“ Finding

Your Mob ”

Family Records UnitPersonal Family History

Research Application

1

Application for Personal Family History Research

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the records of the Aborigines Welfare Board (formerly known as the Aborigines Protection Board). The Board operated from 1883 to 1969, and was the main NSW State Government agency responsible for implementing and administering legislation and policies affecting Aboriginal people throughout the State.

Due to the personal and sensitive nature of the information pertained in the records many of the records are closed to public access. Access to these records is administered by the Family Records Unit of Aboriginal Affairs NSW. Please be advised that we cannot guarantee that there are records for the names listed on your application.

To assist us in processing your application it is important to link you to the names listed on your application. The following list of supporting documents must be included with your application:

For You Your Parents Your Grandparents

Your Great Grandparents

Birth certificate Birth certificate(s) Birth certificate(s) Birth certificate(s) Marriage certificate

Marriage certificates

Marriage certificate

Marriage certificate

Driver’s licence Death certificates (if deemed appropriate)

Death certificates (if deemed appropriate)

Death certificate

If your application is for the purpose of assisting you in putting together your family history and/or tree we strongly suggest that you first start with yourself, your parent(s); your grandparents(s) and great grandparents(s) to see if records are been located. Please do not include names of non-Aboriginal people on your application as the records relate to Aboriginal people only.

If you are nominating someone to apply and act on your behalf you must complete the [1] research declaration form; [2] granting permission to a researcher to access records of a living person or your personal information form and [3] granting permission to a researcher to access records of a deceased person form.

Your application should be sent to the Family Records Unit to: Level 13, Tower B, Centennial Plaza 280 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call the Family Records Unit on (02) 9219 0700 or toll free on 1800 019 998.

2

Research Declaration Form

This declaration is to be signed by person/s wishing to access and obtain copies of records from the Aborigines Welfare Board (formerly known as the Aborigines Protection Board) and Chief Secretary.

I

(insert full name of researcher)

of

(insert address of researcher)

declare that in my use of information obtained from the records from the Aborigines Welfare Board (formerly known as the Aborigines Protection Board) and Chief Secretary:

1. Should I find among the records any details which could cause pain and embarrassment to any persons, living or deceased, I will keep them strictly confidential, and not make use of them without the written approval of the individual, their family (in the case of deceased persons) or of the Chief Executive Officer of Aboriginal Affairs NSW.

2. I will not disclose the contents of a personal file to other person/s without the

written consent of the subject of the file or where deceased, the oldest living relative of the individual, or Aboriginal Affairs;

3. If I am undertaking a formal research project, I will provide Aboriginal Affairs

NSW with a copy of my research report upon completion of the research project. This report will not be published, exhibited or shown in any form unless the Agency is satisfied that it does not identify individual recorded subjects;

4. I will comply with all of the administrative guidelines in respect of access to

archival records, as stipulated by Aboriginal Affairs NSW.

Signature:

(signature of researcher)

Telephone No: Date: / /

3

Aboriginal Affairs NSW Research Request Form

Applicant’s Name:

Postal Address:

To assist us in processing your application we ask that you please provide as much information as possible for each name listed for research in the following two tables.

First Name

Middle Name

Family Name

Maiden Name

Your relationship

with this person

Date or Year of Birth

Birthplace (if known)

Date or Year of Death

(if applicable)

Places/locations of Interest

(where person lived and/or worked or where person

moved to)

4

Granting permission to a researcher to access the records of a lliivviinngg

ppeerrssoonn((ss)) or yyoouurr ppeerrssoonnaall iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn in the records of the Aborigines Welfare Board (formerly known as Aborigines Protection Board) and Chief

Secretary

If you are researching a person who is still alive other than yourself, you must get them to

sign this form to give you permission to access information about them.

You will also need to complete this form if you are giving someone permission to access your personal information. This could include a researcher, a family member or a

Link-Up case worker.

I

(insert name of person being researched)

of

(insert address of person being researched)

I hereby give my permission for

(insert researcher’s name)

to access my personal information, if any, pertained in the Aborigines Welfare Board (formerly known as Aborigines Protection Board) and Chief Secretary

Signature:

(signature of person being researched)

Telephone No: Date: / /

5

Granting permission to a researcher to access the records of a

ddeecceeaasseedd ppeerrssoonn((ss)) in the records of the Aborigines Welfare Board (formerly known as Aborigines Protection Board) and Chief Secretary

If you have not been able to provide sufficient documentation to link you to the names listed on your application for research you will be required to obtain permission from

the oldest living relative of the deceased person(s)

I

(insert name of oldest living relative)

of

(insert address of oldest living relative)

am the oldest living relative of the following person(s)

No Name Relationship

1

2

3

4

5

(clearly state the name of, and your relationship to, the deceased person/s)

I hereby give my permission for

(insert researcher’s name)

to access information relating to the above person(s), if any, pertained in the Aborigines Welfare Board (formerly known as Aborigines Protection Board) and

Chief Secretary

Signature:

(signature of person being researched)

Telephone No: Date: / /

6

Notes

This page can be used for any additional information that you wish to provide that will assist

us in identifying if records located relate to your application.