Historical records request

Eligibility

Before we begin the search, we need to determine your eligibility. Applicants must provide identification, consent and proof of relationship to access said records.

The Salvation Army is committed to caring for people by protecting the personal information we hold and upholding the Australian Privacy Principles.

We receive a number of letters where applicants are seeking to find records of their relatives as part of personal genealogical research and other purposes. The Salvation Army is committed to caring for people by protecting personal information and upholding the Australian Privacy Principles. All responses to queries and requests for access to information are in accordance with the Privacy Act (Cth) 1988 and in some cases the relevant State specific privacy legislation.

Each application will be considered on the facts relating to the particular application. If you are seeking to obtain records of a family member (such as sibling or parent) who is living, it is essential they provide consent, so please have them sign a Consent for provision of information to a third party form (pdf) and provide the signed form to us. There are a variety of situations that might apply to your application, including the following:

1. Former resident of The Salvation Army

If you are a former resident of The Salvation Army and would like to access your records from your time in their care, please complete the Application for records request form (pdf) and provide us with a copy of one of the following:

• • A birth certificate;
  • Drivers licence;
  • Passport; or
  • An alternative document that provides the name and date of birth that matches what you have indicated on the application form.

2. Seeking to obtain records for a relative who is deceased or unable to give consent

If you are seeking to obtain records for a relative who is deceased or unable to give their consent to the production of the records to you, please include with your application proof of their identity, such as photocopies of their birth, death or marriage certificates. You will also need to provide identifying documents to prove your relationship to the person. For example, if you are seeking records of your grandparent, please include:

• • Documents that identify your relationship to your parent (your birth certificate)
  • A further document identifying your parent’s relationship to your grandparent (your parent’s birth certificate)
  • An identifying document for your grandparent (your grandparent’s birth, death or marriage certificate)

In accordance with the Privacy Act (Cth) 1988 we are unable to provide personal information of a third party when:

• • The applicant is unable to provide the name of the third party, and;
  • The applicant is unable to establish through the provision of identifying documentation their relationship to the third party.

Without the information outlined above or the express consent of the third party, whether living or deceased, we are unable to provide you with their personal information.

This includes requests regarding unknown family members, for example the name of a presumed father, otherwise known as a putative father. In this example, where the biological relationship to a child is alleged, but has not been established formally, paternity not being evidenced as one would expect in the register of births under the Births Deaths and Marriages Act of the applicable State where the birth occurred, nor is there any evidence that this person accepted paternity, we are unable to provide you with their personal information (including their name).

For adoptees and birth mothers in