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HISTORY TIMELINE of ADOPTION IN AUSTRALIA 1880s to present First Edition Compiled and Edited by the Committee of Origins Inc ©2011 FIRST EDITION Compiled & Edited by Committee of Origins SPSA Inc ©2011 2 HISTORY TIMELINE KEY ADOPTION IN AUSTRALIA 1880s to present Image Meaning The Commonwealth New South Wales Queensland Victoria Western Australia South Australia 3 Tasmania ACT Government Northern Territory New Zealand United Nations Medical profession and adoption Social Profession and Adoption Industry Maternity Homes and Unwed Mothers Legal and political 4 The Australian Women’s Weekly Babies for adoption; demand for babies Eugenics Regarding Catholics Regarding Presbyterians and Methodists Regarding Salvation Army Orphanage Feminist Club 5 Women working during the war Infertility/childlessness Spinsters Bumper Adoption Era Savings to governments via adoption of children Promotion of adoption / advertisement regarding how to adopt/babies for adoption 6 HISTORY TIMELINE ADOPTION IN AUSTRALIA 1880s to present 1887i Article titled, “The Benevolent Society of NSW” reports refusal of admission in the lying-in wards of “girls who have fallen more than once.” Nevertheless, they are received on humanitarian grounds and found “situations at service with their infants.” 1890ii Article consists in “A Report by the Treasury” reports: - the problem of infanticide (baby farming, murder or desertion and abortion due to “sexual vice or illegitimacy”); - The observation is made that there is no maternal instinct in a woman
 until she has nursed her child and that, consequently, few mothers think of abandoning their children during the first week after birth; - The circumstances of the unmarried are sternly against the awakening of the maternal instinct, only knowing “pain, suffering, shame and despair”; - We shall never properly punish child killing till we have sterner regard to the guilt lying on the fathers”; - A preference is made for Dr Youl’s Infant Asylum, “confined to women who have fallen for the first time, in which mothers remain until the child is weaned”, with the option of adoption, boarding out or government industrial schools.
1894iii Article titled, “Increase in Poverty in Sydney” gives details of a report on the increase of poverty presented to the Benevolent Society has noted that: 1894iv 10th March 1901v - - there has been a large increase of relief of the Society to unmarried women who have been treated in the maternity ward; this in not due to poverty, it is believed, but an increase in immorality; “Nine-tenths of unmarried mothers come from the servant-girl class.
Those of that type are “invariably thriftless and of a low standard of intelligence.” Article titled, “IMPROPER FEEDING OF INFANTS” reports: “The city coroner, Dr. Youl, held inquests yesterday concerning the causes of death of two infants…who died whilst boarded out with nurses The mothers of the children were unmarried, and boarded the infants out at a weekly fee.
In each case the cause of death was inflammation of the bowels, due to unsuitable feeding, and verdicts were returned by the juries accordingly.” Article titled, “Religion without frills” is about the work of the Salvation Army in Australia, reports that: “The social work of the Army provides medical attention, nursing, and every comfort for unfortunate girls in trouble, makes a point of finding missing " strays," and generally does more practical good in one week than fashionable religion 7 effects in a twelve month…The saddest fact is that many girls who fall, becoming hopeless and reckless, sink into lower depths of shame and increase the hordes of prostitutes, whose abode is in the darkness and the houses of ill-fame.
This must not be!

Why should a poor girl have a millstone of ostracism hung round her neckband be cast into the sea of public disgrace, while the man, who is Jar more to blame than she, deserts her, and is accepted into society without a blush?

The Salvation Army Maternity Home exists to prevent this.

It serves a twofold purpose -to shield and save the girl, and to hunt the man up and bring him to justice.
At the present there are ten Maternity Homes in the Commonwealth.” 1905 Infant Life Protection Act passed 1907vi 1910vii 1909 1910viii 1910ix 25th July Article titled, “Boarded Babies” reports: “Mrs.
Alfred Deakin, the wife of the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, while in England recently, contributed the following article under the above heading to "Good Words," in which periodical it appeared on June 8: "My principal work in Australia is amongst the destitute women and children slum-work it might be called.

I am president of the Sutherland Home (Victoria) Neglected Children Society, and I think that we have as successful results as any I have heard of over here.
"My society interests itself primarily with fatherless children and their mothers.
We take the babies from birth and find-situations and work for the mothers...In many cases I have 'used my influence to persuade the mothers to marry and form their own homes, so that they can bring up their own children, and often if they go up country to situations, they afterwards marry and send for their babies.” Article titled, “BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK” “Exception has been taken on many occasions to the use of the word "illegitimate" as applied to children born out of wedlock.
In consequence of representations made to him the Minister of Home Affairs has authorised that the words "Nuptial" and "Ex-nuptial"' be substituted for "Legitimate" and "Illegitimate" in birth rate statistics.” Bill to make illegitimate children legitimate is negatived Article reports that the National Council of Women recently suggested that a conference of women’s associations be asked to meet to consider the question of how a suitable home, and employment for at least twelve months, could be provided for unmarried women and children.
Article titled, THE CASE OF THE NURSE – TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD” reports: “If I had my way, I should prevent all unmarried women from being midwifery nurses.

They have hearts of stone, not having suffered they cannot feel for others.

Give me the good old motherly nurses who look after the patients, not pay so much attention to the doctors.

In yesterday's paper a nurse says they want to save the babies.
Why not save the mothers of those sweet babies?” 8 1910x 1911xi 1912xii 1912xiii 1912xiv Article titled, “The State as Nurse” reports: “All lying in homes throughout the State are registered under the Act…The State as Foster-father' by knowing of all births in the lying in homes all birth and by being kept advised of all children taken by the different foster mothers, the Department is able to trace young lives and keep a paternal oversight on them.
For it too often happens the father of the illegitimate infant takes no interest in the little life and a acknowledges no responsibility, and were it not for the fact that the Department keeps every child under its guardian watch for the first three years of its life, the mother would be left to bear the whole burden of her child’s supervision, just as she has in the majority of cases to meet the cost of its care by the foster-mother.
Whenever the Department is advised of a Single woman being an inmate of a lying-in home she is written to and advised if she has any intention of seeking a foster-mother that she should communicate with the secretary of the State Children's Department, by whom she will be given every assistance in suitably placing her child.” Article titled “Observations in the East” reports: - an excellent maternity division for single girls in Adelaide, where both mother and child are detained for six months or more; - a proposal in Victoria to strengthen the legal power of adoption; - In NSW, a country home for the protection of unmarried women and their children, with a desire that mothers should remain with their children as long as possible.
A deputation representing the Council of the Churches waited upon the Federal Prime Minister to protest against the payment of Maternity Bonus in cases where it is known the child is illegitimate, the ground taken being incitement to immorality.

Article titled, “Pushing the Bill through” reports: “Tue debate on the Second reading of the Maternity Allowance Bill was resumed in the House of Representatives yesterday.

Mr. Ozanno (Vic.)
Mr. Ozanno (Vic.)

said the success of the Commonwealth depended more on the natural increase of the population than on immigration.

The bill before them would help lo reduce infant mortality…He believed in the payment to all mothers, whether married or unmarried.

Article titled, “To the Editor: Maternity Bonus” reports: “To me, the sincerity of these particular social reformers is questionable when they protest against assistance being granted to helpless, friendless mothers.
Do they honestly think that the -withholding of a £5 bonus will assist in the prevention of illegitimacy, or the granting of it, do "definite harm by encouraging the evil," and so act as a' "premium for crime."

I doubt it.
Is motherhood, then, a crime, and the women of Australia so prone to evil that they will willingly become criminals for a bonus of £5P?” 1912xv Article titled, “The Maternity Grant: Should Unmarried Mothers Receive it?” reports that: - Presbyterian Assembly’s attitude that “while sympathising with every effort of Christian charity, whether by the State or otherwise, to afford effective relief in their time of need to unmarried women who become mothers, this Assembly regards the proposal to give the same legal recognition, countenance, and status to 9 motherhood out of wedlock as to motherhood within wedlock as dangerous to morals, tending as it does to ignore the importance of marriage, which is the foundation of the family and of the State.’ - The Rev.
D. A. Cameron presents an amendment expressing satisfaction with the Maternity Bill.

This is defeated by 07 votes to 27.

The Moderator (Rev.

Dr. Rentoul) moves an amendment, condemning the Maternity Bill as "blind to" the true charity and succor, that wronged girlhood and womanhood need, in that it is careless to any means of strengthening the righteous hold the wronged ones have for maternity and maintenance upon the men who have cruelly wronged them and violated the law, divine and human.
This amendment is lost by 47 votes to 27, and eventually Mr. Rolland's motion is earned with the following addition:-"That" if the amount be given to unmarried mothers it should not be given directly to such mothers, but should be for their assistance by suitable agencies.” Article titled, “Maternity Grant Bill: to the editor of the Mercury” reports: “The utter crudity of the proposed legislation, the heavy financial burden it will impose on the community, the costs and probable abuses that will attend its administration-these are enough in themselves to condemn it.
But the provision of the bill being intimate relationship to questions of morals and eugenics, which are of the most transcendent importance, and to these the present writer proposes in the main to confine his remarks.” 1912xvi 1912xvii Maternity Allowance Act assented to; 7,000 claims paid after only two weeks.
The Maternity Allowance is ‘criticized in the Eugenics Review on the grounds that it might encourage ‘…the birth of mentally deficient and unemployable of pauper stock.’xviii 1913xix Article relates that the Adelaide Rescue Society provides help for unmarried mothers and their children.
1918xx Article titled, Saving the Babies: Children’s Protection Society” relates That the society concerns itself not with orphans but situations in which the “tie of parenthood still exists…it may be that the child has been unfortunate enough to have come into the world with the stain of illegitimacy upon it.
In cases such as these the Society comes to the aid of the mother, provided, always, that circumstances render it impossible that she should rear the child in her own home.” 1919xxi 12th September The House resumed consideration in Committee of amendments made by the Legislative Assembly in the State Children Bill.
A discussion ensued over the retention or otherwise of clause 23, the first sub-section of which provided that the homes of illegitimate children under six years of age should be liable to 10 under six years of age should be liable to inspection.

Mr. Dodd, speaking in favour of the deletion, said that there was a tendency towards the deification of State administrative officials.

Elderly spinsters were not always the most sympathetic of persons towards a girl who had an illegitimate child.
He proposed that for some time to come the policewomen would be elderly spinsters, and the clause would give them the right to going into any home where there was an illegitimate child and embarrass the mother.

That was wrong.

Dr.

Saw remarked that the mortality among illegitimate children under twelve years age was appallingly high…He stated that during the year ended June 30 last the department supervised 274 children under three years of age placed out under licensed foster mothers.
There were only four deaths.

Nearly all of the children were illegitimate, and the officers of the department regarded the results of their supervision as very satisfactory.

The object of the clause was to give the same supervision in other cases, and personally be believed it would have a good effect.

He recognised, however, that there was room for objection, especially when an illegitimate child was living with its own mother.
Mr. Cornell moved an amendment to strike out the word "illegitimate," thus making the homes of all children under six years liable to inspection, but the proposed amendment received no support.” Article titled, “An Anniversary and an Appeal” reports: “The first principle in the treatment of the girls is to encourage them to remain with their infants for some months after the birth of the child, thus giving the babies the attention which assures them a firm hold on life.
At the end of this period the girls have been guided into fresh paths of useful occupation, and their self respect restored are ready to take up work again…Gifts of infantile clothing and donations to the funds will be gratefully received by the matron of St Mary’ Home and Refuge, Toowong” The number of illegitimate births in the Commonwealth is 6602, made up as follows: New South Wales, 2,582, Victoria, 1,902, Queensland, 1,033, South Australia 450, West Australia, 317, Tasmania, J03, Northern Territory, 15.
Amendment to the Infant Life Protection Act for the adoption of children under ten means that prospective adoptive parents in the State of Queensland now have to apply to the Child Welfare Department 1920xxii 1920xxiii 1921 1922xxiv Article titled “Segregation of Mentally Unfit: The Problem of Illegitimacy” reports: - need to relieve the burdens of illegitimacy on innocent children; - leniency and compassion should be shown to unmarried women falling pregnant for the first time; - women are hardest on the unfortunate.
11 1922xxv 1923 1923xxvi 12th November Article titled “Foster Parents, State Children: Extraordinary Number of Applicants” “Last month all the cradles in the State hostels were full, and the applications for adoption had dropped off to such an extent that the department, for the first time in its history, advertised for persons willing to take and foster these infants.

The result of this appeal was extraordinary.


The department has ever since been deluged with applications for babies, mostly, of course, from people not blessed with families themselves; and at the moment the supply is far short of the demand.” NSW Child Welfare Act passed SPEECH BY ARCHBISHOP KELLY GIVEN AT SYDNEY ORPHANAGE "There are 2000 illegitimate births every year in Sydney, and God alone knows how many unborn infants are sacrificed in Sydney and throughout New South Wales.
The people of this country are victims of corruption in politics and bigotry in religion.

Catholic men were good enough to provide fodder for cannon in time of war, but it is another question when Catholics demand justice."

He concludes: "Is a child born out of wedlock any more illegal than the corruption in our politics, or the abortion so frequently practiced?"
1923 – 1924 2056 adoptions registered in Queensland 1924xxvii 1924xxviii Article titled, “Posed as a Mother” reports: “An extraordinary case of a childless woman who, after six years' married life, wanted to pose as a mother, and was supplied with a baby at a maternity hospital, was heard by Mr. Justice Draper in the Supreme Court to-day.” Article titled, “Mothers’ Rights, Custody of Children: Deputation to Minister” reports: A deputation from the Feminist club in regarding the decision in the Emilie Polini case (in which a mother lost custody of her child to the father of the childxxix), put forward the following recommendations: 1) That in the case of children of tender years the mother should be regarded as the natural guardian unless the Court found against her such immorality as made her care a danger to the children; and (2) that in those cases where the mother had to earn her living, and in order to do so had a bona fide reason to travel outside the State, the fact of her having to do so should not operate to rob her of the right to her child."
12 1924xxx 1925xxxi 1926xxxii 1927xxxiii 1927xxxiv May Article titled, “Infants’ Home Ashfield” reports: “For the past fifty years the home has received and cared for thousands of unmarried mothers with their first child, giving the little ones a chance of tender care, health, and happiness they could never otherwise have had, and the mothers Shelter, counsel, training, with help and encouragement to start again in a useful way.” Article titled, “State Children, Annual Report” reports: “The total expenditure was £100,496, and the revenue £7,000.
Monetary assistance was rendered to a number of unmarried women with infants.

The department also assisted many mothers to obtain maintenance orders in some cases without the attendance of the defendant at the Children's Court.

There were 64 Children's Courts in operation, and at Perth alone 1,164 cases were heard, an increase of 296 compared with the previous year.” Article titled, “Salvation Army Hospital: Opening of New Wing” “Mrs.
Whatmore, who presided, in speaking of the work of Bethesda, said … Last year 235 women were treated, and 211 babies born at the hospital.

Many of the mothers were young unmarried girls, and the institution helped them to recover their happiness and self-respect.

I cannot speak too highly of the officers and staff.
They have ever before them the higher motive, she concluded…There is no more important branch of the work of the Government today than looking after the mothers, said the Chief Secretary (Mr. Lazzarini), and in helping with this work, and in giving back to young unfortunate girls their confidence in the world and themselves, the Army is doing something which every decent citizen must commend.” Royal Commission on Child Endowment concludes, news article reporting: that Child Endowment opposed by the Mothers’ Union and the Benevolent Society.
The Mothers’ Union “objected that the unmarried mothers should be placed on equal terms with respectable married women.” Article titled, “The Unmarried Mother, Women’s Federation Discusses Problems” reports: “An illegitimate child became the ward of the State only if voluntarily given up by the mother, or when the Children's Court ruled that such action was for the benefit of the child.

In South Australia the mother had not first to prove the paternity of the child before payment would be made to her.
This did not apply in any other State.

As the outcome of the address the following motion was passed.
That the conference affirms: - (a) every child is entitled to normal physical, intellectual, and moral development, it is the duty of the State to provide such possibilities for illegitimate children; (b) in order to provide protection in time and in case of need, every fatherless child and Its mother should be considered a ward of the State, even before the child’s birth; (c) every effort should be made to enable the unmarried mother to support and keep her child under her own guardianship; and (d) the father should provide for an illegitimate child as he would for a child born in wedlock.
It was agreed that child endowment should be a national undertaking.” 13 1927xxxv 28th August Australian Women’s Weekly 1927xxxvi 11th November Article titled, “For young wives and mothers, the problem of the adopted child” “The adoption of an orphan is more satisfactory than the adoption of a child who has either or both parents living.
It is rare that the adoption of a child who has a parent living is satisfactory in the long run to all three parties - the child, the adopting parent, and the natural parent.
This is specially true in cases where the mother parts with her child because of financial difficulties.” Article titled, “Endowment Opposed by Mothers’ Union: Interference with Home Life” reports: 1928xxxvii 1928xxxviii 7th November 1928xxxix 3rd February - Royal Commission on Child Endowment concluded sittings in QLD today; - Representative of the Mothers’ Union objected “that unmarried mothers should be placed on equal forms with respectable married women…She had also been in touch with eleven local associations, such as the Creche and Kindergarten Associations, and the Benevolent Society, all of which were against child endowment.
She considered it much better to have community thrift.

They did not want to see them spoon-fed.” Evidence given before the Child Endowment Commission: “Nearly 1,000 children had been legally adopted by childless couple.

The majority of this number had been dealt with within recent years.

The yearly average for past seven years was 70.

Last year 100 were put through the Supreme Court.

This constituted a record for the department, and the estimated saving effected in future maintenance was £25.000.
The placing out of young children for adoption was considered a most important function of the work of the department.
It was believed that in this State more had been done in this direction in proportion to the population than by any other similar public authority in an part of the' world…Miss Rich, for the Feminist Club, stated they wanted for married mothers the same right to their children as was at present possessed by unmarried mothers.” Article titled, FOUNDLING HOSPITAL “Because of the infantile paralysis epidemic the annual demonstration was not held at the Broadmeadows Foundling Hospital last year, but it will be held this year on Sunday, November 13, when visitors will be able to see the babies cared for at the institution of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
The Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons) and Dame Enid Lyons have accepted invitations to be present.” Article titled, Child Endowment, Health and Education: Officials give evidence” relates evidence given before the Child Endowment Commission by WA officials, including: “Payments to widows and other women on whom children were dependent were made through the Child Welfare Department.
Unmarried mothers were encouraged to nurse their infants and were assisted by monetary relief, and affiliation orders were obtained for them by the department when sufficient proof was available.

The amount collected in Perth Children's Court last year on behalf of unmarried mothers and others was £5,133.

About 75 per cent, of this was for single women.

A total of 805 children who were wards of the department might be considered under the heading of 'institutions.'
The classification and number at December 31 last for whom the Government paid subsidy or maintenance was: Orphanages, 188 girls, 292- boys; industrial schools, 14 1928 1929xlii 1929xliii June 1929xliv 3rd July 29 girls, 19 boys; special school for backward boys, 23.” the 1928 Royal Commission on Child During Endowment or Family Allowance, it was stated that ‘eugenic considerations…must be taken into account.
Allied to these concerns was a strain of Social Darwinism expressed through the problems resulting from ‘racial poisons’, i.e., venereal disease, TB, prostitution, alcoholism and criminality, with plans to racially be made contaminated unfit and misfit.’xl ‘…dealing with society’s for 1928xli 20h October An invitation to childless parents by the Child Welfare Department to apply to adopt a child as an act “rendering a service to the State.” Article titled, “St Mary’s Home and Refuge” relates the history of the Home at Toowong, including that, “No payment is required of the girls who are admitted to the home, but after the birth of their children they are expected to remain for six months in order that the babies may receive proper attention and a fair start in life there have been as many as 21 girls in the home at once.
The finances of the home consist of a small regular income, a Government subsidy, donations from various supporters.” Article titled, “Unmarried Mothers, Charge of Neglect Against Australia” reports: “Some resentment was created by the statement of Miss Musson secretary of the British Council for the Protection of Unmarried Mothers and Children, that Australia was the plague spot of the Empire in this connection partly because migration afforded opportunities for fathers their responsibilities and partly because, notwithstanding her council's frequent representations to Australian philanthropic organisations they were either too cowardly or too apathetic to pursue defaulters.” to desert and evade Article titled, “Women Politicians Mainly Spinsters, Bishop Complains – LACK MOTHERLY CHARACTER Cannot Truly - Represent Womanhood’s SACRIFICE ESSENTIAL” reports: “It is one of the disadvantages of the admission of Women to political life on equal terms to men that inevitably this representation of women falls into the hands of unmarried, childless old maids who can never be the truest exponents of woman's mind and character…I know of unmarried, childless women, said the bishop, ‘who have shown wonderful affection and unselfishness to children.
'But the fact remains that the natural experience of child-bearing, with all its sacrifices, is an indispensable condition of motherly character.'
He thought it, therefore, unfortunate that the representation of women in public office should so largely be in he hands of those that did not possess that primary qualification.” 15 1929xlv August 1930xlvi November 1931xlvii July 1932xlviii 4th March 1932xlix 3rd August Article titled, “Babies for the Childless” is an advertisement from the WA State Children’s Department (now Child Welfare Department): “'Although unquestioned success has been attained by the department in arranging adoptions, there are still a number of babies and young children on the books, available to fill a breach in childless homes…In order to enlighten such people as to the procedure, the department is compiling a booklet which will shortly be available to those contemplating legal adoption.
The booklet will contain articles which may prove of interest to those who are with out a child in the home.
Until it is avail able, any person desiring information on the subject will be welcomed at the department's offices.” Article titled, “Maternal welfare work of Adelaide Rescue Society” “The report which was presented at the 45th annual meeting of the Adelaide Rescue Society yesterday emphasised the low incidence of mortality in unmarried mothers and their children, as compared with that spoken of as existing in England by Dame Janet Campbell during her visit last year, at the invitation of the Commonwealth Government, to investigate problems of maternal welfare in Australia.” Article titled, “Care of Unmarried Mothers Work of Walkerville Home” "Formerly all Christians thought it their duty to brand the woman as a vagabond, and to treat the unmarried mother and her child as outcasts, stated Mrs. Carlile McDonnell, speaking at the fiftieth annual meeting of the House of Mercy and Retreat for Women at Waifcerville yesterday.
The Bishop of Adelaide (Dr. Thomas) presided.

