Health, Homes and Adoption
A collection of links related to Australian history. Some include online databases for things such as early school, homes and hospital records.
Jump to:
- Australian Capital Territory
- Queensland
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Northern Territory
- National
Australian Capital Territory
Queensland
Archives - Queensland State Archives is the storage place of numerous records for Queensland government and Queensland government agencies. Access is provided to numerous online indexes including assisted immigration, inquests, divorces, probate and much more. Also available are Brief Guides on many subjects and a catalogue search. The Queensland State Archives holds many of the nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth century records on Queensland government schools, hospitals, asylums, medical staff, orphanages and children’s homes.
Queensland Archives has compiled indexes of their archival records. Use these links to get to the page and search the index database by name.
- Brisbane Hospital Admissions 1872-1887
- Brisbane Hospital registers of deaths 1899-1913
- Brisbane Hospital Registers Deaths 1933-1963
- Consumptive patients index 1897-1902
- Dentist Apprentices 1903-1925
- Dental Board 1900-1931
- Dentists 1903-1932
- Mackay Hospital Hospital Admissions 1891-1908
- Nurses examinations 1912-1925
- Teachers 1860-1905
- Toowoomba Girls Reformatory admissions 1881 - 1903
- Toowoomba Girls Reformatory Discharges 1882-1903
- Reformatory School for Boys admissions 1871 to 1906
Once you get to the Queensland Archives page, here's how to use it:
- Scroll down to "Index Categories"
- Click on the appropriate radio button for the type of records you are looking for - this will then expand to show what record sets are available.
- Click on the appropriate radio button for the records you are looking for - this will then expand (below the list) to show a search area where you can input names etc.
You may also be able to download the full index using a link that will appear on the top right of the page or below the search box (depending on what device you are using, eg: desktop, iPad etc).
Try also
- International Adoptive Families of Queensland Inc. - non-profit support group for Queensland families involved in overseas adoptions
New South Wales
- Child Care and Protection Index - 1817 to 1886 This index combines: Mittagong Farm home for Boys (1907-1921); Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children (1852-1915); Orphan schools records (1817-1886) and Industrial schools records (1867-1942).
- Infirm / Destitute (Government) Asylums Indexes - 1880 to 1896
- Sydney Benevolent Asylum admissions and discharges 1857-1900
- Bubonic Plague Index
Victoria
- Adoption and wardship (1864-1961) Records of children in state care
- Adoption records 1850-1961
- Wards of state (1864-1966) You can search by name up until 1894. Records from 1894-1915 must be identified by date range.
- Hospital patient records Hospitals kept various records about the patients in their care, from simple lists of who was a patient to detailed medical notes about treatment. These archived records are mostly from hospitals that have now closed except for the Royal Women’s Hospital which is still operating.
- Mental health records (1849-1912) Some name indexes are online and will give you information like the asylum name and date of admission. Most records are not digitised and you will need to visit the North Melbourne Reading Room.
- 1849 - 1885 digitised listing of patients in asylums PROV has digitised copy of a master list of patients for each asylum from 1849-1885. This may help you identify which asylum your relative may have been admitted. It will also offer the admission date which can then help you identify the case file for that patient.
- Register of Vaccinations, Registrar General (1857 – 1932)
- Case Books of Male Patients, Beechworth Asylum, 1867-1912
- Case Books of Female Patients, Beechworth Asylum, 1878-1912
- Index to Male and Female Case Books, Yarra Bend Asylum, 1848-1912
- Nominal Register of Patients, Royal Park Hospital for the Insane, 1907-1913
- Nominal Register of Patients, Kew Asylum, 1871-1906
- Nominal Register of Patients, Ballarat Asylum, 1893-1907
- Nominal Register of Patients, Ararat Asylum, 1867-1906
- Nominal Register of Patients, Ballarat/Sunbury Asylums, 1877-1907
- Alphabetical Lists of Patients in Asylums, 1849-1885
- Asylum Records [Case Books], Sunnyside Licensed House, 1905-1915
- Register of Patients, Bendigo Receiving Ward, 1874-1908
- Register of Patients, Kew Asylum, 1871-1919
- Nominal Register of Patients, Kew Asylum, 1871-1914
- Register of Patients, Collingwood Asylum, 1866-1873
- Register of Patients, Ballarat/Sunbury Asylums, 1877-1920
- VPRS 4527 – Children’s Ward Registers (1864 – 1879)
Western Australia
- PHIND Personal History Index - former child migrants to catholic homes in Australia 1938 - 1965. Restricted access, contact for details
South Australia
- The Manning Index of South Australian HistoryThe Index contains many thousands of references to South Australian newspaper and magazine stories for the years 1837 to 1937. It also includes extensive selected text from the indexed publications, other primary and secondary sources and numerous extracts from Mr Manning's own writings.
Tasmania
Northern Territory
National
- Supporting Old Boys and Girls - Barnardos Australia - Index for former child migrants to Catholic homes in Australia 1938 - 1965 (restricted access, contact for details)
- PHIND Personal History Index - former child migrants to catholic homes in Australia 1938 - 1965. Restricted access, contact for details
- Find and Connect - History and information about Australian Orphanages, children's homes and other institutions
- Anglican Records & Archives Centre - Indexes and information