19/8/99
Western Australia has become the first State to introduce an index recording information that will allow child migrants who came to the State from Britain and Malta to trace their background.
Family and Children’s Services Minister Rhonda Parker said the WA Referral Index would include the name, date of birth, the name of the ship they arrived on, the date of their arrival and where they were initially placed.
“The index does not include the actual records which will remain with the receiving agencies or their nominees,”
Mrs Parker said.
“It identifies the location of these records from where further information about the child and their family of origin may be obtained.
“Protocols to ensure confidentiality of the records have been negotiated with the 10 WA agencies holding the records.”
Mrs Parker also said the index makes WA the only State that can accurately say how many child migrants came to the State - 2,950 from 1913 to 1968.
“Although the Catholic Religious Orders developed a Personal History Index early this year, there was no single central index which contained identifying information on all the child migrants who came to the State,” she said.
But the Minister said the records in WA hold only half the story.
“The British Government had also agreed in principle to provide the WA Referral Index with the name of the sending agency and the location of the UK records providing the storage and disclosure of the WA Referral Index is broadly compatible with British regulations,” she said.
Mrs Parker said she was confident the conditions would be met.
“By assisting child migrants to trace their history, the index will help heal the pain many of them suffered over the years,”
she said.
“I am also pleased to announce that the Government will provide funding of $128,000 over the next two years to the WA-based Child Migrant Trust.
Media contact: Owen Cole 9481 7810
TO CONTACT THE INDEX, CALL THE FAMILY INFORMATION RECORDS BUREAU AT FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES ON 9222 2662