Today, said Mrs. McDonnell, people adopted a more Christian- like attitude towards the woman.
Instead of helping to push her down further, they helped her to regain her status…She commended the rule of the home to keep the unmarried mother with her baby for 12 months, so that she would cultivate a love for it.” Article titled, “Woman’s Interests, Alexandra Home” reports: “But only those suffering from the consequences of a first mistake are taken in…where girls who must go out into the world to earn a living after remaining for the necessary period, which sometimes is a year or more, may live and still keep their babies…it has not been found difficult for girls from the Alexandra Home to find employment, and in the majority of cases, there is a strong desire for permanent contact with children.” Article titled, “Adoption of Children, A Simple Procedure” “An important function of the Child Welfare Department is to promote and arrange legal adoptions of children.
During the past few years 1,300 children have been so adopted.” 1933l 16th March Article titled, “For Women: Infants’ Home meeting at Government House" “The Infant’s Home in Ashfield is in need of funds…the Government had always been generous…The Home cared for unmarried mothers.

The committee did not encourage a mother to part with her child.
Deserted wives and widows, the 16 children of deserted husbands, and foundlings were also cared for…it engaged in the work which would otherwise fall to the Government and received annual 750 pound subsidy, but it would cost the Government a great deal more than this to conduct a similar institution.” 1933li October Article titled, “Mothercraft Homes, Queensland’s Growing Need” “But after leaving the home mother and child are both in a better position to face the difficulties ahead for which the baby clinics and visitations cater.” 1933lii 17th November Article titled, “Woman’s Interest: Adopted Children” “Babies available for adoption are advertised periodically by the Child Welfare Department…In most cases a blood test assures the intending parents, of a healthy, normal child.
Beautiful babies come under departmental control.

Many years' experience have convinced officers and doctors that environment is the big factor in character-building, and that an adopted baby in good and happy surroundings is sure to be a success.” 1933liii Article titled, “Adopted Children, Foster Parents Prefer Girls” “Usually the babies advertise themselves,' said the secretary of the Child Welfare Department (Mr. H. Brodribb).
The adoption of a fine, healthy child, by one person often starts a demand for children from this department.

Foster parents of ten take days to decide upon a baby.
Frequently they specify the colour of the eyes and hair of the child they are looking for and we do our best to adhere to the specification.” 1934liv 18th April Article titled, “FATE OF CHILD BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK: Return From Foster Parents To Mother Ordered, SYDNEY, April 17” reports: SUPREME COURT Application for a writ of habeas corpus succeeds 1934lv 7th July The Australian Women’s Weekly “On an application to the Supreme Court today for a writ of habeas corpus, Mr. Acting Justice Markell made an order for the return by the foster parents to its mother of a 16-months old girl, which was born In Warwick, Queensland, on December 3.
1932, at a time when the mother was unmarried.

The child was received by the foster parents 17 days after its birth, and has since been in their custody.

In his judgment, Mr. Acting Justice Markell said he felt sorry for the foster parents who through no fault of their own were to be deprived of the child to whom they had become greatly attached.
However, the law, as he understood it, left no alternative.” Article titled, “Babies – World’s Greatest Problem Today” reports: “Huxley states that social reformers who, in the cause of helping humanity, have taken increased care with the upbringing of infants, causing a decline in reality infant mortality, have hindered social progress.

This is because, he says, the infants whose lives are saved are weaklings who would be better dead.
From their ranks are, to in 17 a great extent, recruited mentally defective individuals, who subsequently became a grave social problem.” 1934lvi 7th July Article titled, “White Octoroon Children: Offers for Adoption” “Offers of Adoption Canberra…Inspector of the Department of the Interior are visiting homes in Melbourne and Adelaide today following offers to adopt some of the 100 white octoroon children who are inmates of the half-caste homes at Alice Springs and Darwin.” 1935lvii 1st January Article titled, “Leading Women of the Year – their Achievements in many Spheres” reports: “In the majority of instances it will be found that women occupying prominent public positions are not doing so to the exclusion of their home ties.
Generally they have few, if any, home responsibilities— they are perhaps childless or unmarried or mothers of grown up families no longer in need of their constant care and attention.” 1935lviii Article titled, “Maternity Grant: Women Pressed to Sign Orders” “That expectant mothers had been forced by Melbourne public hospitals into signing over their maternity allowance was a complaint made by Mr Blackburn (Federal Labour, Vic) and the Opposition leader, on the adjournment of the House of Representatives today….all hospitals should be informed that it is illegal…” 1935 1936lix Article titles, “UNMARRIED MOTHERS Nazis Demand Respect for Them” reports: “new attitude towards unwed mothers…enabling them to feel the social equals of unmarried wives.” War propaganda: There is a spate of articles around this time, which are available at Trove, dealing with Aryanism and the Nazis’ attitude toward unmarried wives.
QLD Adoption Act is passed - 220 adoptions in QLD in 1936 - 852 adoptions in QLD in 1945 18 1936lx 7th December Article titled, “Methodist Babies’ Home” “Since the Home began seven years ago, 410 babies have entered and 392 have been adopted.” 1936lxi Article titled “Parents at Sixteen” First maintenance case transferred to the Children’s Court 1937lxii 2nd March 1937lxiii 2nd November 1937 St Margaret’s Maternity Home in Darlinghurst, established and taken over by the Sisters of St Joseph as a refuge for unmarried, expectant mothers.
Article titled, “Concerning one thing and another” reports: “The number of married women who prefer the office to the home is, after all, not very great, and comparatively few men are displaced in this way.

The chief trouble lies in the employment of so many thousands of unmarried young women.

This is a phenomenon of the post-war world.


It began with the war, when it was necessary to replace the young men who had volunteered for active service; and it continued because the women showed no desire to return to what they regarded as the humdrum existence of a stay-at-home.
It was "emancipation," and they enjoyed it…Of course, a system of equal pay for equal work (which has been talked about for years) would help to solve the difficulty to some extent; but what would then happen to thousands of young women who only go to work because of sheer necessity?
It would be a case of remedying one injustice by creating another.” Article titled, “DOCTORS AND MOTHERHOOD” “Sir, — Your correspondent, 'Justice,' is indisputably correct in his statement that protests by politicians, clergy, and medical men over the effect of illegal operations is useless without stemming the 'cause.'

He is equally just when he presses for the endowment of motherhood, whether married or unmarried.
If his claims for the latter are not in order then children of unmarried mothers are not wanted in the world.

How many stones are hurled with unerring accuracy at the girl who falls by an amazing number of sons who are apparently without sin?

But the most serious injustice of all is the infliction of the enormous handicap which is placed on the illegitimate child from the commencement of its life.
Perhaps our politicians, clergymen, and doctors could set about removing the handicaps that make life an infliction on the child born out of wedlock.

If this were done then the excuse of not wishing to bring a child into the world with the curse of society on its head could not be offered for these operations.
Let our learned men endow motherhood to the fullest, married or unmarried, and evolve a scheme for removing all the present handicaps to an illegitimate child's future and abortion would be regarded definitely as murderous and vile and be abhorred generally as such.” 19 1937lxiv 22nd September 1937lxv 2nd December 1937lxvi Australian Women’s Weekly Article titled, “Infants’ Home, Annual Meeting, Building for Future” reports: “Much good is also being done for the unfortunate unmarried mothers who come to the home…We must make young people realize the sanctity of marriage.” Article titled, Birth Rate Decline, “Danger to the Nation” relates: “Asserting that the declining birth rate was endangering not only the countries of the British Empire but all civilised countries in the world the new member for Lilley (Q) Mr Jolly (UAP) in moving the adoption of the Address in Reply to the House of Representatives today urged the Federal Ministry to extend its maternal and infant welfare work.
He said that population was Australia's vital need.
The Commonwealth could not expect to receive large numbers of migrants from the British Isles where the birth rate was also declining seriously.” Article about Hollywood stars who have adopted babies 1938lxvii March Article titled, “Adoption of Baby Girls: Demand Exceeds Supply” reports: - Baby found in Catholic church in Burwood, returned from Scarba House to St Anthony’s Home for Infants; - Matron of St Anthony’s confirms the Home has a long list of those waiting to adopt baby girls; the demand, she said, “exceeded the supply.” 1938lxviii 22nd July Article titled, “Woman’s Realm: Unmarried Mothers: Society’s Changed Attitude” “When the House of Mercy (the fore runner of the Alexandra Home for Women) was established in the nineties there was considerable opposition, public feeling being that unmarried girls approaching motherhood had only themselves to blame and deserved no help from society, stated Dr. Roberta Jull, speaking at the annual meeting of the home yesterday.
"There is now," added Dr. Jull, "a more kindly and more Christian feeling towards these girls and it is generally felt that they should be assisted to take their places in the community as self-respecting citizens.

This work was being done very satisfactorily by the home."

20 1938 1107 adoptions registered in NSW 1939lxix Blood Test for Paternity Amendment to Child Welfare Bill to provide for blood tests to ascertain paternity in affiliation orders.
1939 NSW Child Welfare Act introduced 1939lxx 2nd February Article titled, “Adoption Association: Demand for Children Exceeds the Supply” reports: “The National Children Adoption Association sends children to various parts of the British Empire including Australians…The demand for these children exceeds the supply – and girls are preferred, being regarded as more companionable in later life than boys.” 1939lxxi October PM Menzies states, “the Federal Government had not considered the question of allowances to “unmarried wives” of soldiers…it is likely that it will not be given early consideration Australia.” 1939lxxii 28th December Article in The West Australian, titled, “Illegitimate Children: Hess States Nazi Policy” “The Deputy Leader of the Nazi Party (Herr Hess) has declared his willingness to become the godfather of all illegitimate German children whose fathers are killed in the war.
He made this declaration in a letter to the mother of an illegitimate child whose father was killed in Poland.

The letter, which has been published prominently in all German newspapers, proceeds: We are no longer concerned with antiquated and man-made traditions, principles and morality.

Germany today needs robust, healthy children who will be prepared to take the place of the men we are now losing.

The birth of a child is a true symbol of Christmas.
Therefore, we extend our protection to all children who need it.

Childbirth is the fulfillment of a woman's life and Germany needs children.” 21 1940lxxiii 29th June Article titled, “The Counsellor” says there is wisdom in adopting children” “The step has been happy in that the normal instincts of 'mother' and 'father' were satisfied and that the children were brought up in the security and affection of a complete home...
It is best to seek a baby who has lot yet reached the toddling stage—better still, in the first six months of its life — and to make as certain as may be that it comes of healthy stock.

A thorough medical examination of the child and a blood test should be an invariable preliminary to adoption.
Both the 'parents' should see the child and make sure that it appeals to them.” Article titled, “Birth Rate Decline” “Details of Australia's rapidly declining birthrate are given in figures released by the Commonwealth Statistician (Dr. Roland Wilson) yesterday.

The natural increase per 1000 of population in 1921 was 15.1 per cent.
This had fallen to 7.1 in 1935 and in 1938 was 7.8.” 1940lxxiv 29h April 1940lxxv Crown Street Almoners Department established 1940 1,164 registered adoptions in NSW 1940s 1940lxxvi 28th November Catholic Family Welfare Bureau, established to provide marriage counseling and children’s services Article titled “Need for Babies’ Home in the North” “At the Home of Mercy a certain number of girls are taken for training in mothercraft, and in some instances the mothers are allowed to stay with their babies for a time.” 1941 1941lxxvii June St Anne’s Home of compassion for children opens Child Welfare Act 1941 No 11 (Commonwealth Agreement Ratification) for the maintenance of children handed over by officers of the ACT and Territory of Norfolk to other states.
22 1941lxxviii 1941lxxix 1941lxxx 1941lxxxi 1941lxxxii December 1941lxxxiii 13th December Australian Women’s Weekly Article relates a trend of prospective adoptive mothers faking Article titled, “Fewer foundlings for adoption” The reason proposed for fewer babies being available for adoption is that their mothers have found employment in war industries.

Berry St foundling home receives 200 applications for one baby.

Female babies in demand as companion for adopting parents.
Foundling homes have a waiting list for baby girls.

Article titled, “Adoption laws move toward uniformity” relating that a new Bill will “provide for reciprocity between the Commonwealth Government regarding Federal territories and other States and Queensland in the adoption of children.

At present the adoption of children in Queensland had no effect outside the State.

The Federal Government had raised the question last year as regards children born in the Northern Territory.
A child adopted in one State took the name of the adopted parents under the law of that State, but when the parents moved to another State the original name of the child became the legal name…The demand for adopted children here was so great that the authorities had difficulty in finding suitable children to meet the demand.
Queensland was proposing to other States that the whole question of adoption should be handed over to the Commonwealth for uniformity.” Child Welfare Act 1941 No 11 Commonwealth Agreement Ratification Act for the maintenance of children handed over by officers of the ACT and Territory of Norfolk to State Article titled, “Other States not Moving on Adoption Laws” reports that States other than Queensland are not adopting complementary legislation to insure that a child’s adoption has force in other States.
Brisbane City Mission calls for married, Australian citizens prepared to adopt a child regardless of its sex, adding that the baby will be healthy.

Article titled, “Adoptions help cure war heartaches” reports: “Guarded secrets…sometimes the little stranger atones for the heartache occasioned by the loss of a mother's own baby.

And, in the majority of such cases, the parents are at some little pains guarded secret.

Six days ago adoption a strictly Crown Street Hospital, in a mother entered fourth time.
Three times she Sydney, the disappointed.

This time her had been bitterly but, whatever the outcome, hopes were high husband had determined that she her and planned nursery at home lovingly the should not be left vacant this time.

Her own baby, born prematurely, lived only a matter of hours.

Immediately the father was to keep for 23 pregnancy and confinement in order to guard the adoption as a secret.
(see further examples of such disturbed behaviours, in blue folder) 1941lxxxiv Abortion as a cause of childless marriages 1942lxxxv 24th July 1942lxxxvi 9th September told he adopted a three-days-old baby, took mother and child to a private hospital.

In a week's time, a proud mother will take home the babe she is nursing herself and not even her closest friends will know that the stork in this case was the Child Welfare Department.
There are other cases on record in which a patient has booked a private room at the hospital; for months before she has observed appearances, and eventually spent a fortnight with the newly adopted infant, to return home in triumph.

Friends call in the usual way, bringing gifts and flowers, and the pseudo-patient greets them from her bed though she has been strolling about the room a minute before and smiles her happiness from her "sick-bed."
There have been instances in which parents, having relinquished all hope of having children of their own, adopt a child.
Then, some years later, find they are to greet their own baby after all supply does not meet demand and a greater demand for girls than boys.” Article titled, “Uniform Law of Adoption of Child Planned” reports: “The Government had agreed to ex change notifications of adoption with the Commonwealth and to endeavour to secure the same reciprocity between the States, and also to submit to the other States the possibility of a uniform adoption law throughout the Commonwealth… In Queensland the authorities had- great difficulty in finding suit able children to meet the demand for adoption. '
Childless women went to great lengths to conceal the fact that they could not bear children.

Often they would go to another State to adopt a young child, failing to realise that, on their return, the adoption had no force in law.

'We are proposing to the other States that the whole question of adoption should be handed over to the Commonwealth for a Uniform adoption law.'

said Mr. Hanlon….
said Mr. Hanlon….

Some cases of childlessness were due to malpractices and the Government was trying to reduce this number…Abortion, after all, was to a great extent a social problem.
It was most difficult to stamp out by law.” Article titled, “Weaning of babies too soon - Women In Industry” “Agreement with the statement of Dr. Vera Scantlebury Brown at the' Parent National Educational Union on Wednesday, that young mothers were weaning their babies too soon and entering war industries, was expressed by the Minister for Aircraft Production (Senator Cameron): today.
Senator Cameron thought that unmarried women and women without children should go into war industries in preference to young mothers with babies.

He had the best of reasons for believing there were many thousands of unmarried women and mothers without children who were not engaged in war production of any kind.
This should not be tolerated in times of war.” Article titled, “Place for Mothers Home not Factories” “Women were of more value to the nation as mothers than as factory workers, said the President of the Victorian Federation of Mothers' Clubs (Mrs. F. R. Quinton) at a conference of the federation to-day.

Mrs. Quinton said 80,000 women would be wanted for war work by the end of the year.

They should be taken from 750,000 unmarried women in Australia between 15 and 45.
Homes were being neglected because many mothers with young children were voluntarily entering war work.” 1942lxxxvii 10th October Article titled, “Officials to Discourage Mothers Taking National Jobs” “Of the 80,000 women who must volunteer in the next few months, 40,000 were required to replace men who would then be placed in the services or vital war 24 industries.
It was essential, therefore, that enrolment of women at national service offices should proceed on steady, continuous lines, in order to prevent dislocation as much as possible.

Women were required or work in factories, in auxiliaries, in the Australian Women's Land Army, in transport, and to replace men in offices.
There was a place for every woman who wanted to help her country.” 1942lxxxviii 17th October Article titled, “Points from Letters” “At the Feminist Club, Mrs. H. P. Bennett is reported to have said, when speaking against the recent Widows Pension Bill, that it appears that hard-working spinsters were to be taxed in order to support the children of unmarried mothers.
I would like to ask Mrs. Bennett does she object to the children of unmarried women laying down their lives in the defence of spinsters and their property?

(Willoughby.

Mrs. M. HUGHES).” 1942lxxxix 5th December Article titled, “ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN” “Sir: I protest against the attitude of 22 members of the Legislative Assembly in voting against the amendment to include in the Miners' Pensions Bill unfortunate children born out of wedlock.
The attitude of Mrs Weber makes me feel ashamed to be a member of the same sex.

All honour to the 13 members who voted in the minority.

-B. D.I CRISFIELD (Dandenong).” 1942xc 9th December “The 22 members who voted against pensions for children born out of wedlock are to be commended.
It is against the sanctity of the marriage tie and would encourage the breaking of God’s law.” 1942xci 12th December Article titled, “WORKING MOTHERS – OFFICIAL DISCOURAGEMENT” “Unless domestic conditions require that a married woman with a family must seek gainful employment, National Service officers will discourage her from applying for work which necessitates her absence from home.
Announcing this the Director General of Man-power (Mr. W. C. Wurth) said at the same time every Australian woman has the privilege of volunteering for a place among the 80,000 women who are urgently required for war work.

It will be the policy of the Directorate to place them as far as practicable in groups similar to those operating in military call-ups--unmarried women first, married women without children next, and, finally, married women with children.
He said he had every confidence that the ranks' would be filled in the main by younger unmarried women.” 25 1942xcii 12th December 1942xciii 15th December 1943xciv 23rd July 1943xcv 13th October Report reveal there are in excess of 90,000 endowed children in the Commonwealth, representing an annual liability of 11,828,011 pounds.
Article titled, “Illegitimate Children” “There are 150 babies up to 18 months old at a foundling home in Victoria who have never seen a blade of grass, yet there are thousands of good women hungering for motherhood.
Some of these children are superior to many of those born in wedlock.” Article titled, “Woman’s Realm: Alexandra Home” “Forty-eight babies had been cared for at the home during the year, and 52 girls and 42 babies had been discharged.” Article titled, “Many Wartime Homes Are Waiting to Adopt Babies” “Contrary to the general idea, Miss Cocks said that many unmarried mothers whose babies are cared for at the home, do not wish their babies to be adopted.
Of the 54 babies born out of wedlock and cared for by Miss Cocks last year only 30 were given up.

