years and under, an application to OzChild needs to be made. This is a finding aid.
https://findingaids.slv.vic.gov.au/repositories/3/resources/37
FAMILYSEARCH - GEELONG AND WESTERN DISTRICT PROTESTANT ORPHANAGE ADMISSION RECORDS AND CARD INDEX 1870-1946
This includes minute books 1870-1913 and 1930-1933. Original records were in possession of the Geelong Historical Records Centre, Geelong,
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/232246?availability=Family%20History%20Library
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - PROTESTANT ORPHAN ASYLUM MINUTE BOOKS 1870-1933
These minute books have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database.
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - PROTESTANT ORPHAN ASYLUM DISCHARGES SINCE 1855 (VPRS 1189)
These have been indexed into the Geelong and District Database.
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/databases/potpourri/ppindexes
GEELONG AND DISTRICT WEBSITE - ST. AUGUSTINE'S ORPHANAGE ADMISSIONS AND DISCHARGES 1857-1878
http://zades.com.au/gandd/index.php/geelong/people/gdaugust
FAMILYSEARCH - THE AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN CALENDAR AND EDUCATIONAL REGISTER FOR VICTORIA 1877
This includes a list of staff associated with Industrial and Reformatory Schools in 1877.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/571440?availability=Family%20History%20Library
FIND AND CONNECT - HISTORY AND INFORMATION ABOUT AUSTRALIAN ORPHANAGES, CHILDREN'S HOMES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS
https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/
CARE LEAVERS AUSTRALASIA NETWORK (CLAN)
Care Leavers Australasia Network offers support to people who have grown up in orphanages, children’s homes, missions, foster care and other child welfare institutions in Australia and New Zealand. They also support close family members of care leavers.
OPEN PLACE
Open Place is a support and advocacy service that co-ordinates and provides direct assistance to address the needs of people who grew up in Victorian orphanages and homes prior to 1989. Open Place aims to also help people who identify as 'Forgotten Australians' to deal with the legacy of their childhood experiences, including assisting people to access records from their time in ‘care’.
VICTORIAN ADOPTION NETWORK FOR INFORMATION AND SELF HELP (VANISH)
VANISH is a post adoption support organisation funded by the Victorian Government to provide search and support services for individuals who are adopted or who were separated from their child through past adoption practices. VANISH also provides search services for people who grew up in Victorian orphanages and homes, and care leavers.
LINK-UP VICTORIA
If you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, over 18 years of age, living in Victoria or Tasmania and have been separated from family, community and culture they can assist you to find and be reunited with your family, culture and traditional country.https://linkupvictoria.org.au/
CONNECTING HOME
Connecting Home is an independent Aboriginal organisation supporting survivors of the Stolen Generations across South Eastern Australia. We work collaboratively across the Aboriginal and broader mainstream service sectors, to respond to the varied needs of survivors and their families.https://connectinghome.org.au/
CHILD MIGRANTS TRUST
Child Migrants Trust (CMT) is a registered charity in both Australia and Britain. CMT provides a range of social work services, including counselling and support for family reunions. CMT's offices in Nottingham, England, as well as Perth and Melbourne in Australia also offer information, advice and family research to former child migrants and their families.
https://www.childmigrantstrust.com/
PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE VICTORIA - FINDING YOUR STORY
Produced by Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, Public Record Office Victoria and the Victorian Koorie Records Taskforce, Finding Your Story is reference tool for Indigenous Victorians seeking information on their separation.
https://prov.vic.gov.au/koorie-services/finding-your-story
CARE LEAVERS AUSTRALASIA NETWORK - AUSTRALIAN ORPHANAGE MUSEUM
Care Leavers Australasia Network was established in 2000 in Sydney by Care Leavers for Care Leavers and has always maintained an Australian Orphanage Museum, so that their history is visible to all Australians. They have hundreds of items in their Orphanage Museum on display at their office in Geelong, Victoria.
https://clan.org.au/australian-orphanage-museum/
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