VPRS 10093 Children's Overseas Reception Board Files

Full description

This series comprises client files of children evacuated to Australia from the United Kingdom during World War II and a few files relating to the administration of the scheme.

Following an agreement between the British and Australian governments to evacuate children from vulnerable areas in Britain, many children were evacuated to Victoria between 1940 and 1945 under the provisions of the Overseas Children Scheme. In accordance with the provisions of the National Security (Overseas Children) Regulation No.202 1940, the evacuees were under the legal guardianship of the head of the Childrens Welfare Department of the Chief Secretarys Department (VA 1467). The Australian representative of the UK Childrens Overseas Reception Board (C.O.R.B.) based in Sydney was also one of the key players in the administration of the scheme.

Upon arrival in Victoria the children were boarded out with families. The Childrens Welfare Department oversaw the allocation of the children to their custodians and the subsequent maintenance and welfare of the children.

The British authorities recommended that custodians consult the childrens parents about important decisions regarding the education, vocational training, employment and medical treatment of the children.

Most of the files in the series comprise case documentation including:

application of the custodian to accept evacuated children
evacuation and travel reports re the children (e.g. vaccinations, medical condition)
Departmental inspectors reports (e.g. health, behaviour, adjustment, suitability of nominators)
school reports
social worker reports.

A few files relate to the administration of the scheme by the Department. The items include quarterly reports and correspondence and refer to matters such as the administration of the scheme, allocation of financial assistance and publicity.