In more than one case married couples wishing to provide a home for a baby have taken the mother as well.” 1944xcvi 1944xcvii Article titled, “Clinics for the Childless boost birthrates” Adoption promoted as a fertility cure.
Article titled, “Girls most sought for Adoption” reports: 1944xcviii January “Nearly 200 families in South Australia were waiting to adopt children, Miss Bampton, senior inspector of the foster mothers' branch of the Children's Welfare Department, told me this week.

Most of the babies go to their new homes when aged about two weeks.

Last year 245 children under seven were adopted and 52 over seven.

BABY girls are in big demand.

'Men always like little girls,' Miss?


Bampton said…” Western Australian newspaper article titled “Shortage of Babies” reports: Over 100 people in this State are waiting to adopt babies, but there are not enough babies available.

At the end of December, there were 87 couples on the waiting list and there have been 34 new applications so far this year.

The secretary of the Child Welfare Department (Mr F.E.
Meachem) that an overwhelming said yesterday majority of the applicants were young married couples who had been married for a few years and who could not have 26 children.

Others were couples with one child who wanted a companion for it, and could not have another of their own.

Most babies are adopted when they are about three weeks old, and are usually illegitimate children born in metropolitan hospitals, and whose mothers either cannot or do not want to look after them.
Most of the mothers were young, usually between 17 and 21 years, but there was no apparent increase in the number of illegitimate babies.

During the financial year, which ended last June, 123 babies were legally adopted, Mr Meachem said, and during the last six months there were another 70 legal adoptions.

There was a marked preference for girl babies, but there was no difficulty in placing the boys.
Couples might have to wait from six to nine months for a girl, however, but could probably get a boy within three or six months.

Those who wanted older children might have Generally speaking, Mr Meachem…estimated conservatively that 90% per cent of all adoptions in the State were arranged through the Child Welfare Department.

longer period.
longer period.

to wait for a Article titled, “More Boys Born Out of Wedlock In Queensland” “The apparent in crease in the numbers of illegitimate boy babies is providing a problem for the Queensland State Children’s department which has to find homes for them.

There are now so many little boys awaiting adoption that the department has had to advertise.
The department's director (Mr. W. Smith) said today:— 'There seems to be a preponderance of boys being born, at least, as far as illegitimate births are concerned.

The proportion is about nine to one.

'We have had nine little boys to find homes for in the past 10 days, yet 30 people are on the waiting list for girls.

'We usually find people want to adopt girls in preference to boys.
Some say that a boy grows up and leaves home, but a girl will stay and be a help to the woman of the house.” Article titled, “The Counsellor says…Claims of Baby First Concern” “All the provision that is made for the unmarried service girl who has a baby, in no way detracts from what is done for the service man's wife who has a baby.
There is a tendency on the part of some to begrudge any kindly help given to the mothers of babies born out of wedlock, but such people would do well to consider the fact according to statistics, approximately 40 per cent of all first babies born in Queensland are conceived out of wedlock.” Article titled, “The Counselor urges…Equal rights to every mother” “It is only stirring up a large and insistent body of public opinion on these matters that governments will be induced to take more effective action in ameliorating the lot of all mothers (married or unmarried), and providing the best conditions for all little children – whether legitimate or illegitimate – in these difficult years of war.” 1944xcix 25th March 1944c 25th May 1944ci 1st June 1944cii 15th July Article titled, “Australia’s Population Quest: Falling Birthrates, War Losses, Reduce Europe’s Potential Migrants: Bold and Positive Policy Wanted” “Generally, populations were still increasing but the proportion capable of parenting was falling.” 27 1944ciii 29th August 1944civ 30th August 1944cv 14th September 1944cvi 9th December 1944cvii 9th December Article titled, “Adoption of Children in Wartime” “Reports from overseas and the opinions of child welfare officers here seem to indicate an almost world-wide desire just now to adopt children.
Most foundling homes have had in the past long waiting lists of ‘parents’ wanting to adopt…In these days there are few risks in adopting a child, for family histories are investigated, blood tests are made to ensure that babies have no hereditary diseases, and special tests in standards of behaviour are given to ensure that they are of normal intelligence.” Article titled, “Baby Girls in Demand” “Baby girls available for adoption in Melbourne are at a premium.
One foundling home refuses to register would-be parents unless they are prepared to take a baby boy.” Article titled, “Children for the State: Nazis fostered illegitimacy” “Conclusive proof that Hitler encouraged German troops and young women to produce illegitimate children in the interests of the German State is seen in the discovery near Liege of a special maternity institution which provided pre-natal and after-care for unmarried mothers.
Young women, the majority of whom did not see the fathers after the birth of their children, were sent to Germany with their babies.

There they became the charge of the German State, which proceeded to bring up the children in the Nazi tradition.” Article titled, “Unmarried Mothers: Plea for consideration” Regarding: Report to the National Health and Medical Research Council by Miss Constance Duncan of the Commonwealth Health Department.
Miss Duncan urges the Government to protect the illegitimate child and prevent the mother from becoming dissolute.

She says, “All authorities are agreed that it is beneficial from the baby’s point of view that the mother should keep her child, but to ensure the rehabilitation of the girl, it is essential that she assumes responsibility for her baby.
Miss Constance recommends that: - a maintenance allowance be established for the first year of a child’s life; - that hostels where women could live with their children be set up.

Article titled, “SPECIAL HOSTELS - Help for Unmarried Mothers” reports: “A maintenance allowance for unmarried mothers for about the first year of the child's life has been suggested.
An alternative suggestion is for the establishment of special hostels where the women can live with their children and where the children can be cared for while the mother takes employment and maintains her child, either wholly or in part.

In a report to the National Health Council, Miss A. Constance Duncan, of the Commonwealth Department of Health, stated that about 1,500 of these children were born last year in Queensland alone.
Authorities agreed that the mother should assume responsibility for her baby.” 28 1944 11th Decembercviii Article titled, “Fatherless Children” “About 1500 children of unmarried mothers were born in QLD last year.
This is an alarming figure, revealing the extent of moral decline under war conditions…The Federal Government now has a report suggesting provision for these cases in two ways: a maintenance allowance for the mother in the first year of the child’s life, or hostels in which the child and mother could live while she was established in employment…Financial provisions alone will not solve the problem.
The Government must work in closely with bodies which seek to combine material benefits with opportunities for moral and spiritual re- establishment.” 1944cix 11th December Article titled, Nation has duty to Unmarried Mothers— ARCHBISHOP DUHIG” “Existing facilities to care for unmarried mothers and their babies were excellent but hopelessly inadequate, said the Brisbane City Mission superintendent (the Rev.

C. S. Trudglan) yesterday.


He was questioned on a report by Miss Constance Duncan, of the Commonwealth Department of Health, that about 1500 children of unmarried mothers were born in Queensland in the last year.

Mr. Trudgian said Miss Duncan's suggestions for the payment of a maintenance allowance to these mothers and the provision of hostels, where they could live with their children, were excellent.

The unmarried mother today was in most cases unable to obtain employment and was an outcast.
Most of the 1500 unmarried mothers already mentioned had been working away from home or had lost their mothers.

The girls came from every class of society.

'I have great praise for the married women of Brisbane,' Mr. Trudgian said.

'Scores of these girls have been taken into good homes and looked after.

With out the help and sympathy of the married women at least 80 unmarried mothers I know of in the last year, would have been in a frightful position.

'I still have a waiting list of these girl?


There should be a hostel; where they can be accommodated, at least, for the time being.’ Deserted By Men Mr. Trudgian said practically all the unmarried mothers insisted that the man in the case had forced them to comply with his wishes, against their will.

In most instances also the man, if he could be brought to book, callously deserted the mother and child and refused to have anything to do with them.
In few cases was it possible to force the man to face his responsibilities.

In two-thirds of the cases, which had come under his notice, the fathers were servicemen.

The number of Allied servicemen was much smaller than the number of Australian servicemen.

'I am in favour of finding another name for an illegitimate child,' said Mr. Trudgian.

'It is the father, who should be labelled 'illegitimate'.
Matron Taylor, of St. Mary's Church of (England Home at Toowong, said unmarried mothers remained there four months after the birth.

The ages were usually 17 to 19 and most of the girls had simply behaved foolishly.

Nearly all of the babies were adopted and there was a waiting list of people, who could not be supplied.

The majority of requests were for girl babies.

'Nearly all the girls marry later on and sometimes come back to be married in the chapel at the home,' said Matron Taylor.
'There is much to be said for Miss Duncan's suggestions,' said the president-general of the Methodist Church in Australasia (the Rev.

H. M. Wheller).

'The interests of both mother and child will be best served by keeping them together.
At the same time every effort should be made to associate the father in carrying the responsibility for maintenance and training of the child.’ 29 1944cx 14th December 1944cxi 1945cxii 16th February 1945cxiii April 1945cxiv 1945cxv 13th August Article titled, Letters to the Editor “In my opinion it is high time this horrible word illegitimate, as applied to children was expunged from our dictionary.
Why should the "unfortunate offspring be branded for the rest of their lives with something for which they were not responsible?

Denmark, for many years, has not allowed any difference to be made between married and unmarried mothers, and Russia now has followed suit.

If preferred the unmarried mothers can use the prefix "Mrs" and enjoy the same privileges as the married women.

And why not?

Both have suffered equally in giving another child to the nation.
To put these mothers into hostels, as Miss Duncan suggests, will only lower their status more and the children would be branded worse than they are today.
Raise the whole tone of motherhood, whether, married or unmarried, and give the little ones a better and happier chance in life.” Article reports: Shortage of babies in WA: adoptive parents waiting Article titled, “Extraordinary US Black Market in Babies” “Field reports reaching the Children's Bureau of the Department of Labor reveal that women "brokers," who frequent clinics and hospitals and befriend pregnant unmarried girls, are behind many or the sales…Black market trading in babies in one western State flourishes to such a degree that brokers are delivering newly-born babies to foster-parents direct from hospital.” “It is a real shame that the fine work done by this home is not better known -no money spent by the Government is better spent than its annual donation here," Captain W. F. Dunn, M.L.A., said yesterday at the 30th annual meeting of the Infants' Home at Ashfield, of which he was chairman.
During the past year the home had cared for 165 children, the president of the governing body, Lady Maccallum, said.
Of this… The number of unmarried mothers with their babies admitted was greater than that in previous years...During the year the home made accommodation available to 150 convalescent mothers with babies from the Women's Hospital Crown Street.” Article titled, “United Nations Organization may care for illegitimates” “The maintenance of the children of unmarried mothers – a problem that has become international – is to be tackled by the social council of the United Nations Organization…An official of the Unmarried Mothers Association said, We are not concerned about the welfare of the mothers, but their children.
These illegitimate children – and there are thousands in Europe – are entitled to a secure future.” Article reads: “The aim is an international agreement under which a mother could claim payment on an affiliation order even though the father had left the country.” Article titled, “Scheme For Retrenching in Federal Public Service” "Six categories have been listed in the order of priority of retrenchment adopted by the Commonwealth Public Service Bd.
for the dismissal of temporary employees, who must make way for returned soldiers now the war is over.

Women will be the first to go, followed by men over the compulsory retiring age 30 of 65, then unmarried men, married men without family, married men with family, and lastly ex-members of the forces and persons judged to be entitled to preference under the Re-Establishment Act in accordance with length, locality, and nature of their service.
In retrenching women employees, the order of dismissal will be: Married women, women over compulsory retiring age, unmarried women and widows, persons qualified for permanent appointment, relatives of deceased soldiers.

The women relatives of deceased soldiers will be dismissed in the following order: Unmarried sister, widowed mother, unmarried daughter, and widow.
Within each group the principle of "last on first off" will apply…According to recent estimates the total number of permanent and temporary public servants is about 100,000, compared with a prewar total of 47,000.” Article titled, “1695 Born Here Out Of Wedlock” “Number of illegitimate births in Queensland has doubled during the war.

Figure for the year ended June 30 is the highest yet.

The report of the State Children’s Department for the year shows 1695 illegitimate births.
For the year ended June 30, 1939 the number was 857.

Reference to past reports of the department shows a gradual increase in illegitimacy during the war.

Figures for years ended June 30 since 1939, with numbers of illegitimate births in parentheses, are:— 1940 (933), 1941 (839), 1942 (978).

1943 (918) and 1944 (1493).

Of the 1695 in the latest report, 351 were born to married women and 363 to de facto wives.
Notices of the deaths of 63 illegitimate children under six years of age were received during the year.
Of the 821 adoptions approved last year, 668 were of illegitimate children.” Article titled, “Rise in Birthrate” “Reports from Queensland that the number of illegitimate births last year reached an all-time record drew attention to Australian statistical records recently issued showing that the stork is still doing big business throughout the Commonwealth and denying previous mathematical evidence adduced here and in Britain that the war would result in one good Australian woman in every five remaining a spinster.” Decline in the adoption of toddlers - Long lists of those wanting to adopt baby girl - Demand exceeds supply - Few babies available for adoption Article titled, “Somebody wants them” reports: “Total of adoptions for 1936, the year when he Adoption Act came into force in this State, was 220.
Last year the number was 852.

War years brought changing conditions, and an increase in the numbers of illegitimate children.

There has, however, been an ever growing lust of people anxious to adopt children, and the demand still exceeds the supply.” Article titled, “Mothercraft Needs…work of Alexandra Home” “The report of the honorary secretary (Mrs. J. S. Airey) showed that during the year 66 girls and 50 babies were admitted to the home.
Of those discharged 15 girls took their babies home with them, nine obtained positions where they were 31 1945cxvi 11th October 1945cxvii 17th October 1945cxviii 1946cxix 17th July 1946cxx 26th July able to keep their babies, while 20 returned to their homes and six took positions without their babies.

Seven were married.
Seven were married.

Of the babies, eight were fostered in the home, 15 were adopted and five committed to the care of the State.” Article titled, “Demand exceeds the supply” reports that: Prospective adoptive parents come from the middle-income group, though there is a range of income amongst the applicants from little below the basic range to the very high-income group.

Article relates: “As more than half the children adopted are under a year old they are less likely to have any 'unwanted' associations.
Unmarried mothers do not often give up their children willingly, but of necessity…They find comfort, however, when they learn that the child has a better chance in life with adopted parents.” Article titled, “Berry Street Foundling Home” “Total expenditure in connection with the home amounted to £ 13,337 last year, toward which the Charities Board gave a grant of £3,000.

Gifts to the building appeal amounted to £2,369…The committee's main work has been to place babies for adoption in suitable homes.
Altogether 22 children were adopted from the home last year, and six of these were the second adoptions.

Twins went into one home.” Article titled, “Mothercraft Centre: Public Support Sought” “The Alexandra Home for Women was established in 1890 to provide a home for unmarried mothers and their babies.
The committee has always encouraged the girls to keep their babies, and it is planned eventually to establish a babies' home where the infants could be cared for until the parent or parents could provide a home.
The present committee feels that the time has come to put this idea into operation, and plans are being prepared for nursery accommodation for up to 40 babies and for eight mothercraft trainees who will, after a period of training, qualify' as mothercraft nurses.” Article titled, “Child Crimes on decrease in Queensland” “Last night Mr Smith appealed for homes for about 40 children who needed fostercare.

He said that they were not available for adoption because their parents would not consent.
Most children who were taken by foster parents, however, remained with them until they married.

The department allowed 12/ a week for a child accepted by foster parents.

In addition they were eligible for 7/6 a week child endowment if there was more than one child under 10 years in the family.

He added that there were a few boys available for adoption up to the age of six months.
Baby girls were more popular, and there was a long waiting list of applicants.” Article titled, “Our Legitimisation Laws Need Revision” “We make little attempt in Australia to provide positive assistance for the unmarried mother who will make a competent parent and long to keep her child.” 1946cxxi 1946cxxii 16th August 1946cxxiii 3rd September 1946cxxiv 24th October 1947cxxv 8th March Australian Women’s Weekly 32 1947cxxvi 1st May 1947cxxvii 16th May Article titled, “Children for Spinsters: to the Editor” “Children are children the whole world over; and if we adopted them in their early, formative years, they would learn our language and absorb our customs and ideals.
Not that I can think of any ideals higher than the Czechs.

Dutch and Poles displayed in the last war when they defied, at the price of their lives, a ruthless conqueror.

I am certain that the spinsters could mother these children, if need be.

If legislation prevents spinsters adopting children, then let the legislation be altered!” Article titled, “Spinsters Can Be Mothers In Community – by The Counsellor” spinsters have “Should children?
After every war, with the depletion of male population and consequent this excess of women, question always arises.

It is realised that while the country needs more and re- more populate it after the ravages of war, there will be a great number of healthy young women, very fit to become wives and mothers, but who will, however, be denied these privileges because of our monogamous state of society.
children to Despite figures on paper, there are, among our city populations at least, thousands of Australian women who, as the aftermath of the war, will never marry.

As they cannot all become wives there are many serious-minded people who are asking: 'Should they then also forego the blessings of motherhood,' and so deprive the country, as well as themselves, of the babies it so badly needs?'
This question is a pertinent one, not to be dismissed with a shrug of the shoulder or hands raised in holy horror.

There are other countries now which encourage the birth of 'illegitimate' babies, and there are those among us here who believe that this is one way of solving our problems of surplus women and shortage of man power.

As a moral issue we know what the reply must be; but apart from moral aspects altogether, let us consider the matter in the light of expediency and ultimate community welfare.
While we know that the normal life of woman is to marry and have babies, and that the sex-starved and childless tend to become neurotic, there is no reason why children should be brought into the world to be handicapped by lack of a father, a family life, and a normal home, just to satisfy the maternal instinct of these mothers.

Moreover, however broadminded the mother and friends may be, there is no doubt that the child himself would eventually feel the backwash of social disapproval.
Unless the mother is a well to do woman who does not have to earn her own living, the lot of the child without a family is a sad one.

He is left all day to be cared for by a foster mother, friends, or relatives, or in an institution.

He cannot have the freedom, privileges, and security most other children enjoy, and which play so big a part in the foundations of future health, 33 character, and happiness.
I strongly believe that every woman's creative instincts should be satisfied— but, there, are more ways of satisfaction than merely the physical.

Women have an infinite, capacity for sublimation and can devote themselves selflessly to any constructive work— a cause, a person, in art, music, to the weak or suffering, or to children who are not their own.
And the postwar world is crying out for the services of women who are not hampered by the ties of a husband and family — who can devote themselves to humanitarian works, such as nursing, social welfare, child guidance, and maternal and child welfare… There are, indeed, many wonderful women workers and organisers lost to the work of the world through their attachment to one mere man, one small home, and a handful of little children.

When, therefore, we ask, 'Should spinsters have babies?'
the answer is 'Yes' — of course they should — but their babies are not necessarily children of their own.

They can be the children of the whole world — the young, the oppressed, the poor, the sick, the starved, and all who need that care and interest that spring finally from woman's deep maternal feelings.

Article titled, “Population Survey For 1945” “Issued today by the Commonwealth Statistician Dr. Roland Wilson…One man married at 90 and three at 15.

There were nine brides at 14 and 109 at 16.


The number of marriages dropped from the wartime peak of 12.01 a thousand in 1942 to 852 In 1945.

More minors married than in any year except 1944.


The birth rate was the highest since the end of World War 1 and the number of illegitimate births was a record 7,195, although the percentage was slightly lower than in 1944.” Article titled, “Says the Counsellor: Growing popularity of babies heartening” “A recent report to the Commonwealth Government advocated that all unmarried mothers should be encouraged to keep their babies, and that special children's homes should be provided for them.
There is a tendency to put the mother's obligations and the gratification of her natural maternal feelings before the ultimate welfare of the child.

But there is no doubt that adoption into a good home offers the baby the best opportunity of a normal happy life: and this, after all, should be the major consideration.” Article titled, “Did you know?” “…that 1015 children in institutions and 3999 living with relatives or foster mothers were being cared for as State children.

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that 1474 children were admitted to the care of the State during the year.

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that £112,857 was paid State aid to relatives or parents —for 3350 children.

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that the department holds 782 trust accounts for State ware with £32,567/5/5 to their credit.

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that illegitimate births notified totalled 1398— the lowest since 1942. .

