Finding
Your Story full text (Adobe PDF document, 3.1 MB: Help
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or
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| Finding Your Story outline of
contents (sections are individually downloadable as Adobe PDF
documents) |
| Contents,
Foreword (109 KB) |
1.
Introduction (158 KB)
Information about the past is critical to helping the Stolen Generations
reunite with family and explore their Indigenous identity. |
2.
Finding your story (124 KB)
Locating records about your separation from family or obtaining information
about your Indigenous heritage is not an easy task. Finding Your
Story has been produced to help you with your search. |
3.
Your search (276 KB)
Gathering as much background information as possible before you begin
will increase the effectiveness of your search. |
4.
The emotional journey (188 KB)
Finding out about your time in care or being reunited with your family
can be a very emotional experience. You must be prepared for some
highs and lows as you search for information about your past. |
5.
Getting help (277 KB)
Searching for records can be complicated and time-consuming. Finding
Your Story identifies those agencies and organisations that can
help and support you through the process. |
6.
Frequently asked questions (139 KB) | html
version
It has been the experience of the agencies working with the Stolen
Generations that some questions arise again and again. This section
will briefly answer these questions and refer you to other parts of
Finding Your
Story for further information. |
7.
The Stolen Generations records (203 KB)
Chapters 7 to 11 focus on government welfare records, and the records
of community service agencies which provided care for children who
were separated from their parents or other relatives and guardians.
Where possible it outlines the types of records available. |
8.
Adoption records (163 KB)
Legal adoptions began in Victoria in 1928. Between 1928 and 1964 adoptions
could be arranged by private individuals or adoption agencies. From
1964 all adoptions were arranged by approved adoption agencies, most
of which were church and welfare organisations. The welfare department
in Victoria also arranged adoptions from 1964.
If you know you were adopted, you have the right to information about
the adoption. You can only access adoption information through an
adoption information service. |
9.
Community sector children’s homes and child welfare programs
(1,031 KB)
Many Wards of State were placed in homes run by churches and community
service organisations. These homes also cared for children voluntarily
placed by their family. Many of these agencies will assist former
residents looking for personal information in their archives. |
10.
Aboriginal Welfare Board and Victorian Aboriginal mission, reserve
and station records (162 KB)
If you and your family had any involvement with the Aboriginal Welfare
Board or its predecessors, there may be records of this involvement
held in the collections of Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) and
the
National Archives of Australia (NAA). |
11.
Freedom of Information and Information Privacy provisions (157
KB)
Under Freedom of Information (FOI) you have a right to access information
that is held by a government body. Sometimes information can be withheld
because it is classed as ‘exempt’ under the FOI Act. An
example of an exempt document is where it contains information about
the personal affairs of another person. |
12.
Birth, death and marriage certificates (Victoria) (153 KB)
Obtaining information about the birth, death and marriage of family
members is critical to the family reunion process. |
13.
Indigenous heritage records (280 KB)
Finding Your Story
will help you find sources of information to enable you to strengthen
your understanding and knowledge of family, community and country.
These sources can also provide background to the policies and practices
that led to the separation of you and many other Indigenous children
from family and community. These are the records about your cultural
and community heritage as an Indigenous Victorian. |
| 14.
The Stolen Generations in Victoria: an historical overview (386
KB) |
15.
Additional information (159 KB)
Confirmation of Aboriginality and details of interstate records agencies |
| Abbreviations,
Glossary, Index (151 KB) |
Members of the Stolen Generations and those agencies
and organisations that assist them to reconnect with family are eligible
for a free printed copy of Finding Your Story.
Free copies are available from:
