Tasmanian Adoption of Children Act 1920

The comments on this blog are my opinion only. I do not represent or have affiliation with any group or organisation and the information offered has been researched as thoroughly as resources allow so it can be presented as fact rather than supposition. This information is not intended to override the opinions of others, but to expand knowledge through the presentation of another point of view.

To clarify my previous blog post relating to the Tasmanian Adoption of Children Act 1920, specifically the age limits for adoptive parents. Whereas the Registrar General set age guidelines in response to the increase demands for children for adoption, these were guidelines only and not legislated as required practice and therefore were not compulsory under law. Applicants outside of these age guidelines could still make application to adopt, with each judged according to their individual circumstances. Unfortunately, the reasons for the granting of an adoption outside the age guidelines recommended by the Registrar General has not been recorded on a case by base basis and this has led to speculation by some of adoption practices in Tasmania.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/52604159?searchTerm=adoption%20of%20%20babies%20tasmania&searchLimits=l-category%3DArticle

DEMAND FOR BABIES

HUNDREDS WANT TO ADOPT CHILDREN "Child hungry" couples are besieging the Registrar General in Tasmania (Mr. C. A. Ward) with adoption applications. The biggest demand is for girls.

"'THE demand for children for adoption Is a long way ahead of the supply," Mr. Ward said yesterday. "Adoptions in Tasmania increased from 36 in 1934 to 200 last year. This year is expected to break all records." Mr. Ward said that when an application to adopt a child was made a date was fixed for the hearing of the application before himself or a Police Magistrate. In the interval the Registrar-General's Department made confidential enquiries into the suitability of the applicant. Parental Age Limit in all matters of adoption, the child's welfare was the paramount consideration. The age limit for people wishing to adopt children from birth had been fixed at 45 years for women and 50 years for men. This was adjusted according to the child's age, The limitation was necessary so that a child could be assured of adequate parental control until he or she reached a responsible age. "Applications for adoption are so much in excess of the supply that we are able to select for children the best of homes." Mr. Ward said; 'Most applicants wanted to adopt children from birth. Younger children were by far the most popular.

In relation to the above article, it is not all that surprising the numbers of children available for adoption increased during the thirteen years from pre-World War II 1934 to post-war 1947, when a combination of conservative social attitudes and the baby boom led to more babies available for adoption.