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that applications to adopt children continue to increase, but because of the decline in the illegitimate birth rate there is a waiting list of more than 100 willing to adopt babies of either sex.
These facts are taken from the report of the Director of the Stale Children's Department (Mr. W. Smith) tabled in Parliament yesterday.” Article titled, “Women Discuss Housing And Marital Problems” “Problems of housing, divorce, pre-marital training, and unmarried motherhood were discussed by more than 400 women at the opening session of the Federal Conference of Roman Catholic Women at C.TJ.S.A.
House yesterday…The danger of forcing a marriage for the sake of a child was stressed in a paper on unmarried mothers, prepared by a Tasmanian delegate, Miss M. Burden…Delegates were unanimous that unmarried mothers should receive the same monetary benefits and allowances as de facto wives.” 34 1947cxxviii 22nd July 1946cxxix 22nd November 1947cxxx 2nd October 1947cxxxi 11th October 1947cxxxii 18th November 1948cxxxiii June 1948cxxxiv 2nd December 1948cxxxv 1949cxxxvi 19th January 1949cxxxvii 26th January 1949cxxxviii 26 January Article titled, “Home Life Lost Because of Law” “Adoption law is preventing many children from…getting a good home life, Matron.
G. Lloyd of the 'Alexandra Babies' Home, Ballarat said yesterday: Many of the mothers with children in the home paid nothing to wards its upkeep yet they refused to consent to adoption into good homes where the children would get many opportunities they were otherwise denied.

Matron Lloyd said she had an immense list of couples wanting to adopt babies.

One young couple had been waiting two years.


Most couples wanted girls.” Article titled, “Personal Problems” “The Alexandra Home…Perth, takes in and cares for unmarried mothers for some time before and after the babies are born.

Assistance is also given in finding work, so that the mothers may keep their babies.

Arrangements are also made for adoption when required.

The matron is a most understanding woman so you need have no hesitation about writing to her.
The Salvation Army too helps unmarried mothers and their babies.” Article titled, “These People” “There are all sorts of reasons why these children must stay in the Home and cannot be adopted by couples who are child hungry.

Sometimes there are physical disabilities or the child's hereditary history cannot be guaranteed.

Often they are kept at the Home because a mother hopes one day to take them to a private home and completely maintain them.
Every encouragement is given to mothers who do not want to part entirely with children.” Article claims: “100,000 cases of illegitimacy in the Pacific alone” “500,000 fathered by American GIs are existing through disgrace throughout the world.” Article titled, “Childless Mother Abducts Baby from Hospital Cot” reports: “The six-day-old baby girl was kidnapped from the bedside of its I 7-year-old sleeping mother, at Crown Street Hospital, about midnight last night, and was found at Punchbowl by detectives this afternoon.
A 21-year- old married woman, who is believed to be unable to have a child, has been charged with the abduction of the baby.” Article titled, “200 Waiting to Adopt Babies” reports: The State Children’s Department has a list of 200 couples waiting to adopt babies.

Article titled, “Black Market in Babies here, too?” “The possibility that a black market in babies might be operating in Victoria was admitted yesterday by police and Child Welfare Department authorities.
They were commenting on a statement by Mr Heffron, NSW Minister for Education, in Sydney on Monday that welfare officers were investigating a suspected black market in that State.” 35 1949cxxxix 25th January 1949cxl 26 January 1949cxli March Minister for Education discloses that in 1948, 3,939 applications for adoptions had been received but that only 625 adoptions could be arranged.

There is a two-year wait for girls and a one-year wait for boys.
Article titled, “Babies for Adoption in Demand” “…Minister for Education and Child Welfare in New South Wales, Mr. Heffron said that the demand to adopt babies in that State was so great that he feared a black market would be created.” Article titled, “Erred: Aids Erring Girls” A North Adelaide man, who had five illegitimate children, left the whole of his estate, worth about £30,000 for the maintenance of a maternity home for young women who have erred for the first time.
1949cxlii 14th March 1949cxliii 17th March 1949cxliv 17th June Article titled, “Homes for women here full” “Major Clulow (of the Salvation Army) said that among the unmarried mothers here more than half were under 20.

Many of them have lacked proper home life and religious training, he said.

Superintendent of the City Mission (the Rev.


C. S. Trudian) said that the problem of wayward girls was not as bad in Brisbane as in southern cities.” Article titled, “Single Mothers” “There were many vacancies in two Brisbane homes conducted by Church authorities, for expectant unmarried mothers, the Health and Home Affairs Minister (Mr. Jones) said in Parliament yesterday.
Mr. Lukins (Q.P.P., Maree) had asked whether Mr. Jones would consider a means of finding adequate accommodation for unmarried mothers.” Article titled, CHARGES MINISTER WITH "HEARTLESS CRUELTY" “Federal president of the War Widows' Guild (Mrs. G. A. Vasey) said in Sydney today that the Minister for Repatriation (Mr. Barnard) was guilty of "repulsive and heartless cruelty" to war widows and orphans.
She was replying to Mr. Barnard's accusations in Canberra yesterday that a statement she made at the war widows' conference in Sydney was repulsive.

Mr. Barnard took exception to Mrs. Vasey's statement: "If a woman is fond of her children and brings them up all right, then I don't care if she sleeps with 10 men a night."
Mrs. Vasey said today: "This foolishly absurd remark about a manifestly impossible situation was never intended as anything but comic relief in the privacy of the conference room during a heavy business session."

She added that Mr. Barnard was presumptuous when he described himself as her "friend."

She said: "Heaven protect me from any such 36 1949cxlv 25th July friends.
"While he expresses sympathy for unmarried mothers, he has compelled a war widow who made one false step to raise four children, as well as her newly- born baby, without her pension."

Article titled, “Many want to adopt children” “Throughout yesterday many couples wishing to adopt children or become foster parents called at the Montrose Home for State Wards.
Sister R. Gawthorp, deputy matron of Montrose, said an article in yesterday's "Sunday Herald" was responsible for the sudden interest.” 1949cxlvi Child Welfare Department has reasonable grounds to suspect a black market racket in babies.
1949cxlvii 23rd September 1949 Article titled, “Child Welfare Ordinances” “The Minister also announced that the Adoption of Children Ordinance had been amended to provide that when children born in the Australian Capital Territory were the subject of Adoption Orders made in any State or other territory of the Commonwealth, the Adoption Orders when registered in the Australian Capital Territory would have the same force and effect as if the orders had been made in the Australian Capital Territory.” 1949cxlviii 22nd October 2019 adoptions registered in NSW Private Adoptions Ban by State Government”: “I investigate the mother’s background and do everything possible to ensure that children satisfy their new parents, said Matron McClean.” “What child to choose?
Article reports: “The unknown child's nature may be corrupted by his ancestry.

From this point of view, it would seem wiser to adopt children aged more than two, when physical and mental abilities can be properly tested.” 1950 – 1981 Directors Reports to the Queensland Parliament 1950s -1981 (attachment “A” in blue folder) 1950cxlix Article titled, “Baby Queue” reports: “Most commodities are plentiful enough, these days to eliminate any need to queue up for them.
Supply is catching up to demand -with one big, or, rather, little exception.

Babies.

Adopted ones.

Lucky applicants for this perishable form of 37 1950cl 21st February June 1950cli 1950clii 25th February 1950 goods must wait at least six months.

Others have to wait tip to 18 months to two years.

Each year a thousand or more babies are adopted in this State.
Last year it was nearly 1200…The babe to be adopted must be free from abnormalities and in a good state of health.” Article titled, “Shelter for Homeless in East Perth Hall” “There is nothing pretentious about St. Bartholomew's Hall and rectory in the working suburb of East Perth, yet it has been a haven to the unemployed, the evicted, those who have been released from goal and have no home, and persons who are ready to be discharged from hospital but have no one to care for them while they convalesce…NO CHARGE MADE…Soon, the Voluntary Transport Service of the Royal Perth Hospital knew of this work and when failing to find accommodation for patients who were discharged from the hospital, took them along to the' rectory where they were cared for temporarily.
As the need grew additional facilities were built and the East Perth parish ball now has a small room which caters especially for the increasing number of guests…The women police who were often confronted with the problem of placing young women and children for the night, learned to rely on this sure "anchor" and their requests for accommodation have come at any hour of the day and night and have never been refused.” Article advising readers how to have their name placed on a waiting list to adopt a baby.
The Child Welfare Department is advertised as being more affordable in respect to associated fees in comparison with a private solicitor.

The article relates, “A probationary period of at least six months is the rule, during which time the progress and development of the child are carefully checked.
If at the end of that time the new parents are not satisfied that a suitable child has been allotted to them, they may return it before the adoption is made legal.” Article titled, “DESERTED WIVES BIG PROBLEM” “Although Queensland's unemployment has never been lower, the State has a record number of deserted mothers and families, the Rev.

C. S. Trudgian said last night.


Of 270 people receiving charity from the mission every week 220 were women, he continued… Most of them were either married or unmarried mothers.

[People registered for unemployment benefits in Queensland yesterday numbered 1052 In the last six months, 6569 callers sought charity at the City Mission.

Mr. Trudgian said Australia was undergoing a post-war 'walkoutism' epidemic among husbands, who - were not prepared to shoulder family responsibility.
He said the domestic desertions were due to incompatible war marriages; wanderlust of ex- service husbands; war caused drink habit and the housing shortage.

'We have dire poverty amidst today's plenty, and it is mainly poverty among women,' he said.

‘In the war many marriages were made before couples had a chance to know each other properly — and many have failed.'

Many deserted young wives and mothers getting relief from the Mission could not afford the cost of a divorce.
Others were forbidden it by their religion.” Hansard Adjournment Speech by Mr Cremean Re: Allegations of unlawful adoptions and child selling.

(see attachment “B” in blue folder) 38 1950cliii 31st March An amendment to the Adoption of Children Act 1929, to stop sale of babies, as per the secretary of the Child Welfare Department who claims that a black market in babies in Victoria “was possible” until the law was changed.
1950cliv 25th May Article titled, “Wanted – a Baby” reports: “Besides the department, church and secular organizations, which care for orphans, foundlings and other unwanted babies, we also have lists of couples wanting to adopt a baby.
It is not generally realised, however, that few of the occupants of these homes are available for adoption: - Some are the children of married couples whose accommodation is so limited or so poor that they are unable to have their children with them for the time being; - Some come from families where one parent has died and the other, working to support them, is temporarily unable to give them the necessary care and attention; - Some babies are boarded in the home while their unmarried mothers are out working; - While others have abnormalities defects or disease which make them unsuitable for adoption.” This article also reports: - a demand for babies which has never yet been met by the supply; - unmarried mothers of illegitimate babies form the largest adoptable group who do not wish to part with their babies; - “society today looks with a great deal more sympathy and kindliness on these girls who have loved not wisely but too well, and every effort is made to restore their self-respect and set them back on their feet”; - “(unmarried mothers) may enter a home any time before the child's birth and a sickness benefit is paid for six weeks before and after birth”; - “the comfort and help given during these difficult days and the training received in caring for the baby makes the girls fiercely determined not to part with it.” 1950clv June Article titled, “Demand outstripping supply” reports: Officers of a Methodist Babies’ Home report that “amendments to the Adoption of Children Act (1928) giving even greater protection to foster parents than the original act provided, had stimulated the demand for babies…couples seem to be clamouring for babies.
The shortage has been growing for about ten years, but has never been greater than now.” 1950clvi Article titled, “National Inquiry into sale of babies is urged” reports: Doctors waive medical fees in exchange for babies, which they sold to infertile couples for 50 pounds.

39 1950clvii 30th March Secretary of the NSW Children’s Welfare Department reports: 1950clviii 6th April 1950clix 1950clx May 1950clxi May “The number of people waiting to adopt children is tremendous.
Some people are prepared to do anything to get a child for adoption.” Aricle titled, “Babies For Sale?” reports: “At the risk of incurring the wrath and indignation of the Labour politician in the House of Representatives who asked for an investigation into the alleged "sale' of illigitimate babies in Australian capital cities, I make bold to utter my views on the subject.

Babies born to unmarried girls are "placed" with childless couples who, it is said, pay £50.
The children are then, legally adopted by those who have sought them out.

I cannot agree for one moment that there is any comparison in this sidelight on an acknowledged social problem, with the "white slave in drug traffic" mentioned in the same breath by the honourable member at Canberra.
After all, if a childless couple wish to adopt a child, and choose to pay £50 for the privilege of obtaining one a few months or years sooner than through the ordinary, and perhaps more prudent channels, whose business is it except their own and that of the unmarried mother who has a hard choice either way?” St Joseph’s Babies’ Home in Broadmeadows, Victoria... - will shut if unaided by funds; - Dr Mannix attacks Federal and State governments for failing to “give adeqate support”; - Mentally or physically deficient children are unadoptable.
Article about the Child Welfare Department “It is not easy to estimate a probable waiting time (to adopt), but the demand has never yet been met by the supply.

Quite a number of unmarried mothers-and illegitimate babies form the largest adoptable group-do not wish to part with their babies…They may enter a home any time before the child's birth and a sickness benefit is paid for six weeks before and after birth.
The comfort and help given during these difficult days and the training received in caring for the baby makes the girls fiercely determined not to part with it.” 183 adoptions granted by the WA Child Welfare Department Article explains why babies in orphanages are not available for adoption, giving the breakdown of categories as follows: - Some are the children of married couples whose accommodation is so limited or so poor that they are unable to have their 40 1950clxiii 1950clxiv 27th Nov 1950clxv 1950clxvi children with them for the time being; - Some come from families where one parent has died and the other, working to support them, is temporarily unable to give them the necessary care and attention; - Some babies are boarded in the home while their unmarried mothers are out working; - While others have abnormalities defects or disease which make them unsuitable for adoption.
‘Children had to be passed as medically 'fit for adoption' prior to placement; (as) … adoptive parents had a 'right' to the 'perfect' child.

Children over the age of six months were considered difficult to place, and older children or children with disabilities were generally regarded as unplaceable.’clxii Article titled, “Pink Disease Cure” – experiments on State wards in QLD and Victoria, entailing treatment with salt and an adrenal hormone.
Article titled, “Babies’ Home will be Shut if not Aided” reports: “Australia's biggest institution for illegitimate babies may be closed unless the Government helps it.

Dr Alannix, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, said this yesterday.

He said the institution Joseph's Babies' Home, Broadmeadows would be shut down immediately unless it was assisted by the Government.

Mr Mannix bitterly attacked the State and Federal Governments for failure to give the Home adequate support.
St Joseph's Home is now catering for nearly 200 illegitimates …St Joseph’s and its wonderful sisters have been working for the babies for fifty years, almost unaided.

They cannot continue indefinitely – unless a Government comes to their assistance.” Dr Mannix said that St Joseph’s deficit of sixteen thousand pounds last year would be exceeded this year.

Other Catholic and non- Catholic institutions were in a similar plight, he added.

A Sister of St Joseph … confirmed Dr Mannix’s declaration.
“We just can’t see how we can keep going,” she said.

“Our cost are rising and we seem to be getting more and more unmarried mothers to care for each month.

“We love the babies and would hate to lose them…Expectant mothers of illegitimate babies are taken in by the Home and cared for at no cost.
After their babies are born, most return to the home until they are able to take them away or have them adopted…State Cabinet May discuss the Home’s plight at its meeting today.” Article titled: “ACT Residents get Preference in Adopting Babies” reports babies adopted from out of NSW (Hopewood Infant’s Home, Bowral) into the ACT.

Court officials are unwilling to divulge the number of adoptions in the ACT but article reports that they are increasing.
This article is an advertisement of the work of Hopewood Infants’ Home.

Article titled, “You’re home is childless so you’ve decided to adopt a baby” reports: how to return a baby if it proves unsuitable, reporting: supply and demand (a two year wait for a baby) - - adoption of those with desirable, heritable characteristics; - adopters want a baby young enough not to have recollections of its former life; - claiming that the child adoption system is racket-free.
41 1950clxvii 1950clxviii 1950clxix Article titled: “Should we deprive unmarried mothers of a baby’s love?
reports: - “Doctors advocate that illegitimate children should be taken from their mothers at birth and put out to adoption at a fortnight old.” - “The pain of parting with the baby after eight weeks or more may help to keep the unmarried mother straight in her future life.” (punitive) - “Many maternity homes run by charitable institutions in Melbourne endeavour to keep unmarried mothers with their babies for periods up to three months in order to feed it herself (to give it a better start).” - “Adoption is believed to be in the best interests of the illegitimate child.” Article titled, “BABIES FOR SALE Alleged Racket In Hospitals” reports: “Four Melbourne hospitals are suspected of selling babies to childless couples.
Three of the hospitals are believed to be in the suburbs and one in the city.

Investigations are believed to have shown that one Sydney hospital and three doctors are also involved in the racket.

Although the price of the babies sometimes is as high as over £100, the average price is £50.

All the babies are those of unmarried girls.


There are more than 400 childless couples in Victoria on the waiting list for children for adoption but under State law if it can be proved babies are bought the adoption is not legal.” Article titled “Wanted – A Baby” reports: - adoption is for the physically fit baby; - - unmarried mothers who receive help are fiercely determined not to part with their offspring.
few in homes are available for adoption; 1950clxx 1951clxxi Babies sold, MP (Lab, Victoria) declares in the House of Representatives State Children’s Department director is interviewed, claiming: - four hundred QLD couples waiting to adopt; - 900 applications received since July last year; - adoption increasing because becoming known; - rare for a child past six months to be adopted; - Child welfare expert Lady Cilento claims that baby should be adopted preferably as soon as it leaves the hospital.
1950clxxii 1951clxxiii Article titled, “Answers to readers questions: Do you believe in the science of eugenics?” reports: “The most hopeful way is to give unborn babies, not a better biological inheritance - which is a slow and doubtful project but a better social inheritance, which can be as rapid as we have the will to make it.

The eugenist wants all babies to be born of fitter parents; I suggest that a more hopeful plan is to see that all babies are born into a fitter world.
More hopeful, and more practicable.

What nobody knows as yet is how much of a person's character depends on heredity and how much on environment.” Article titled, “Would you like to own this baby?” reports: Babies advertised in the Argus newspaper Welfare worker’s task described as twofold: - on behalf of the infertile/childless, married couple; - to place a baby with sound hereditary background.
Article also confirms knowledge that: - - that the mother permitted to hold her baby will decide to keep it; that Australian hospitals have a system where a mother signs the surrender 42 - papers before the birth of the child and is not allowed to see the child; it is believed that it is better that the mother sign away the child before she has a chance to change her mind; - babies are kept in a home for twelve months if they are not medically cleared for adoption; racial background must be matched to - 1951clxxiv 7th July 1951clxxv 4th August avoid it becoming public knowledge that the child is adopted, which would cause the child suffering; - Miss Isabel Strahan recommends that their be a probationary period not less than six months within which a child may be returned if not suitable to a couple.
She says, “You can’t guarantee that the child will be 100 per cent perfect…environment is the main thing.” Article titled, “Latest shortage here is babies” “Like most other things there is a shortage in South Australia of babies for adoption.

About 356 couples are waiting to adopt baby girls and 121 are waiting for boys.

Of that number, 102 couples would take either a boy or girl if they could get a baby immediately.
For the 12 months ended June 30 there were 403 official adoptions handled by the Children's Welfare and Public Relief Department.” Article titled, “Cleric attacks girls' morals” reports: “More than 7000 babies were born out of wedlock in Australia each year, the Methodist Crusade for Christ Federal director (the Rev.

A. Erwin Vogt) said at the National Christian Endeavour Union convention to-night.
One Australian bride in every seven was pregnant, he added.” 1952clxxvi Article titled, “Babies ordered like medicine” reports: - a barren woman is given a baby as a fertility cure or to mend an 1952clxxvii unhappy marriage; - Mrs. E Edwards, chairman of the Standing Conference of Societies Registered for Adoption debunks the social mores myth that it was believed that the removal of the child at birth is in the best interests of the unmarried mother, when she says, “It is not true that the mother suffers less if she has to pretend that the child has not been born at all.
The only way she can be properly rehabilitated is by being made to face up to her situation.” Article titled “ADOPTION RUSH FOR BABY GIRLS, NOT BOYS” “The Canberra Community Hospital has a waiting list of Canberra residents wishing to adopt new born baby girls, who cannot be cared for by their mothers, or who have been abandoned at the hospital.

The list of residents wishing to adopt baby boys, however, had diminished in recent years…(t)he Medical Superintendent, Dr. A.
Lane, will seek an interview with the magistrate, Mr. F. C. Keane, in an effort to clear up an anomaly regarding adoptions.

Dr. Lane informed the Board that if a baby were left at the hospital and foster parents could not be obtained for it the hospital would be placed in an invidious position.
A court order to allow the child to be placed in an institution could not be obtained, because as long as the child was cared for in the hospital it could not be declared a neglected or unwanted child.” 43 1952clxxviii Lady Wakehurst opens, providing aftercare for Crown Street Mothers at Waverly for those whose children were marked for adoption or for married women who had given stillbirth.
From the affidavit of Dian Wellfare, late founder of Origins: “At some time between 7.am and 11.am on 22 August 1968 I was transferred from the Women’s Hospital (Crown Street) to the Lady Wakehurst annex in Waverly where I was detained and further sedated.
During the entire duration of my postnatal confinement period I had no knowledge of the whereabouts of my newly born child, nor of his whereabouts for the following 23 years of his life.” (Wellfare’s affidavit was submitted to the Senate Inquiry into forced adoption 2011) Article titled, “Matron tells of adoption work by hospital” “(Matron Shaw) said that Crown Street Hospital was doing everything it could for unmarried mothers.
In a safe in my office I have a box of wedding rings which" are loaned to unmarried mothers, she said.

