Records created at the time of an adoption

Legal adoption commenced in Victoria with the Adoption of Children Act 1928, which came into effect in 1929. Adoption before this time was unofficial and not many records were kept. One of the few records available is the De facto adoption register starting in 1906. Records from 1906-1920 have been digitised and can be viewed on the Public Record Office Victoria's website.

More records were kept after the Adoption of Children Act 1928 came into effect. Many people affected by adoption find it beneficial to seek the records that were created at the time of their adoption. Some of these records can be accessed directly from the organisations that created them. For some records the Adoption Act 1984 prohibits access except to eligible people through the Adoption Information Service.

The Register of Adoptions held by Births Deaths and Marriages

The Adoption of Children Act 1928 first established that Births Deaths and Marriages, then called the Government Statist, should establish register called the “Adopted Children Register”.

Since then, every adoption in Victoria has been recorded on the Register of Adoptions. Only the Adoption Information Service however can request this from Births Deaths and Marriages. You can find out more about making a request for information through the Adoption Information Service.

The records from the court that made the adoption order

Births Deaths and Marriages took the management and control of any records concerning adoptions which were in the possession of the County Court, Supreme Court and Magistrates' Courts on 1 January 1989.

Such court records generally include:

• adoption orders and/or certificates
• affidavits
• birth certificates
• other identification documents
• summonses
• guardian’s or natural parent’s consent
• memoranda and other related correspondence
• medical reports of the child.

Recently, records in the possession of Births Deaths and Marriages as well as other held by the County Court of Victoria and Supreme Court of Victoria to the Public Record Office Victoria.

Read more about the transfer.

The Adoption Act 1984 prohibits access to court records held by Public Record Office Victoria except to eligible people through the Adoption Information Service. Find out more about making an application for adoption information.

The records created by the adoption agency

Since Victoria’s first Adoption Act came into effect, as many as 30 different adoption agencies operated at different times. Some were hospitals, but most were private community service organisations. Read more about the adoption agencies.

There are no longer adoption agencies in Victoria. In October 2021 approval of the last 4 adoption agencies lapsed: Anglicare Victoria, Child and Family Services Ballarat, Catholic Care Victoria, and Uniting Victoria Tasmania.

Adoption records created by adoption agencies became the property of the Secretary when they ceased to operate as an adoption agency. Most records are held either directly by the department or by Public Record Office Victoria. Many of the records created by adoption agencies that recently ceased are still in their custody.

The Adoption Act 1984 prohibits access to adoption records except to eligible people through the Adoption Information Service. Find out more about making an application for adoption information.

Ward records

Wards was the term used for children removed from their families and placed either in the direct care of the State of Victoria or placed by the state in private institutions pursuant to welfare related legislation from the Neglected Children's Act 1887 to the Social Welfare Act 1970. Today the term Care Leaver is more widely used by federal and state government departments and researchers in Australia.

People who were wards either before or after their adoption may also have a record held by the Department of Families Fairness and Housing.

You can access information in a ward record in 2 ways:

• You can apply directly to Care Leaver Records Service.
• In some circumstances you can have the Adoption Information Service seek information on your behalf.

Find out more about applying to the Care Leaver Records Service.

Hospital records

Some hospitals were also adoption agencies. Adoption records created by hospital became the property of the Secretary when they ceased to operate as an adoption agency.

Hospital’s however also created other records at the time of an adopted persons birth and adoption. Such records may include:

• birth, admission, and discharge registers
• delivery and ward notes
• maternal and child health information, such as ante/post-natal care notes, and infant progress
• patient records including diagnostic notes, health charts, nurses records, consents to medical procedures
• medical social work files
• photographs.

You can access information in a hospital record in 2 ways:

• You can apply directly to the hospital through a Freedom of Information request.
• In some circumstances, you can have the Adoption Information Service seek information on your behalf.

See how to find hospital records on the State Library Victoria website and search for specific hospitals on the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner's website.

Community service organisations that were former adoption agencies

You can also seek historical information from an organisation that was formerly an adoption agency. This includes organisations where the organisation has merged with organisation, or the agency has changed names. For example, the historical documents from St Joseph's Babies Home in Glenroy are now held by CatholicCare.

Organisations that were formally adoption agencies that have heritage centres include:

• Berry Street
• Anglicare
• CatholicCare
• Child and Family Services (Ballarat)
• Mackillop
• Uniting Vic Tas

Information available from heritage centres may include:

• certain bound registers
• records from mothercraft nurses
• records from refuges for pregnant women
• family records not directly related to the adoption
• photographs and letters from natural parents and third parties
• policy documents
• general information about the service.

In some cases, you can apply to the Adoption Information Service through one of the heritage centres. The Adoption Information Service can help you determine whether an organisation will be able to help you.

Overseas agency records

You can apply to the Adoption Information Service for records created by the Victorian intercountry adoption program. Such records generally include:

• information provided to the Victorian intercountry adoption program by the overseas authority including about the child’s time in foster care or an orphanage
• records of overseas Court proceedings
• medical records
• case notes.

Some people will also want to seek records directly from the overseas agency. If you are intending on doing this the overseas authority may require written authorisation from Adoption Information Service. We can provide this.