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Series number: 30 
Title: Aborigines Welfare Board Photographs 
Start date: c. 01 Jan 1919 
End date: c. 31 Dec 1961 
Contents start date: c. 01 Jan 1919 
Contents end date: c. 31 Dec 1961 

Descriptive note: This series comprises black and white, and some colour or tinted photographs. The official and personal photographs in this series were taken all over New South Wales at many reserves, stations, homes and schools such as Purfleet (Taree), Walgett, Caroona (Quirindi), Condobolin, Burra Bee Dee, Namina (Wellington), Tingha, Boggabilla, Bomaderry Children's Home, Bimbadeen Girls Home at Cootamundra and Kinchela Boys Training Home. Some of the photographs were taken in Queensland. Most of the photographs are unidentified and undated (1).

The photographs of an official nature show: "interior and exterior views of accommodation and housing projects; pupils and teachers; station managers; and matrons. They also record the visits of Government officials” (2).

The personal photographs range from formal studio portraits mainly of female wards in the 1920s to snapshots mainly taken in the 1950s and 1960. The photographs show “Aboriginal children and adults participating in many activities, such as football, basketball, cricket, swimming, gardening; attending school, christenings, first communions, weddings, birthday and Christmas parties; on excursions; gatherings of families and friends; and visiting Luna Park” (3). The photographs show female wards in their domestic service uniforms, sometimes accompanied by their employers or employers' children.

The photographs are generally arranged in numeric order, except for six photographs comprising consignment two of this series. These photographs have no discernable arrangement.

A note about the photographs
Researchers accessing the photographs should be aware, that in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, seeing the names and/or images of deceased persons may cause sadness or distress, particularly to the relatives of those people.

Custody History
The records in this series were transferred to the Archives Office by the Aborigines Services Branch of the Department of Youth and Community Services in 1977, and by the Office of the Prime Minister in 1998. The records transferred in 1998 were an archival estray.

Endnotes
(1) Archives Authority of New South Wales A guide to the New South Wales Archives relating to Aboriginal people, Sydney, 1998, p.25
(2) loc. cit
(3) loc. cit
 

Home location: This series is held at the Western Sydney Records Centre 
Format: Photographs 

Images:
None

Arrangement: Various - See Descriptive Note 
Bridging aids: A database for searching these photographs is part of the ‘In Living Memory’ exhibition at the Sydney Records Centre. The Exhibition is open until 30 June 2009. 
Copies: SR Reels 2976 – 2977, Aperture Cards Numbers 8186 – 9224, 35 mm viewing contract prints at COD 423 
Item control status: Item lists are not available electronically. Contact Reading Room staff for assistance 

Creating agency:
559 Board for the Protection of Aborigines  01 Jan 1919 ~ 14 Jun 1940 
560 Aborigines Welfare Board  14 Jun 1940 ~ 31 Dec 1961 

Current agency responsible:
564 Department of Aboriginal Affairs  

Preceding series:
None

Succeeding series:
None

Related series:
None

Controlling series:
None

Controlled series:
None

Activities documented by this series:
7 Aboriginal Affairs  01 Jan 1924 ~ 31 Dec 1961 

Persons creating this series:
None

Record items in this series:
None

 
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