In addition we call all the unmarried mothers 'Mrs.'

and treat them as all our other patients.

Matron Shaw added that despite the high adoption figures there were more than 1,000 parents waiting to adopt children In Sydney.” Motherhood of Man: “Eighteen Australian girls have crossed the Tasman in recent months so that their babies could be born in Auckland.
They had heard about the help given to unmarried mothers by the Motherhood of Man movement there.

The movement has cared for a total of 192 unmarried mothers in the past year, and has arranged the adoption of 173 babies…We offer friendship and are out to beat the abortionist.” Victorian Adoption of Children Amendment Bill Mr Galvin (p. 14): “Adoption has now taken its place as a recognized institution in Victoria.

Over 1,000 adoption orders are made each year.


The first machinery matter to which I have referred to allow the parents of a child to give their consent to adoption of the child by others without knowing the identity of the proposed adopters.

This is designed to enable the fact of adoption and the parentage of the adopted child to be kept secret so far as possible.

At present, in fact, this is done, but only by a disregard of the provisions of the Act.
The second machinery provision is to empower the court which makes an adoption order to specify the Christian as well as the surname to be given to the adopted child.

This too, in practice, is done at present, but without statutory authority.” Article titled, “Young girl weeps: “My baby!” This article is about Joan Murray, whose child was taken for adoption out of Crown Street Women’s Hospital.
It is significant because it gives the following testimony” is - - that Joan Murray was without care or companionship while confined at Crown Street (mothers have testified that they were not permitted visitors); the vulnerability of a mother immediately after giving birth.
1952clxxix 26th August 1952clxxx November 1953 4th March HANSARD Judges in Victoria break the law (see Hansard in white folder) 1953clxxxi Tuesday 14th April 44 1953clxxxii May Adoption figures increase in QLD Article notes that figures have been increasing since the Adoption of Children Act of 1935 Article titled, “A Daughter is a Daughter all her Life” reports: - demand for baby girls as companions to adoptive mothers; - 1400 couples in NSW waiting to adopt children.
1953 clxxxiii Article titled, “Hospital Needs Money, Cloths” reports: - Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital in need of urgent governmental support; - Under Commonwealth hospitals benefit 1953clxxxiv 28th June 1953clxxxv June 1953clxxxvi 15th July scheme, a mother and baby are counted as one patient; - Of 297 babies kept after discharge of the mother, they were premature, sick, or babies for adoption.
Hospital almoners and social workers of the “Australian Association of Social Workers” begin their study on unwed mothers through a “systematic collection of information” (their schooling, parents, character, jobs, if previously married), “to pinpoint the causes, psychological and emotional, that led to their lapse and therefore reveal more effective ways of dealing with this social problem.” The Association’s hospital almoners and social workers are stationed at hospitals to interview them in order to examine the cause of ex-nuptial pregnancy and find a solution to it.
Article titled, “The Problem of the Unmarried Mothers relates that Australian Association of Social Workers has just set out to examine unwed mothers: - a fortnight ago beginning a systematic collection of information to discover the psychological causes of “the lapse” of unwed motherhood; the article is an advertisement for the Bethesda Pre-Maternity Home, run by the Sydney Rescue Work Society (SRWS); the article relates that the SRWS advertises in many country newspapers and that about seventy girls pass through the Home each year; the home’s Matron Smith relates that the girl need not tell anything about the father of her unborn child if she does not want to.
that the girl will be called “Mrs” when she is confined; that divorce is often traceable in the backgrounds of such girls if only they will talk.
- - - - - Consulted by the Australian Association of Social Workers in conducting their study on unwed mothers, Miss Margaret Thornhill states: "The most able, competent and better-adjusted unmarried mothers are the ones who give up their babies for adoption," when she was guest speaker at the Feminist Club…The unmarried mother," she said, "needs more help than medical care and accommodation.
She needs a skilled case-worker who can help her to examine her own situation and decide not only what is best for her child but, just as important, best for her…This help should begin as soon as the girl becomes 45 known to a social agency-it should not wait for the arrival of the baby, nor should it end there…Adoption of illegitimate children, she said, had not only become acceptable, but very popular.
There were now many more would-be parents than unmarried mothers.” 1953clxxxvii August Article titled “How to Adopt a Baby” reports: - there are now more childless marriages than there used to be; - Child Welfare Department relates that couples are waiting to adopt healthy newborn babies as soon as they are ready to leave the maternity hospitals; - All babies in Government hospitals 1953clxxxviii August 1953clxxxix 27th August 1953cxc 1st September are examined for medical clearance prior to being placed for adoption; - Six month wait for baby boy and two years for baby girl; - How to make a written application to the Child Welfare Department for a baby.
Article titled, “Five Reasons for Mace Adoption” reports: Joan Murray is person of low moral character; If application for adoption is refused, Miss Murray would be able to appeal for custody of the child under writ of habeas corpus; - - - Miss Murray’s original consent to the adoption; - Lack of bona fides in the withdrawal of the Miss Murray’s consent.
Article titled, “Decision Reserved in Baby Case – Judge: Not Easy to Give Judgment” reports: “Referring to the suggestion that the Court would be condemning Miss Murray for her past and creating a precedent if it found against her, Mr. Larkins said he had never sought to put the argument that the natural mother was being punished.

‘I recoil from it.
I do not believe that in a modern society, we hope enlightened, that there could be any suggestion that a mother's primitive rights can be taken away from her purely as a matter of punishment,’ he said.” Appeal for foster parents for State wards by Mr. Galvin Chief Secretary Galvin claims that the Children’s Welfare Department is having difficulty in placing babies, toddlers and pre-school children, as most of these could not be regarded as available for adoption or permanent custody at this stage.
Mr Galvin says, “I feel that there are many citizens who have the desire and the ability to provide a temporary ‘father and mother’ relationship.” Mr Galvin also speaks of the increase of payments for children boarded out in institutions and private foster homes and that he hopes these payments will encourage people to offer their services as foster parents.
1953cxci 4th September Article titled, “Bill Proposes a Change in Adoption Act” reports: “(C)ouple living in Western Australia was likely to have an application for the adoption of a child rejected at present if the child was born in another State…a Bill 46 Western Australian Judges break the law 1953cxcii 22nd September to amend the Adoption of Children Act…sought to rectify this position, he said.
In the past, some judges in this State had granted adoption orders, irrespective of the domicile of the child.

Recently, however, a judge of the Supreme Court had held that jurisdiction could be exercised only if the child's father lived in Western Australia or, if he were dead, the mother lived there.
Mr. Abbott (L.C.L., Mr. Lawley) secured the adjournment of the debate.” Article reports: Justice McClelland grants application to the Maces to legally adopt Wayne Murray, also relating that the child’s natural mother has never seen her baby (born at Crown Street) 1953cxciii 22nd September Mr Justice McLelland grants an application by the Maces legally to adopt the baby who was Wayne Murray, dispensing consent to adoption by the child’s mother.
1953cxciv 23rd September Feminist Club to ask the Minister for Justice, Mr.

Downing, to alter the law to prevent adopting parents taking possession of the child until the final adoption papers are signed.

President of the Feminist Club points out an anomaly, which was revealed in the Mace/Murray case.
She says that “The Act should not allow children to be taken possession of until the agreement is final…There should also be steps taken to expedite the time between the consent by the mother and the finalisation of the necessary documents.” 1953cxcv 24th September Article titled, “Appeal by Mother in Baby Case Almost Certain’” “The Director of the Social Studies Department at the University of Sydney, Miss Norma Parker, said yesterday that the case drew attention to the need for a welfare service to offer skilled help to unmarried mothers before the birth of their children.” 1953cxcvi 24th September Article titled: “Guardianship Agency Urged Before Adoption” outlines Miss Thornhill’s Plan: “A guardianship agency to care for children while adoption applications arc being investigated was urged by Miss 'Margaret Thornhill, who has been in Australia for five months on a Fullbright scholarship to study child welfare.
She said, ‘the Murray Mace baby case (in which judgment was given by Mr. Justice McLelland in the Equity Court on Monday) had exposed the need in this State for the people and the Parliament to reexamine the whole question of child adoption...There are few exceptions where the unmarried, pregnant girl does not have serious cmotional problems.

True, she can receive here, the advice and assistance of almoners in hospital.
But she goes there primarily because she needs medical care...There 47 should be a place where she can go, where the people are trained and have plenty of time to concentrate on her particular problems problems (which) should be straightened out before the birth of the child or the question of adoption arises...There is need in Sydney to combine the necessary work with the mother, the child and adoptive applicants, into one agency so that the responsibility for total handling comes under one organisation.
Nor is there any machines here for the transfer of guardianship other than from the natural mother to the foster parents.

In the U.S. we have an interim step to transfer guardianship to an agency, where the child would be cared for until transfer to the foster parents.

Thus in the United States three steps, not two, are taken.

I think it is important that, until the guardianship or legal rights of the natural mother have been terminated, the child should not be placed in the adoptive home.
The job of determining the future of a child released for adoption by its naturai mother or parents should be the specialised task of trained social workers in a separate agency where adoptions are the major responsibility.

Society should protect the interests of children who are not able to speak for themselves."
Article titled, “Time Lapse Before Adoptions” “A child which an unmarried mother wishes to surrender for adoption should be taken immediately by the adopting parents, said Miss Joyce Cox at a meeting of the National Council of Women.

Miss Joyce Cox said she was speaking on behalf of Dr Irene Sebire, who was unable to attend the meeting.
“To prevent psychological disturbance in the child, the transfer should be made without waiting for the ratification of the Equity Court of the agreement between the two parties,” she said.

Mrs. Preston Stanley Vaughn said that it should be made illegal for adopting parents to take the child before the papers had been signed in Court, but that the indefinite period of time now allowed a mother to make up her mind about the adoption of her child should be shortened.
Matron Constance Fall, Matron in charge of King George V Hospital, suggesting a two month lapse of time, said that to shorten the period too much would not be in the best interests of the mother, who was not in a fit state to decide the child’s future in the first weeks after her confinement.
Miss Wilga Fleming, representing the Social Workers Association said: “If an unmarried woman is given guidance throughout her pregnancy by a trained social worker or agency, as is the case in America, she will have made up her mind about the child’s future by the time it is born.” Letters to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald relates loophole in the Child Welfare Act concerning the adoption of children and the rights of the unwed mother: “A proviso to Section 167 of the Child Welfare Act states that ‘the Court may dispense with the consent referred to in paragraph (c) or in paragraph (d) of this section, where, having regard to the circumstances, the Court deems it just and reasonable to do so.’ 1953cxcvii 25th September 1953cxcviii 26th September 1953cxcix 29th September Article titled, “Rights of Parents” reports: - need to recognize inalienable right of parents to guardianship over child in making attempts to change Victoria’s adoption laws; - Mr Galvin, Chief Secretary’s rejection of call for children to be adopted without their parents’ consent.
48 1953cc 1st October Article titled, “Should the Adoption Law be Changed?” reports recommendations to avoid a repeat of the Mace v/s Murray case, including: - Documents necessary for the adoption order should be completed within one month of the mother's initial consent to the adoption of her child; - The child should not be delivered to the adopting parents until agreement is final; - The Government should appoint a committee of social workers to examine and report on the Child Welfare Act.
Unmarried mother not permitted to see her baby, according to article: “Obviously, he cannot stay with his natural mother who, in all probability, has not been allowed to see him.
If he is not sent immediately to the adopting parents, he most certainly should not be placed in an institution where he will be deprived, at an important period in his life, of a relationship with a mother.” Article titled, “Proposed Victorian Child Welfare Bill” reports: Mr Galvin, Chief Secretary, soon to recommend sweeping reforms for children’s welfare to State Cabinet: - - - that children’s institutions should be registered; the government should set minimum standards for institutions; the Children’s Welfare Department should file a case history of every child in an institution.
This would be in order to make more children available for adoption.

As it would have each child’s case history, the Children’s Welfare Department could sponsor adoption.

Mr Galvin maintains that the Government has no control over children in private institutions unless they are state wards, though Government funds partly maintain many of the institutions.
Victorian Child Welfare Bill proposed in order that: - - to place private institutions under the control of the State; the best interests of the child are better know by Social workers in a State endorsed system; - all children taken from parental control are not free for adoption because the consent of their parents is required as parental interests are considered above those of children.
Proposals by the Feminist Club to alter child adoption procedure in NSW Minister for Education, Mr. J Heffron to discuss with State Cabinet, proposals to alter the adoption procedure in NSW.
The Feminist Club along with 10 women’s groups propose: - - that the power of the Child Welfare Department to pass a child into the care of foster parents before the natural mother had given final consent and an adoption order made in the court, be removed; that the period between consent and adoption order be not more than one month.
- That a committee of experienced social workers examine the Child Welfare Act and make recommendations to the Government Mrs Vaughn, spokeswoman for the Feminst club recommends that: 1953cci 1st October 1953ccii 1st October 1953cciii 2nd October - a clinic for unmarried mothers be set up ; - that a mother come under the care of the latter, three months prior to giving birth; that her ideas be moulded towards mothering rather than adoption.
- 49 1953cciv 7th October Australian Women’s Weekly article 1953ccv 4th December 1953ccvi 1954ccvii January NEW YORK 1954ccviii 4th February Article titled, “Women’s move on adoption laws seek to prevent repetition of Mace-Murray case The president of the Feminist Club, Mrs Preston Stanley Vaughn believes: “that unmarried mothers' fear that they and their children will have to live under a social stigma could be relieved or avoided by: The mother making every effort to protect the child, even to the extent of moving to a new district; community realisation that illegitimacy is no fault of the child; compassion of other women in more comfortable circumstances towards the mother and her problem.” Matron E Shaw formerly of Crown Street Women’s Hospital says: "We kept illegitimate babies for as long as three months if their mothers were in difficulties and found it hard to decide.
But I have never known a case where indecision prevented a child's adoption and so forced it into an institution.

I can, however, remember many cases when a married mother had lost several babies through difficult childbirth and wanted to adopt one while still in hospital.

In very worthy cases like these we could come to an agreement with the Child Welfare Department that these mothers could immediately adopt illegitimate children still in the hospital and start feeding them themselves.
Within a matter of two weeks these mothers could take the baby home as if it were their own.

All adoption papers were completed before they left the hospital.” Article titled, “Council Amends Adoption of Children Bill” reports: “On the motion of Chief Secretary (Mr. Fraser) the Legislative Council last night agreed to an amendment to the Adoption of Children Act Amendment Bill (No.
2) giving a judge discretion not to require the consent of both parents when making an adoption order.” Article confirms, 1,400 in NSW waiting to adopt children -18 months wait for boys, 2 year wait for girls; - “the demand is much greater than the supply” Article titled, “Adoption Aids Barren Wives” reports: “Often a barren couple consulting their physician in a small town would be advised to adopt a baby to fill the void.
The adopted infant, coddled and pressed to the foster parent's breast, often produced physiological changes in the body of the woman, resulting in natural conception.

Today, when diagnosis fails to disclose the cause of deficiency in a childless couple, therapists advise: "Adopt a child and see what happens."

From the Commonwealth statist: “Talking all first births to Australian Women of all ages the Government Statist finds that more than one in four is the result of extra-marital relations.
The actual statistics are: There are some 69,300 first births to women in Australia each year.

50 Almost 20,000 of these represent the result of "illicit relationships"-12,200 cases of children conceived out of wedlock but born within it, and 7,300 illegitimate births.
1954ccix 9th March Mrs Vaughn of the Feminist Club predicts a repeat of the Mace v/s Murray baby case if child adoption procedure remains the way it is, in response to the news that the NSW Government is unlikely to alter the adoption procedure in NSW.

1954ccx 20th March 1954ccxi 7th April 1954ccxiii 7th April Article titled, “Remanded on Abducting Baby Charge” “Police asked today for a Court order that a woman charged with having abducted a baby should under-go medical observation.
The woman, Mrs. Muriel Alma Jack (28), of Manly, was charged in the Central Court with having abducted Garry John Costello, then six days old, from St. Margaret's Hospital on March ll.” Article titled, “ Housemaid mother asks for her baby back” reports: - consent of the mother in hospital while she was distraught and upset; - mother not permitted to see baby because it was to be adopted; - a relative of the mother not permitted to see the baby; - eight days after the birth of her child, the mother asks the nursing sister if she may leave the hospital but is told that she must sign adoption papers first; - mother did not receive notice of adoption proceedings.
This article is important because the same allegations have been reiterated by hundreds of mothers.
See also, Youtube video regarding “Social clearance”ccxii Article titled, “”Want Baby Back, Mother Pleads” reports: - Miss Joan Fry gave birth to a baby girl on December 26, 1952, and called her Susan; - She asked the hospital staff whether she could see the infant, but was told that she could not because it was going to be adopted; - Miss Fry said that, eight days later, she was told that somebody was at the hospital with adoption papers; - She went into a room and a solicitor and another man told her that, if she signed the papers, she would have no claim on her child.
"I thought I had to sign,"ccxiv she said.

- Miss Fry relates that the Mace v/s Murray case was her inspiration to come forward.

She said, “I do not know any law.

If I did, I would not be where I am today.”ccxv 51 1954ccxvi 15th April Article titled, “Housemaid Wins Fight for Baby” reports: - mother who has not seen even a picture of her baby will see her child for the first time; - much secrecy has surrounded her baby.
1954ccxvii 17th April This article is of particular significance as it attests to claims of unwed mothers that: - denial of access to a newborn infant prior to the signing of adoption consent papers; - denial of discharge from hospital prior to the signing of adoption consent papers; lack of the mother’s knowledge of her rights; failure to inform the unwed mother of adoption proceedings.
- - 1954ccxviii 22nd April 1954ccxix May 1954ccxx 4th May Article titled, “Child Welfare Bill Explained Soon”, detailing proposals for a Victorian Bill: “… to abolish the charge of “neglected child”, set up an advisory committee on child welfare and give the Children’s Welfare Department power to acquire the case history of every child available for adoption.” Article titled, “Orphaned Babies used to Save Shaky Marriages”, relates 85% of Victoria's child is carried out by voluntary welfare work organisations and 15% by the State.
750 orphaned babies go out to "unchecked" parents each year.

These babies go to parents who wanted a child to "keep a shaky marriage together”, says Dr. Morris, secretary of the Criminology Department of the Melbourne University, as adoption law has failed to organise its authority.

Of about 1,050 adoptions a year, only 250 are made pursuant to an investigation of the homes into which the children are going.
Proposed Victorian Child Welfare Bill – “Neglected Child Reform Put off for Four Months” – failed to pass because “involved and difficult”.

Mr Galvin promised to outline the progress being made with the drafting of the Bill.

Reforms proposed would be the “abolition of the neglected child charge…Mr.

Slater, Attorney General, said last night no amendments to the Adoption Act are being considered at present.
Mr. Slater would not comment on the proposals by Mrs. George Reid, special magistrate, for tightening the adoption laws.

Mrs. Reid said unmarried mothers should retain their babies for at least 14 days.

Foster parents should be able to return babies which turned out to be imbeciles, or hopelessly handicapped, or unsuitable in the family unit.
52 1954ccxxi 15th May Victorian article titled, “Is Our Baby Safe”, relates: fears of prospective adoptive parents following the Mace v/s Murray and the Joan Fry cases.
1954ccxxii 20th June 1954ccxxiii 7th August Article titled, “Foster Parents Bar Mother” reports: “Miss Fry was told she had a daughter, but never saw her.” Article titled, “NSW Unwed Mothers: Report Soon” relates public announcement of unwed mothers report soon to come under the attention of the NSW State Government following on an investigation by the Australian Association of Social Workers and representatives of: - the Child Welfare Department; - Crown Street Women's Hospital; - the Royal Hospital for Women; - the King George V Memorial Hospital for Mothers and Babies; - the Catholic Welfare Bureau; - the Royal Society for the Welfare of Mothers and Babies; - "Bethesda"; - South Sydney Maternity Hospital; - the Rachel Forster Hospital for Women; - and the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital.
Convenor of the committee Mrs J Gore “said the report would survey the whole problem presented by unmarried mothers and their children, that facilities were available for their care and help, whether the facilities were adequate, adoption procedure, boarding-out of expectant mothers, attitude of the public, and similar questions.” Miss J Gore also states: "We hope it will be a very complete survey of the problem, especially as it exists in Sydney…Just what sort of accommodation is best for these young unmarried mothers is another problem the report will cover.
Perhaps cottage homes or maternity homes are best; often girls feel uncomfortable and unhappy in big institutions or hostels.” Miss Gore also said: "The report will also incorporate material gathered by the American Fulbright scholar, Miss Margaret Thornhill, who was here studying our care of unmarried mothers last year."
Article titled, “Child Available for Adoption” The head of a charitable organisation that runs several (maternity) homes in New South Wales, tells The Canberra Times that a young unmarried girl, shortly to have a child, wants it adopted by a Roman Catholic couple.

The organisation, which is non-sectarian, has arranged adoptions for babies for some years.
A leading Canberra citizen vouches for a prominent official in Sydney financial, commercial and charitable circles, who suggests that his name or that of the home not be used, so that the mother, who will not see her child, will have no indication of its destination.

An official in Canberra who has assisted in adoptions for several years said yesterday there was no legal bar to a couple resident in Canberra adopting a baby born in N.S.W.

His office worked in close co- operation with N.S.W.
Child Welfare authorities, he said.” 53 1954ccxxiv 13th August 1954ccxxv 13th August Article titled, “Govt to Consider A Report On Unwed Mothers”, entailing details of a report commissioned by a Committee of the Australian Association of Social Workers, including that: - its members have interviewed more than 300 unmarried mothers, and for three months in 1953, questioned every unwed mother who approached hospitals or institutions catering for them.
The convenor of the committee, Mrs J Gore states: “A surprising large number of girls – about 40%, in fact – left hospital with their babies and intended to keep them.” The Report states that only a small proportion of NSW girls who become pregnant out of wedlock seek the help of social agents during pregnancy.

Mrs J Gore, regarding the latter, states: “This is to be regretted.
We feel that doctors, nurses and clergymen who come into contact with the girls should encourage them to seek our help”; The Report also notes that: - there is a lack of accommodation and other facilities for unmarried mothers during their pregnancy; - more funds are needed by social agencies catering for unwed mothers; - most agencies are unable to admit the girls until the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy; and - with more funds they could care for the girls earlier.
Mrs J Gore speculates: "We wonder how many of these girls will later decide to have their baby adopted; and if they keep them, whether they have the emotional and material ability to fulfill the needs of the child.” Unsuccessful test case of the Visiting Forces Act 1952 against an American ex-serviceman by a British mother.

Chief Justice Goddard concludes: Young women had better be more careful of what they do with American soldiers.
Article titled, “Should she surrender her baby” "We wonder how these unmarried mothers arc going to manage," (Sydney Almoner) Miss Gore said, "and whether they will find them selves eventually forced to have the child adopted.

"One theory strongly backed by social workers over seas is that although it is hard for the mother to give her child up, it may be better in the long run for the baby to be adopted into a family."
The article relates the story of an unsupported, unwed mother counseled to surrender her baby: “Gradually, she began to respond to the understanding shown by the social worker and was able to plan for the welfare of the baby.
She finally decided to surrender him for adoption.” “Ex-wives should have a share” “Labour women (agree) to ask for free medical and hospital treatment for maternity cases, and the appointment of a consultant to assist in the rehabilitation of women in unfortunate circumstances, with special regard to unmarried mothers.” 54 1954ccxxvi 1954ccxxvii 8th September Australian Women’s Weekly 1954ccxxviii October 1954ccxxix 15th May Hospital Maternity Home Constitution of the Queen Victoria Hospital in Annandale NSW amended to have its primary object changed from general maternity to obstetric and social facilities to unmarried mothers and their babies.
1954ccxxx 25th November 1955 (see full transcript in white folder) Article titled, “Babies for the Brave” “Every adoption institute has its percentage of “unadoptables” – children with crippled limbs, bad heredity, blind, deaf, congenital hearts, mental defects.” Article also relates the practice of allowing prospective adoptive parents to select a baby.
See also Youtube evidenceccxxxi In 1955, the Full Court of the State of Victoria in the case of A. v. CS (1955) V.L.R.340, at p. 340-77 the Chief Justice Sir Edmund Herring indicates that promoting unnecessary adoption is in contravention of the adoption legislature and also that “(a)n adoption order may be discharged under the section even after the child ceases to be an infant.” He states that, “In the case of fraud on a Court leading to the making of an adoption order, any person injured by the fraud may sue by action in the Supreme Court to set aside the adoption order apart altogether from sec.
13.” Section 13 (1) means that “the infants condition must be improved or bettered in some way for the requirement to be satisfied.” The judge also stated (p. 346), “The love of a mother for her child has been recognized from the days of Solomon, if not before, as one of the strongest of all human instincts.
It is one that in the ordinary course can be relied upon to endure throughout life, whatever may befall, and so assumes an added significance when one is considering the welfare of the child on the long view of its whole life…adoption is from the nature of things only a second best to be put into operation only when the first best is for some reason not available…And it has to be borne in mind that adoptive parents may not prove as long suffering as natural parents might be, nor as the years go by as ready to put up with the frailties of the children they adopt.
The Legislature in sec.

8 has recognized the need in some cases for a probationary period of two years, presumably because it was realized that the early enthusiasm of would-be adopters for a child does on occasion cool.

He also expressed the opinion that in general an adoptive home is rarely as satisfactory for a child as a home with its real mother, even though superficial circumstances appear superior in the adoptive home.
The main objective of the legislation is to enable kindly-disposed persons to adopt children who, by reason of neglect by their parents or guardians or because they have neither parent nor guardian, or for some other good reason, are condemned to live in an institution or with a person or persons who have no legal obligation to them or who may use a de facto guardianship to exploit them…But the Legislature has also recognized that the chief claim to bring up a child rests with the parents and that the relationship of the parent and child prima facie renders the parent the most suitable of all persons to rear the child….Indeed, I should like to express my misgivings as to whether the secrecy with which the 55 case all by cases, misgivings as to whether the secrecy with which the Courts have been at such pains to surround adoption proceedings…is in many cases either necessary or wise.
There is a certain amount of false modesty about the attitude of many people to adoptions, which after all, are not truly comparable with childbirth; and, while there are cases such as the adoption of illegitimate babies, where secrecy is thought by many to be desirable, the Courts ought in general to do their work in public wherever possible…Furthermore, it might be considered valuable to include a provision in the Act or the rules that every consent should be verified, as to its genuineness and as to whether it is fully understood, by an independent solicitor, so that such matters should not be left, as at present they apparently almost invariably are, to the applicant’s solicitors or other advisers to handle…Such a wise provision might well, if adopted here, prevent such painful and unfortunate litigation as has been a good deal before the Australian courts in recent years; see 2nd High Court, Re Murray, R. v. Biggin; Ex March 1955; [1955] parte V.L.R.
Fry, broad policy of the 36….The lot of the provide to is Act are unfortunate and children who home.

But it is a lack a happy in my this as mistake, shows, opinion to suppose adopters are actuated that pure altruism.

entirely In in most perhaps many cases, they are actuated by a substantial measure of self-interest, and it is important that the balance be justly maintained between their interests and those of the natural parents.
Experience in the courts shows that prospective adopters will not consult the interests of the natural parents; the Legislature and the courts must do so.
There are, I believe, always many more prospective adopters than children available for adoption, so that there is always likely to be some pressure for the relaxation of just and proper safeguards…For the plain truth is that this appellant, who has lost her child while she was ill, and without her own knowledge or consent, ought in any common sense community to have got it back at once, independently of any preponderance of advantage to the child…Nothing which may affect the infant’s future, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and material, can by any a priori reasoning be said to be relevant…Most definitely (the Court) is not prevented from considering, in the light of the particular facts of the case, the possible advantages of retaining the natural ties created at birth, the chances of those more enduring affections which humanity from long experience has come to believe those ties in a majority of cases to ensure, and the possible effect of their destruction.
Certainly the fictional status conferred on the child by sec.
7 (as amended) does not forbid the court to use its common sense knowledge or to have regard to human experience…The impressions gained by the learned Judge of the litigants by personal observation of their appearance and demeanour cannot be set out in an appeal book, and so cannot be weighed by us – though I should like to record my protest against any notion that eccentricities in the mother’s character, or mere naiveté, or immaturity or judgment, even within wide limits, should be regarded as necessarily disadvantageous to her child.
1955 – 1956 1067 adoptions registered in Queensland 56 1956 Social Welfare Division, previously attached to the Department of Labour and Industry, incorporates to form the Department of Child Welfare and Social Welfare.ccxxxii 1956 Bethesda Maternity Hospital established 1956 Social Workers not to approach mother in regard to adoption 1956 1956 1956 1957 1957 (See attachment “A” in blue folder: Directors Report to the Queensland 1950s) “Children in Need” by Donald McLean Child Welfare Department NSW notes mother’s rights in relation to understating the full nature of signing an adoption consent, financial assistance, foster care and dire future regret.
(see attachment “C” in blue folder) Karingal Children’s Home for boys under seven opens (Connecting Kin guideccxxxiii p. 117) Holy Family Children’s Home, Marayong opens to care for boys and girls.

(Connecting Kin p.150) Bungarimbil Boys’/Children’s Home opens (Connecting Kin guide p. 110) First adoption is arranged from out of Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and Babies, Annandale, NSW (Connecting Kin guide p. 295), which operates also as a maternity hostel for unwed mothers.)
1958ccxxxiv 3rd September 1959 Article titled, “Should Mothers go out to Work: Experts to Confer” “Mothers of young children should not go out to work unless it is essential for some special reason.

This is the general opinion of child-care experts who will attend the eighth triennial conference of the Australian Pre-School Association at the University of Sydney this weekend and next week…Western Australia and South Australia have no officially recognised day nurseries or nursery schools.
In all States, however, the Kindergarten Union helps working mothers by taking pre- school children, giving them trained care, organised play and activities, and sometimes meals during the day.
Ruhamah Boys’ Home opens (NSW Connecting Kin Guide) 57 1960s Adoption Propaganda (See attachment “N” in blue folder) 1960sccxxxv One nurse tends to 42 babies in Crown Street ‘adoption nursery.’ 1961 1961 1961 In the book titled, “Unmarried Mothers” by Clark Vincent, 1961 (referenced in Seminar to Proclaim the Adoption of Children Act 1965) published after a ten years study on unmarried mothers in the US who were confined to unmarried mother homes, the author warned that: ‘If the demand for adoptable babies continues to exceed the supply…then it is quite possible that, in the near future, unwed mothers will be "punished" by having their children taken from them right after birth.
A policy like this would not be executed - nor labeled explicitly as "punishment."
Rather, it would be implemented through such pressures and labels as "scientific findings," "the best interests of the child," "rehabilitation of the unwed mother," and "the stability of the family and society.”’ (see attachment “D” in blue folder) The Fetherston Lecture The Medical Journal of Australia publishes a paper by Dr D.F Lawson titled the Fetherston Lecture in which Dr. Lawson reiterates the need to punish the unmarried mother.
While Vincent’s words served as a warning of what is to come as a result of that demand for babies, Lawson had instead invited the medical profession to ignore the law when it came to adoption when he announced: “The last thing the obstetrician might concern himself with is the law in regard to the adoption.” Dr Lawson had involvement of the medical profession into the adoption process by referring to it as “social medicine” and by his promotion of infant adoption at all costs by the medical profession, based on his eugenics mindset that believed the unmarried mother and her child were of bad genes and the mother should be punished by being removed from the “parenting club” and recommended that they be deprived of their rights.
(see attachment “E” in blue folder) instigated The Church of England’s Adoption Agency, Carramar is established and operates as a maternity home for unwed mothers 1962 July THE WOMAN’S DAY National magazine Woman’s Day and its readers claim credit for a model bill for adoption, the result of a national campaign focusing on children languishing in children homes.

The Bill is intended to give power to Courts and adoption authorities to dispense with the adoption consent of natural parents.
(see attachment “F” in blue folder) 58 1962 In 1963, ‘A psychiatrist’ writing on behalf of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, and associated with the Queen Victoria Maternity Hospital in Annandale, NSW, said: 1964 1964 1964 1964 1964 – 1967 “All unmarried mothers are not delinquents, and certainly not libertines.
How often they are looked upon as a lower order of human beings, as animals who live by their instincts…it is essential that the whole community be made aware of the real problem of these girls and made to realize that they are just human beings like themselves.” (attachment in white folder) 1964 Correspondence regarding Annual Conference of Child Welfare Administrators held in Darwin May 1965 (attachment “AA” in blue folder) Queensland introduces the Adoption of Children Act in cooperation with efforts to establish uniform adoption laws; under this Act, the Department of Child Welfare continues as the only adoption agency in the State.
(See attachment “A” in blue folder) Viola W. Bernard M.D.
adoption expert and author of the book titled “Adoption”, acknowledges the known ‘psychic trauma’ to mothers by permanent separation through adoption when she asks “Shouldn’t agencies make every effort to encourage natural parents, both married couples and unwed mothers, to keep their children, in order to prevent psychic trauma from permanent separation?” (see article in blue folder) Journal of Department of Child Welfare, Feb, Vol 3, No 2, making it an offence to “advertise” babies for adoption and gives instruction on how to take a consent to adoption; that is, that the Mother must be aware of the import of her consent as well as alternatives to adoption, financial assistance, placement of child in a licensed home or admission to State control as alternatives to adoption.
The journal also gives fictitious account of how the baby is given over to adopters, explaining what determines a child’s future, and mentions how a child is “matched” with the adoptive parents and how adopting a child brings on fertility for adopters.
(see attachment “F 1” in blue folder) The established adoption procedure as per its “Policy on Adoption “at the Women’s Hospital Crown Street: from the Affidavit of Mrs Pamela Thorne (Nee Roberts) Head Social Worker in Charge Women’s Hospital Crown Street between 1964 and 1976: - Paragraph 25.

The usual practice was that the mother was not permitted to see her baby in the delivery room but there would have been occasional exceptions to this.

In the days after the 59 birth the mother did not see the baby.
The Policy Manual would reflect these procedures; - Paragraph 27.The policy regarding putting a pillow over the chest of the mother during the birth had been aimed at preventing the commencement of bonding between mother and child, by obscuring the child from view after birth.
(Affidavit of Mrs Pamela Thorne (Nee Roberts) was submitted to the Senate Inquiry) Miss Mary Lewis, Social Worker Catholic Welfare Bureau, Sydney, states: “Many agencies in this country have punitive, illegal and harmful rules regarding the unmarried mother’s inalienable right to physical contact with her child, when she has decided on adoption.

Some agencies refuse to allow the unmarried mother to see her child, nor do they tell her the child’s sex.
While this may be done from the best motives, these misguided people should look more carefully into the situation.” (see blue folder for Australian Association of Social Workers National Conference 1965) Reference to Introduction of the ACT Adoption of Children Act 1965 1965 1965 (see attachment “G” in blue folder) 1965 The Adoption of Children Act 1965 passes: exclusively controlling adoption in NSW; requiring more detailed medical examination of the child; and information related to the natural parents’ medical and social - - - histories.
1965 1965 1965 May 6th Annual Conference of Child Welfare Administrators Federal, State, Territories and NZ discuss uniformity of adoption laws as well as views on development throughout Australia and mutual cooperation for one another’s benefit, which includes State reports on unadoptable children and their care, uniform adoption practices and ages of mothers etc (contact Origins Inc for a copy of the Directors Reports to Queensland and correspondence regarding conference) NSW Standing Committee on Adoption and Social Services established in 1967 with the introduction of the Adoption of Children Act 1965, comprised of representatives of the Department of Child Welfare Adoptions Branch, members of the Australian Association of Social Workers, representatives of private adoption agencies, a member of the medical profession, and members of adoptive parent organizations.
The Catholic Adoption Agency begins to arrange adoptions directly out of the Mater hospital.

(Connecting Kin guide p. 169) 60 1965 A Queensland newspaper article implies knowing infliction of mental trauma on unwed mothers in Queensland, reporting that those in ‘Heartbreak Ward…wait for the babies they will never be allowed to see.
The latter statement attests both to public knowledge regarding the systematic removal of the offspring of the unwed mother at birth as well as the pain that would surely be inflicted due to the same.ccxxxvi (see attachment “I” in blue folder) 1965 Centacare, Newcastle, now operates as Centacare Adoption Services 1965 Mary Lewis of the Catholic Adoption Agency at Conference for Child Welfare Workers (also representative in 1953 in AASW Report study of Unmarried Mothers) speaks of adoption practices that are harsh, punitive and unlawful.
(see attachment “H” in blue folder) 1965 7th & 8th December NSW Parliament HANSARD 1966 Mr McCaw maintains: “ The natural parents have the rights and responsibility for the care, custody, control and upbringing of the child.” Mr McCaw proceeds to say that natural parents must not be put in a situation where they can be unduly or improperly influenced, and that they must have time and supporting services to come to a considered decision about the child who is to be taken away.
On December 8th 1965, the Honorable A.D Bridges states, “I am convinced that adoption is the best substitute for care by the child’s own parents or close relatives,” also stating that “natural parents need assistance in coming to a reasoned decision as to the course they should follow” and that “extremely careful consideration should be given to all possible alternatives before a child is removed from his own parents for adoption.” Mr Bridges also emphasizes that parents, regardless of their social or legal status, should have the opportunity for full consideration of all the factors involved including the legal and psychological consequences of their decision to surrender or retain their child.
In ongoing discussion, The Hon Asher mentions there is no provision in the Bill to protect unmarried mothers in respect of parental support.
(see attachment “Ia” in blue folder) The Medical Journal of Australia acknowledges the medical profession’s negligence and breach of duty of care at having introduced the practice of denying mothers access to their own children without any prior research being conducted to establish the consequences to the mother or child in interrupting the birth process and preventing the mother from ever seeing the child she gave birth to.
The article refers to the over representation of adopted children in Child Guidance Clinics, with concluding medical evidence showing that financial stability and religious persuasion are not enough.

More research and follow up of the child is advised and that Departments of Mental Health, Obstetrics and Social welfare should be willing to look at their practices to see how they could improve.
The MJA reports (p. 934) on a symposium titled “The Unmarried mother and Child Adoption”, which was held in South Australia in 1966, that “No one knew exactly what effect the removal of the child had on the young mother, and whether it would be better for her to handle the child, and to look at it for a short time, or whether she should not see it at all.
In either case she would mourn its loss, but in the latter case she might mourn a fantasy child.” (see attachment “M” in blue folder) 61 See at attachedccxxxvii extract from an Australian video titled "The Single Mother" (1966), featuring Matron Jones of Carramar Home for Unwed Mothers, who explains that "the girl can see her baby just once but not hold it or feed it", providing evidence of the coercion of the unwed mother.
This video also confirms the role of the unwed mother as providing a service for infertile couples, though adoption is contemporaneously acknowledged by experts to be for the purpose of providing for the needs of orphans.
Social Work Caseworker Miss M. Nicholas runs a course, for adoption workers employed in post adoption counseling, titled, The Natural Parent’s Needs After Placement of Her Child, in which she outlines what was already known by 1966 about the psychiatric and psychological injury caused by relinquishment.

(contact Origins Inc for a copy of this) See reference at attached endnoteccxxxviii- re film of a mother shackled to a bed at Crown Street hospital.
Youtube video from 1966ccxxxix exemplifying an inherent conflict of interests permeating adoption cooperatives of the day, involving hospitals, maternity homes and adoption agencies working in conjunction to bring about the removal of 'illegitimate' children on behalf of infertile/childless married couples.

1966 1966 1966 At right: Photoshot of a scene from the film “The Single Mother”, of an unwed mother shackled to a bed, who has just given birth.
1966 62 1966 Theresian Emergency Centre crisis care for children, begins taking admissions (Connecting Kin guide p. 142) 1966 Presbyterian Adoption Agency is established 1966 NSW Welfare Department established 1967 Chart shows peak years of adoption, the latter known to social workers of its day as the Bumper Adoption Era in NSW (circa 1967-1972) 1967 1967ccxl Proceedings of a Seminar (Adoption Services in NSW) Mentions “Rapid Adoption” (replacing a dead child with a living child of an unmarried mother and telling the unmarried mothers that her baby died), as a desirable outcome for married women who deliver a stillbirth etc (see attachment “J” in blue folder: dead baby scandal) Marymead Child and Family Centre opens at the request of the Child Welfare Department of Canberra 1967 A 15 yearlong Australian study by Psychologist Wilfred Jarvis concludes that “Mothers who surrender their children for adoption seem to suffer chronic bereavement for the rest of their lives.” (contact Origins Inc for a copy of this) 63 1967 During the Proceedings of a Seminar to proclaim the Adoption of Children Act 1965, no mention was made of the legal rights of the natural mother or of the available alternatives that were legally available to her to enable her to keep her child.
Miss Mary McLelland had exposed the true purpose of promoting infant adoption by divulging that the Social Worker’s concern was with resolving the conflicts of infertility and childlessness within marriage: The Social workers concern is with childlessness or infertility, but the particular area of competence is, not in it's treatment, but in assessment or resolution of the effects on the marital relationship of the couple...The ultimate objective of Adoption is such a planned change, through helping to make a family where before one did not exist...But before the placement can be made there are other minor or contributory changes in the social functioning of various individuals where the social worker's part is well defined...and that is...The natural parents must resolve, if possible, conflicts about the surrender of the child.
The minor concern of Australian Social workers was helping the unmarried mother accept the surrender of her child.

In order to provide their service to childless couples the unmarried mother’s inalienable and legal rights to their own children had to be ignored.

The Seminar focused solely on newborn adoptions and showed scant interest in the adoption of older children.
Published in 1967 by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), was the outline of the new procedure to be followed by Social Workers in relation to the Adoption of Children Act 1965 in its treatment of unmarried mothers to ensure that the mothers rights would be protected under the new Adoption of Children Act 1965.

Those recommendations, as outlined by Sister Mary Borromeo and published in the Australian Journal of Social Work, Volume 20 (1967), pp.
9-15, “The Social Workers Responsibility” stated in respect to hospital procedures that: “The mothers right to see, handle and nurture her child, if she so desires, often requires protecting.” (See attachment “K” in blue folder as well as letters from Qld Department of Children’s Services to adopters, from 1968 & 1978, giving the name of the mother and child; also see Pamela Roberts from the same conference and Sunday Telegraph February 5th 1967 re: fathers rights) Conference of Child Welfare Administrators Perth The States and Territories met in Perth to consider matters of child welfare uniformity in adoption legislation, proposed legislation for interstate movement of children as well as provided child welfare statistics for Australia and New Zealand, with NSW Child Welfare Department being the central agency for collecting and collating uniform statistics and with two sets of statistics complied upon agreed uniform principles.
It was suggested that in 1968 there should be a conference of Commonwealth and state offices dealing with adoption and fostering to improve not so much principles and board policies of child welfare but where interstate movement is concerned.
1967 1967 1st April 64 In this meeting Queensland passed misinformation from States’ reports in relation to adoption procedures, in respect of secrecy provision of the Act, in that Re3 (d) precluded adopters from knowing the names of natural parents when in fact they were not precluded.

(see attachment in blue folder: letter to adopters); (see attachment “L” in blue folder re.
minutes of the conference with Commonwealth and states) 1967 1967 1967 1967 Catholic Adoption Agency established The Catholic Church centralizes and co-ordinates the adoption of all Catholic children through its Catholic Adoption Agency; St. Margaret’s and St. Anthony’s along with other Catholic agencies, relinquish this work to that central agency.
Catholic Adoption Agency St Anthony’s Home for Unmarried Mothers St Margaret’s Hospital According to Sr. K Burford in St Anthony’s History Book, 1989), “The residential service (to unwed mothers) was staffed by a Catholic Adoption Agency social worker in collaboration with the Sisters of St. Joseph.” “One of the most charitable aspects of the work of St. Anthony`s is the safeguarding of the good name and reputation of highly respectable families.
Many good daughters of the best of parents have found themselves needing the shelter and protection of the Home, far from the critical eyes of self- righteous society.

From here they have been enabled to return to their parents without the slightest danger of their situation being revealed.
No one can cast a stone at another.”ccxli Haddon Home for girls closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 284) Senior social worker for Crown Street Women’s Hospital, Pamela Roberts writes: There is a very great problem in placing the atypical child – the baby of mixed race, with a medical problem, and the like, and we need to recruit more adoptive parents who are able to offer love and security to the “hard to place” child.
Indeed, in the State of New South Wales at the moment we are still in the happy position of having a pool of adoptive parents waiting for children.

Not all areas of the country are the same and we will have to be continually examining and, where necessary, improving our methods of recruiting adoptive parents.

Particularly if we are to be able to reassure the mother who has surrendered her baby the best possible future for her child.
Adoption will always be a most valuable way of providing the illegitimate child with a substitute family.ccxlii 65 1968 1968 Catholic Adoption Agency Annual Report (see attachment “Ar” in blue folder) Conference of Child Welfare Administrators In that they were liaising and overseeing uniform adoption legislation and child welfare issues with State Directors/ Administrators of Child Welfare annually from 1960 onwards.
In respect of the Commonwealth’s responsibility in regard to adoption of children, the following applies:- The Commonwealth had an overarching role in ensuring that uniform adoption legislation was enacted throughout the Commonwealth.
It had annual and regular dialog with States and Territories in respect of adoption statistics and procedures and facilitated and encouraged interstate removal of children for adoption placements into Territories such as the ACT and Papua New Guinea (without the knowledge and the consent of the child’s mother or father).
The Commonwealth also had knowledge of the surplus of babies and children awaiting adoption and did not bother to investigate why there was such a surplus given the financial benefits that were available to unmarried mothers.
(attachment “O” in blue folder) The Commonwealth had a priori knowledge that the adoption of babies with health problems, or those about whom adopters for any reason had reservations, would remain State wards (without the knowledge and consent of the child’s mother or father) 1968 (See attachment “P” in blue folder: Ninth Annual Conference of Child Welfare Administers Canberra April 1968) The Official Journal of the Australian Institute of Hospital Administration titled “Hospital Administration” outlines The Hospital’s Responsibility towards the Unmarried Mother and her Child by Miss Pamela Roberts (married name Thorne) in which she emphasizes that: ‘Good patient care is the sort of care that all pregnant women should have.’ Nowhere was the established adoption procedure of preventing the mother from seeing her child ever mentioned in the Official Journal.
Roberts writes: “In theory no pressure is put on a patient either to release the baby for adoption or to keep the child but in many cases she has little choice because without the help or cooperation of her family the girl who wants to keep her baby will find the facilities poor."

Yet the practice of removing the mothers rights at birth to her child continued unabated.
In 1966, well before the Whitlam Government introduced the Sole parent benefits in 1973, the Australian Association of Social Workers outlined the financial provisions available to all fatherless families in noting that the unmarried mother was entitled to the same State and Commonwealth benefits as widows and deserted wives.

66 1968 1968 1969 1971 1971 Attached also is an article on layettes provided to unmarried mothers (note Pamela Roberts) social worker to Dian Wellfare.
(See attachment “P” in blue folder) Algate House opens as a boys’ home (Connecting Kin guide p. 221) The Benevolent Society becomes a registered adoption agency 1969 Arncliff Girls’ Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 210) Conference of Child Welfare Administrators with representatives from the States and Territories of Australia and New Zealand discussing interstate child movement and the functioning of uniform adoption legislation.
The conference discussion with regard to adoption was based on a report prepared by the Commonwealth and state adoption officers following a meeting held in Sydney on 18-19 March 1969 during which was reviewed existing procedures as well as the functioning of uniform legislation.

It would anticipate the implementation of recommendations to improve adoption processes.
Participants concurred that the conferences were a valuable avenue of contact and cooperation between states and territories as well as the sister Dominion of New Zealand.

(see attachment “A”: Directors Reports to Queensland Government in blue folder) The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) publishes its Manual of Adoption Practices in New South Wales.
Compiled by the Child Care Committee the Manual reiterates the recommendations made by Sister Borromeo in 1967 when the Committee outlines the procedure to be followed to protect the mother’s rights, and on page 4 declares: “It would be morally and ethically indefensible to refuse an unmarried mother opportunity to see nurse and nurture her child if she so chooses.
Parental rights should never be subjugated by hospital or institution routine.” Page 5 refers to the psychological and legal implications to the mother if the consent is not properly taken.
(see attachment “R” in blue folder, as well as Origins submission Number One pages 52-55) Council of the Single Mother and her Child An episode of a Four Corners ABC production titled "The Single Mother" (1971), referenced at the end of this documentccxliii provides: insight into the stigmatization of the 'unmarried' mother and her 'illegitimate' child during the period in question, as well as the force of a coercive adoption industry driving the separation of the 67 two.
Members of a newly formed group advocating for the rights of the unmarried mother - the Council for the Single Mother and her Child - began to speak out in Melbourne about their fight for legal and social equality for their children as well as their desire to see the stigma of 'illegitimacy' removed.
The second mother to be interviewed, Linda Stevens, describes the attitude of the almoner she had met with while pregnant and unwed, as an "aggressive, anti-attitude" - confirming the claims of thousands of Australian women that they were bullied and tricked out of their offspring at birth.

She is told that her child will "grow up in the gutter" or that she will be forced to become a prostitute in order to support her.
The last woman to speak says: I think for a time single mothers have been looked upon as a sort of brood cow for adoptive parents...you know, we are the producer of an article that is in demand and I think it is high time that this stopped, that people started to think about us as people in our own rights, with our own needs to keep the baby, and not to be treated as a breeding machine.

It just isn't moral and I think society has been immoral in the past for using us in this way.
1971 (See attached video: The Unmarried Motherccxliv) March Conference of Child Welfare Administrators Ministers 1971 Ministers report receiving submission concerning the “contentious issues” such as the procedures of the administration of the States Grants (Deserted Wives) Act 1968 (see attachment “A” in blue folder: Directors Reports to Queensland Government) The Australian Association of Social Workers (NSW Branch) Manual of Adoption Practices in NSW gives social workers instruction on mothers’ legal and parental rights etc, as well as regulation on how consent to adoption is to be given.
(see attachment “Q” in blue folder as well as Origins submission Number One pages 52-55) 1972 THE ZERK LETTER Containing evidence of False Imprisonment and Coerced Consent to Adoption See Letter from Hospitals Board, Department of Social Work, Bundaberg Base Hospital, Queensland to Graham Zerk Department of Children’s Services (see copy in blue folder), which reads: “What right have they to tell the woman she has to stay in hospital until she signs the papers but she cannot sign them until the V.D.R.L.
results come back?” See also, Minutes of Queensland Department of Children’s Services Re: Taking of consent to adoption.
(attachment “R” in blue folder) From the transcripts of evidence given at the trial of Arthur v/s the State of Queensland, the following question was put to Mr. G. Zerk:“From your knowledge what was the position in the late 1960s so far as the requirement for obtaining babies for adoption or the department obtaining babies to put them out for adoption?” Mr. G. Zerk replied: “Well, the department would - when advised that a mother in a hospital was - had raised the 68 possibility of signing a consent for adoption we would send one of those officers to that particular hospital for consultation with the mother and then after the prescribed period between the birth of the child had elapsed would then take the consent if the mother had indicated that that was her wish.” (used with permission of Ms. Lily Arthur) (contact Origins Inc for a copy of this) 1970 Article titled, “Unwanted Children Set Problem” reports: Child Welfare Department “Unwanted children were creating a crippling problem for adoption societies, State authorities said this week.
Last year the number of children adopted in NSW rose to 2,346 compared with 1,715 in 1968-1969 – an increase of 25pc.

But the number of children that could not be placed in homes also rose, a spokesman for the Child Welfare Dept.

said.

“Some parents wait years for the right baby.

A child who perhaps might have been their own.

In this selectivity, some children are inevitably passed over.” He said such children faced the uncertain future of foster homes or orphanages or life in State institutions.
Some would never know what it is to be part of a family.

REASONS REJECTED FOR ADOPTION There are three major reasons why some infants are slow to be adopted or are rejected completely.

They are: - Physical or mental handicaps; - Being of mixed race; or - Children who had been deserted by their parents who refuse to sign adoption papers or cannot be traced.

Most babies are adopted from birth.


They are usually placed with adoptive parents within four weeks of birth and final adoption papers are usually signed within this period.

The parents relinquish all rights to the child in access, name, and control.

Some names are deliberately temporarily withheld from adoption by the Department.

If they are born mentally or physically handicapped, the Department might make them wards of the State, place them in hospitals or with foster parents.
Occasionally children whose parents have a history of infirmity or disease are held in hospital for examination to ensure that these have not been passed on to the child.

When the child is rejected for adoption, it is usually REJECTED FOR ADOPTION 69 BABY UNDER SEDATION DEFERRED: SOCIAL BACKGROUND SCARES PROSPECTIVE PARENTS OFF placed in a temporary or permanent foster home with a ready-made family.

At present the Department is desperately seeking foster parents for young male babies.
“Everyone seems to want little girls and more boys are born than girls,” the spokesman said.

Unwanted children can spend months, sometimes years in foster homes awaiting adoption.

Every year their chances diminish.

BABY IN 11 HOMES Children who cannot be placed the Department tries to put in foster homes.

I visited one home where an eighteen-month old child had been in 11 different foster homes.

It had been accepted by adoptive parents, but was rejected before the final papers were signed.
The emotional upheavals were so great, that baby is under constant mild sedation.

And its future is still not decided.

Children of mixed blood are hardest to place.

Where they have been abandoned by parents the Department often insists that infants be made wards of the State.

This often applies to the children of unmarried mothers who have tried unsuccessfully to keep them.

The consent of one or both parents is an essential of adoption.
The courts are empowered to override this requirement but will only do so after exhaustive searches for either the mother or father.

DEFERRED One centre has 24 children awaiting adoption – 15 of them of mixed blood.

Some have been there for several months.

Of the 2,346 children adopted last year, only three were Aborigines and only 95 of mixed race.
Some prospective parents are deterred by the background of a child’s parents, and the fear that heredity will show has frequently been responsible for rejection.

Some couples have refused to take a child of a prostitute or criminal.

The Adoption of Children Act which came into effect in February, 1967, demands that the history of natural and adoptive parents be examined thoroughly.
(see article is in blue folder) 1971 -72 1857 adoptions registered in Queensland 1972 1972 -73 Adoption Propaganda (see attachments “R” in blue folder) 1711 adoptions registered in Queensland 70 1972 4564 adoptions registered in NSW 1972ccxlv Article regards Chums (Care and Help for Unmarried Mothers), an association of unmarried mothers.
An unmarried mother, Dawn, relates: "One of the nurses I was talking to-she doesn't know I'm an unmarried mother told me unmarried mothers were kept in a separate ward at the hospital where she did her training.

She said it was a good idea, too, because they were stupid, poor types of girls, apt to upset everyone else.

That attitude makes me mad, because it comes from people who should know much better."
1972 ‘(I)n 1972 the number of adoptions at St Anthony`s arranged through the Catholic Adoption Agency amounted to 300, which approximated closely to the number of single pregnant women accommodated there during that year.
However, since that time, the numbers of single pregnant women have fallen considerably…’ccxlvi 1972ccxlvii Child Welfare Act funded with 5 million dollars 1973 28th April In The Medical Journal of Australia: The Adoption of Infants and the role of an Adoption Advisory Clinic in New South Wales, F. Grunsit describes unmarried mothers in New South Wales as “poor, undernourished and of low intelligence, if not actually retarded.’ccxlviii (see attachment “S” in blue folder) 1973 – 74 1458 adoptions registered in Queensland 71 1973 - The Supporting Mother's Benefit is initiated by the Whitlam Labor government as a direct result of lobbying by the Victorian Council of the Single Mother and Her Child.
In the years proceeding its introduction, single mothers are eligible for assistance under The States Grants (Deserted Wives) Act and six months later unmarried mothers are then paid the same Commonwealth Social Service Benefit as widowed, deserted or divorced women (some states waived the six month waiting period in 1968).
Regarding the Supporting Mother’s Benefit, Farrar notes: The Supporting Mother's Benefit was initiated in 1973 by the Whitlam Labour government as a direct result of lobbying by the Victorian Council of the Single Mother and Her Child.
In the years proceeding its introduction, single mothers were eligible for the same Commonwealth Social Service Benefit as widowed, deserted or divorced women, and, ironically, in New South Wales at this time, unmarried mothers comprised the largest group of recipients (55%).
Three years earlier, although there was little difference in the actual number of unmarried mother recipients, the percentage of the total group was only 12%, with deserted wives and widows outranking them.ccxlix 1973 1973 1973 1974 1974 1975 May Bethesda Maternity Hospital closes Theresian Emergency Centre, crisis care for children, stops taking admissions (Connecting Kin guide p. 142) Thorington, the first of the AS White Homes for children opens (Connecting Kin guide p. 119) Last adoption record of the Benevolent Society, the Presbyterian Adoption Agency, Methodist Adoption Agency, and Sydney Rescue Work Society – all of which closed in the 1970s.
(Connecting Kin guide) Australian Government Family Law Bill 1974, requiring that no child under 12 months be kept in an institution Miss Pamela Roberts Head Social Worker in Charge Women’s Hospital Crown Street between 1964 and 1976 addresses a Meeting between Representatives of Maternity Hostels held at the Queen Victoria Hospital, Annandale, admitting that “Strong but subtle pressure to have baby adopted” was used over the previous ten years.
(see blue folder “U” attachment ) 72 1975 August At a meeting of representatives of maternity hostels held at the Queen Victoria Hospital, Annandale (NSW), those present felt they had a right to decide how much contact a mother should have with her own baby and discussed the trend of allowing unmarried mothers to “see” or “cuddle” or “bottle feed” their babies and decided that girls should be allowed to see their babies and nurse it if she wished, and this was often helpful to the girl and did not necessarily cause her to change her mind.
The final sentence indicates that the previous practice of not allowing the mother see her baby was based on their belief that if she saw her baby she would be less likely to give it up.

This record gives evidence that prior to 1975, those mothers who were residents of Carramar, Bethesda, Pittwood, St Anthony’s or Queen Victoria Hospital were not permitted any access to their offspring, while after August, 1975, they were permitted some but limited access.
(see blue folder “T” attachment ) 1975 Article titled “Baby Shortage closes agency” This article (see attachment in blue folder) is significant because it reveals that the original mission of mother and baby homes has evolved from an emphasis on mother craft and rescue of infants to places from out of which adoptions are arranged.

Probable main causes for the “dramatic slump” are considered to be contraceptives to single mothers and the large number of legal abortions.
The video (from 1971) at the following linkccl reports a similar theme in a less biased manner, referring to the headlines of a Sydney newspaper, which imply that maternity wards are full to overflowing with pregnant unmarried mothers because of the purging of abortion clinics in Sydney and Melbourne (circa 1965-1966), despite that the majority of the ninety thousand abortions performed prior to that purging have reportedly been procured by married women.
In response, the Reverend Norman Webb (after whom a Wesley Methodist College scholarship is namedccli) calls for the abortion of illegitimate children, ‘who apparently are wanted at conception but not wanted at birth.” In the context of the video, the latter is an allusion to the child placed for adoption at birth as an unwanted child.
Carisbrook, the second of the White Children’s Home opens (Connecting Kin guide p. 119) Canowindra Girls’ Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 204) St Joseph’s Orphanage in Bathurst closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 153) Thorington, the first of the AS White Homes for children closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 119) St Joseph’s Orphanage in Goulburn closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 155) 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975 73 1975cclii Australian Women’s Weekly 1975 1976 February 1976 1976 Article titled, “Where have all the babies gone?” notes correlation between declining numbers of babies for adoption and the announcement of the Whitlam government benefit.
then Margaret McDonald, principal officer of the Catholic Adoption Agency states: "We are only taking names now and our age limit for adopting a first baby is 36.

In 1972 we placed 340 babies in homes, but last year our figure was only 198.

In Melbourne for some strange reason this shortage of babies hit about a year before it hit us.
Many agencies there have closed down and one which re-opened last year and places about 100 babies a year, no longer accepts applications from people who want only the healthy."

Lady Wakehurst closes, once providing aftercare for unmarried mothers and women who had given stillbirth.
Adoption Legislation Report of the Review Committee The Review committee acknowledges that the “Department” operates one of the largest “adoption” services in the world based on “very little research.” Note Committee: Margaret McDonald - Principle office of the Catholic Adoption Agency, Adoptions manager of NSW Dept YACS and manager of (PARC) Post Adoption Resource Centre) Ferry Grunsit and Terrence Greenwood - presiding judge of Dian Welfare’s court case, Mary McLelland (see attachment “U” in blue folder) First National Conference on Adoption, organized by the Standing Committee on Adoption and Social Issues, headed by Pamela Thorne (nee Roberts), during which Father John Davoren, Director Catholic Social Welfare Commission (NSW) reiterates the warning his colleague Social worker Mary Lewis had made a decade earlier about protecting the mother’s rights, when he presented his paper title Decisions About Adoption: Uses And Abuses Of The System.
Father Davoren notes mothers are powerless, acknowledging their abuse via the denial of their legal rights.

(see attachment “V” in blue folder, as well as conference article) St John’s Orphanage closes, originally caring for girls aged 5-16 (Connecting Kin Guide p. 157) 74 1976 1976-77ccliii 1976 1976 1976 1976 1976 Under the new chairmanship of Mrs. McDonald, in collaboration with the N.S.W.
Obstetrics Committee the NSW Standing Committee on Adoption and Social Services drafts the NSW Health Commission Policy Circular 1081.

Child Care Act funding increase from $5 mil in 1972 to $73.3 mil Cowley House boys’ home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 283) South Sydney Women’s Hospital closes, administrated by South Sydney Rescue Work Society in conjunction with Bethesda Pre-Maternity Home.
Rockdale Babies’ Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 286) St Patrick’s Orphanage closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 193) Queen Victoria Hospital for Women and Babies closes Presbyterian Adoption Agency Queen Victoria Maternity Hostel Queen Victoria Hospital 1977 Presbyterian Adoption Agency closes 1977 1977 Royal Commission on Human Relationships Final Report Note Federal Government Attorney General consults with State Attorney General about uniform adoption practices in the 1960s, noting that unmarried mothers keeping their babies is causing concern as there are not enough babies for adoption.
The report goes on to mention that a study of unmarried mothers who kept their babies is very positive.

(See attachment “W” in blue folder) The Attorney General the Hon.

Frank Walker M.L.A.

instructs the then Minister for Youth and Community Services Mr. Rex Jackson, to investigate and report on an allegation by a mother who claimed duress and deception was involved in the taking of her consent to the adoption 75 of her child.
Mr. O’Mara prepares the draft reply to the Attorney General on behalf of the Minister.

On the final page of that draft reply, Mr. O”Mara writes that the adoption counseling process, both prior to and after confinement, has involved warning the mother of the risk of grievous future regret if considering adoption.

He basis the latter assertions on an interview with Social workers employed at the Women’s Hospital Crown Street in 1968.
Yet in total contradiction to what he writes, the actual policy was to promote adoption in the supposed interest of the child, including to interrupt the mother-child bonding by forbidding the mother to ever see her child at all: It has to be accepted that the surrendering of a child for adoption inevitably means for the natural mother a momentous decision which she may later bitterly regret.
It is one of the tasks of the Social Worker and the allotment officer who has dealings with the natural mother both before and after her confinement, to counsel her wisely about the options open to her, to ensure that she understands what she is doing if she decides to surrender her child for adoption (and this includes her understanding that she may grievously regret her decision later) and to support her sensibly and kindly, in her decision once it is irrevocably made.
Our Lady of Mercy Home (formerly Waitara Foundling Home) for unmarried mothers closes Newcastle Maternity and Rescue Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 164) St Elizabeth’s Girls’ Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 173) St Bridgit’s Home for Girls aged 5-15 closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 169) St Christopher’s Home for Little Children closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 96) NSW Standing Committee on Adoption and Social Services presents draft policy of circular 1081 to the Health Commission Adoption Scandal Articles (see attachment “X” in blue folder) St Anthony’s Home for Unmarried Mothers becomes a registered Childcare Centre (St Anthony’s History Book, Sr. K. Burford, 1989, p. 24 76 1977 1977 1977 1978 1978 1978 1978 1979 1979 1979 1981 1981ccliv 1982 1982 1982 1982cclv Australian Women’s Weekly 1983 Marrickville Children’s Residence for boys opens (Connecting Kin guide p. 221) St Joseph’s Girls’ Home, Gore Hill, closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 173) St Alban’s Home for Boys, Cessnock, closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 92) Australian Women’s Weekly Article titled, “Search for a surrogate mother” "Other childless couples will know how desperate we are."
Mater Misericordia Hospital closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 294) Croagh Patrick Orphanage, Orange, closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 129) Health Commission’s Policy Circular File No.

1081 finally distributed after 1st September 1982 to all hospitals in NSW, though the Health Commission has been aware of the negligent and illegal nature of its established adoption practices since it began allowing unmarried mothers to see their babies behind the glass window of the nursery by 1973.
That same Policy Circular identifies the practice of preventing the natural mother from seeing her child or putting obstacles in her way of exerting that right as constituting a breach of s31 (b) of the Adoption of Children Act 1965 and, therefore, the established hospital procedures as obtaining a consent by fraud, duress or other improper means within the meaning of the Adoption Act.

(See attachment “Y” in blue folder) Note: the major teaching and maternity hospital, Crown Street closed in 1983.
Crown Street over-saw the most number of unlawful adoptions, throughout its history.

Article titled, “Speed of Progress” “I fail to see why taxpayers should have to pay unmarried mothers.

Of course, the first pregnancy could be an accident, and might happen to anyone.

It is second and third pregnancies that concern me.

Many will say the decision to have children is the woman's alone.

But if she makes the decision to have a child, why shouldn't she also have to make the decision to provide for it?
With so many couples waiting for adoption, I feel unmarried mothers who have a second child should be required to give it up for adoption.” Australian Institute of Family Studies releases Winkler and Van Kepple Report (The Effect on the Mother of Relinquishing a Child for Adoption) Noting loss and grief of mothers, the study makes mention of claims of mothers feeling that their child had been kidnapped (see attachment “Z” in blue folder : The West Australian (1984) “Adoption: The living cost 77 1983 1983 that exposes suicide and mental health damage to mothers.”) The Weekend Australian (March 5-6, 1983) also makes reference to mothers feeling that their children had been “kidnapped”.
Bungarimbil Boys’/Children’s Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 110) Crown Street Women’s Hospital closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 251) See Youtube videocclvi regarding the drugging of mothers at Crown Street, according to Dr. G Rickarby, consultant psychiatrist to the Standing Committee on Social Issues for the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Past Adoption Practices (1950- 1998) 1984 Human Rights Discussion Paper No.
5 reports claims of unlawful practices and discrimination of mothers on the grounds of marital status, reporting: Policies, particularly in hospitals, have been altered recently, another factor which has contributed to the fall in the number of babies available for adoption.
Since, for example, unmarried women have been allowed the same rights to see and hold their babies in Western Australia as married women, the number of babies available for adoption has fallen form 670 in 1969 to 99 in 1981…..The unreasonableness of rules restricting access to children likely to be put up for adoption is arguable on the grounds that such restrictions, rather than helping the mother make a responsible decision, are designed to make that decision for her.
(See attachment “Aa” in blue folder) 1984 Review of Adoption Policy and Practices in NSW, the Marshall Report 1984 acknowledges that: 1984 Research supports claim that relinquishment has resulted in lifelong distress with, at times serious implications for the mental health of the mother involved.
Again and again the theme is represented of the powerlessness of the relinquishing mother and the denial of knowledge about her rights, options and services available to her and Social pressures, including the attitude of the parents and the value position of the professionals involved (doctors, social workers and nurses) all colluded to make them feel they had no choice.
The Department of Youth And Community Services “Adoption: Options for Reform” (1984-5) indicates that prior to 1984-5 the adoption worker had not been providing the mother with her right to alternative options to allow her to make an informed choice: In future, before consent is taken, relinquishing parents should receive counselling and written information on the implications of adoption, alternatives to adoption and community support services which can help them if they want to keep their child.
(see attachment “Ab” in blue folder) 1984 St Anne’s Home of compassion for children closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 141) 78 1985 1985 1985 1986 St Anne’s Orphanage closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 136) Ruhamah Boys’ Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 117) Holy Family Children’s Home for the care for boys and girls, closes.

(Connecting Kin p.150) Review of the A.C.T.

Adoption of Children Ordinance Report No.


23, Human Rights Commission, states on p. 3: Adoption procedures have largely disregarded the rights of the parent considering relinquishment to be made aware of the alternative options to adoption, and to full and disinterested support in arriving at a decision.
The many submissions received from natural mothers who relinquished children for adoption, describing their unresolved grief and sense of loss, bear testimony to the failure of bureaucratic procedures to protect their rights.
(attachment “Ac” in blue folder) 1986 28th August Minister for Youth and Community Services, Mr John Aquilina, in his response to a complaint made by a mother about the treatment she received as a patient during the adoption of her child in 1970, states that: The Act specifically prohibits undue influence being used to obtain a consent to adoption, and The Department of Health introduced guidelines in 1981 to ensure that relinquishing mothers were afforded the same rights as other mothers in the hospital setting and to make hospital staff aware of the needs of relinquishing mothers.
1986 1986 1989 1991 September Mrs Margaret McDonald, in November 1986, then Manager of Adoptions Branch NSW Department of Youth and Community Services acknowledges the mother’s rights had been violated when she wrote in her article titled, “In Defence of Adoption”: Agencies may find themselves working with women who are striving painfully after a lapse of years to come to terms with a grief they were unable to face at the time.
The old practice of denying a mother access to a child she planned to surrender has died out.

The right of a mother to now see her child if she wishes to do so is now freely acknowledged.

Karingal Children’s Home for boys under seven opens (Connecting Kin guide p. 117) Carisbrook, the second of the White Children’s Home closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 119) Article titled, “Teens forced into Adoption” (Sunday Herald) Unmarried mothers in Victoria claim they were forced to give up their babies.
The Director General of Community Services states that he has no doubt that illegal adoptions have occurred on a “significant scale.” Article titled, “Baby Scandal Inquiry Demand” Mothers “pressured” into giving up there babies are seeking a Royal Commission into past adoption procedures.
79 Article titled, “ Police probe claims of adoption scam in Victoria” (see attachment “Ad” in blue folder) 1992 Review of the Adoption Information Act 1990 The commission exposes illegal practices of: taking the baby without mothers consent; - - drugging; - - transporting her to another location without her consent; forbidding her to see the baby, etc.
1993 1994 1995 1996 (see latter attachment in blue folder), as well as article in The Australian 1st Oct 1993, titled: “Judge decries adoption trauma” in which is reported that Justice Richard Chisholm recommends changes to law to provide safeguards against mothers being pressured into handing over their offspring for adoption.
He refers to the NSW Law Reform Commission, noting also that experienced adoption workers have backed up the harrowing stories he has heard from “many hundreds of mothers.” (attachment “Ae” in blue folder) St Margaret’s Hospital in Darlinghurst –‘a major source of babies for adoption’ (m. McDonald, “Adoption in the 80s”, 1988) – closes (Connecting Kin guide p. 302) Paper titled “Has Adoption A Future” is presented by Mrs Margaret McDonald at the “Proceedings of the Fifth Australian Adoption Conference” Margaret McDonald speaks of “unlawful hospital procedures” (p9-10) and consultation in 1977 with Obstetric Social Workers, which was the basis for the policy by the NSW Health Department (regarding the denial of parental rights), circulated in 1982.
(see attachment “Ae1” in blue folder) Origins NSW: - - founded by Dian Wellfare to address past adoption practices and trauma relating to adoption; Joins the NSW Standing Committee on Adoption and Permanent Care - Origins expands to include QLD - Leads the International Women’s Day March in Sydney; - Origins attends review of the Adoption Information Act Reform Forum; - Submission to Beijing International Women’s Conference.
Dead Baby Scandal (Rapid Adoption) Minister Wooldridge rules out national Inquiry (see attachment “Af” in blue folder) W v NSW: Dian Wellfare sues NSW Illawarra (Mercury, 15th December, 1996) “Landmark adoption case fails” Master Greenwood, who did not declare his previous interest in adoption, 80 dismisses the matter.

Also see Affidavit and sworn statement from Pamela Roberts re: adoption practices.

Master Green was also familiar with Ms Roberts.
(see attachment “Ag” in blue folder) 1996 Origins: - Tasmanian Dead Baby Scandal, Origins inundated by media; - Origins expands to include Victoria; - Submissions to Law Reform Commission on Review into NSW Adoption of Children Act; 1997 Origins: - presents to the XIX Congress of the International Association for Suicide Prevention Adelaide; - Origins presents to the 6th Australian Conference on Adoption held in Brisbane CBD; - Origins Victoria instigates inaugural conference at Parliament House; - Dian Wellfare calls for Parliamentary Inquiry into Past Illegal Adoption Practices on Lateline ABC (titled “Birthbond”).
1997 Origins NSW: - gains Inquiry into Adoption Practices; - Origins goes global with the launch of it’s first two websites; - Evidence given at Forde Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions.
1998 NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Past Adoption Practices Justice Richard Chisholm describes taking of the baby without the mothers consent as unlawful and as “kidnapping in a non-technical sense.” 1999 1999 (see attachment “Ah” in blue folder) Origins: - Queensland Ombudsman calls for review of vetoes due to pressure from Origins and as a result of Origins uncovering fraudulent vetoes; - Origins gains Inquiry into Adoption Practices in Tasmania.
As Keynote Speaker at the Australian Catholic University, Maev O’Collins addresses the history of adoption and how “despite the enactment of legislation meant to provide better protection, the human, as well as strictly legal rights of the birthmother often continued to be ignored.” (see attachment in blue folder) 81 1999 1999 2000 2000 2000 “After viewing past adoption social files” Centacare on behalf of the former Catholic Adoption Agency apologizes for past adoption abuses, on day two of the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into past adoption practices (1950-1998).
(see article in blue folder) Origins USA is founded NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Adoption Practices finds adoption practices unlawful and unethical, in its Final Report titled “Releasing the Past”: 7.61 Mothers argued that the practice denied their legal rights as guardian of the child.

As explained above, the Health Commission stated that the mother was the legal guardian of the child until the signing of the consent form.
Justice Richard Chisholm agreed that the mother remained guardian of the child until she gave consent and that preventing her from having access to the child prior to the consent would not have been authorized.

7.62 The Committee therefore believes that the practice of denying a mother access to her child prior to the signing of consent was unlawful.

Those professionals who contributed to the process where access was denied were clearly acting unlawfully.
7.63 Whatever the rationale for the practice, the Committee believes that in all cases women should have been consulted about this issue prior to the birth and that a woman should not have been denied access to her child if she requested it.

Therefore, failure to grant access constituted an unlawful and unethical action.
(attachment “Ai” in blue folder) Miscellaneous adoption articles (attachment “Aj” in blue folder) The Standing Committee on Social Issues for the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Past Adoption Practices (1950-1998) notes in regarding the practice of marking the medical files of unwed mothers with versions of the code BFA (Baby for Adoption), that: The marking would affect the procedures surrounding the birth in three ways: 1.

First, as to the contact the mother would have with the child; 2.
Secondly, as to accommodation of the mother and child after the birth; 3.

Finally as to the medication that would be administered to the mother.cclvii 82 2000 2001 2001 New NSW Adoption Act 2000 incorporates all of Origins recommendations into section five of the legislation.
In her book titled the “Many Sided Triangle: Adoption in Australia”, prefaced by Justice Richard Chisholm, Mrs McDonald and co-author Mrs Audrey Marshall, who together had 70 years of adoption experience between them, provide the link between the recommendations of Dr Lawson and the Crown Street’s unauthorized adoption policy when the authors acknowledged on page 3 of their book that the views of the author of the Fetherston Lecture were shared by professional workers in the health and welfare systems which administered the policies relating to adoption.
Origins: - makes submissions to the Queensland Adoption Review; - Origins has input into Child Migrant Inquiry.

2002 Origins: - Origins Canada is established; - Origins instigates 1st National Conference on Mental Health Aspects of Persons Affected by Family Separation at Liverpool Hospital, Sydney; - Origins representative invited to sit on SWSAH Area Mental Health Advisory Committee.
2003 Origins: - Origins NSW opens its own office at Bonnyrigg; - Origins stages workshops in Sydney and Queensland into the historical perspective and effects of adoption; - Origins makes submission to “Forgotten Australians” Inquiry; - Qld Origins opens its office at the Mental Health Association Building, Wacol QLD.
2004 Origins: - Origins mothers in Victoria win court battle for FOI; - Origins speaks at Women’s Court of Human Rights University of NSW; - Origins instigates 2nd National Conference on Mental Health Aspects of Persons Affected by Family Separation.

Parks Centre for Mental Health Wacol Qld; - Film Australia provides grant of $400,000 to film makers for Origins instigated documentary “Gone to a Good Home”.
Filming begins soon after; - Origins Queensland invited to participate as members on Adoption Act Review Committee.
83 2004 Excerpt of transcript from court case of L. Arthur Versus Queensland 2004 2005 2006 Witness Statements: MARY MILTON CATTANACH - Social Worker - Consent Taker: "What was the range of reactions' that you had to deal with from these different mothers?-: “Well, uncontrollable distress, some of them wouldn't - barely speak to you at all, and others would be quite abusive and rude because that was the only way they reacted to the stress that they were under, and so you just tried to calm them down and talk to them."
‘I never agreed with the policy that the girls were not allowed to see the babies.

I remember speaking to a priest about it twenty years later and saying I didn’t agree with that.

My idea was that if the girls were making the sacrifice of giving up their babies they should have seen them and known them and really made that sacrifice for the babies.

That was always my theory.


This was not the matron’s.’ (Sr A. Baldwin, Heeding the Voices, 2004, p. 83, available online) Article titled, “Anti-adoption culture alarming” reports: “The parliamentary committee says over the last 35 years, adoptions of Australian born children have dropped from over 9,000 to less than a hundred, forcing many would-be parents look overseas..;.Committee chairwoman Bronwyn Bishop says she was surprised by the general lack of support for adoption.
What we found was there was an anti-adoption culture that permeates the entire bureaucracy, she said.
She says the best way to change the anti-adoption culture is to use non-government organisations to assess applications.”cclviii Origins: to - Origins Qld and NSW appeared and gave evidence before the Senate Inquiry Into Mental Health; - Origins Victoria, Queensland and NSW submits and appears to Inter-country Inquiry; - Origins links up to work with Aboriginal Stolen Generation through South West Sydney Stolen Generation Support Group.
Origins: - Mothers Adoption Stories Art Exhibition held in Brisbane; - Origins invited to speak at Sorry Day dedication to Stolen Generations Monument at Mount Annan; - Appears at Forgotten Australians Conference; - presents submissions to Senate inquiries into "Stolen Wages" and "Transparent Advertising and Notification of Pregnancy Counselling 84 Services Bill 2005"; - Origins becomes a member of the Forgotten Australians Alliance 2006; - Origins Australia is represented by two of our speakers at the U.S. “Shedding the Light on Adoption” conference in New York organised by Origins USA in collaboration with Adoption Crossroads; - Origins Victoria Held the 3rd National Conference on “The Mental Health Aspects of Persons Affected by Family Separation” Melbourne Town Hall Victoria 10th-11th October; - Documentary “Gone to a Good Home” is aired November 2nd on SBS National Television.
It is later aired on a further three occasions on SBS.

Origins: - presents submission to the Senate Mental Health for Provision of Services; - organizes Sorry day event at Mount Annan; - Lily Arthur NSW Coordinator is nominated non-indigenous delegate for Stolen Generations Alliance.
2007 2008 Origins: - Dian Wellfare Founder of Origins Dian Wellfare Passes away 16th April; - 2008 Origins attends Apology Day in Canberra; - Origins organizes Sorry day event at Mount Annan; - Nominates Dian Wellfare for My Favorite Australian Unsung Hero for the opening of the National Portrait Gallery Canberra, Dian’s Portrait now traveling Australia; - Submission to the Senate Committee on Community Affairs Inquiry into Recommendations from Forgotten Australians Inquiry 2004 calling for a Senate inquiry into adoption; - Origins Qld lobbies Queensland Government to change Sec 39 Qld Adoption Act, new Act passes though Parliament in 2009 amending Sec 39 An ABCPerth Radio program featuring stories at the time of the announcement of the WA State Apology: Approximately seven minutes before the end of the programcclix, a former Crown Street nurse testifies to cruelty and discrimination against the unwed mother implicit in her training and in attitudes she has witnessed as her time as a midwife in training.
Origins: - 15th November after 13 years of calling and lobbying and submissions into 10 Senate Inquiries Origins successfully gains a Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoption instrumented by the Greens Party; - Origins announces Origins International.

Origins begins to make arrangements with TRACK to travel to South Korea in May 2011 for Adoption Week.
85 2010 2010 2010 Entries without dates but with attached media in blue folder include: Examples of Drugs given to Mothers including Diethylstilboestrol (See attachment “Ak”) Media on the exportation of Australian children (see attachment “Al”) Media on the importation of trafficked children (see attachment “Am”) Human Rights Paper by Cathleen Sherry (see attachment “An”) Origins Questionnaire by (name provided) regarding sterilization (see attachment “Ao”) Medical Experiments on babies (see attachment “Ap”) 86 ENDNOTES i http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13659031 ii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3505387 iii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53693602 iv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8731317 v http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42946633 vi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25708076 vii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5209036 viii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10837370 ix http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15204062 x http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26247421 xi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38827267 xii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3268994 xiii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28126984 xiv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26522555 xv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5339517 xvi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10257813 xvii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37951761 xviii Professor Alan Bittles, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, extracted 9th February 2011 from http://www.galtoninstitute.org.uk/Newsletters/GINL0403/Eugenics_in_Australia.htm xix
xix http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5387584 xx http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26882340 xxi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27617281 xxii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25318824 xxiii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23544391 xxiv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23544391 xxv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16030362 xxvi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45625868 xxvii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43251465 xxviii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16170622 xxix http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article34287931 xxx
 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16170622 xxxi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31887185 xxxii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16285713 xxxiii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16418129 xxxiv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29673833 xxxv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55183978 xxxvi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16418129 xxxvii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32088231 xxxviii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12060306 xxxix http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32088231 xlProfessor Alan Bittles, Edith Cowan University Western Australia, http://www.galtoninstitute.org.uk/Newsletters/GINL0403/Eugenics_in_Australia.htm xli http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32231564 xlii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21472132 xliii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16567104 xliv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53489329 xlv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32305470 xlvi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29850132 xlvii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35669995 87 xlviii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32635466 xlix http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32542344 l http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16973858 li http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1133552 lii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32794678 liii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32476054 liv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47552007 lv http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47478914 lvi http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36727973 lvii http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32801228 lviii
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