Women in the records
Access Gateways
Aboriginal women and children | Women in the workplace | Women's advocacy | Women in the home
These 'gateways' are mainly at the government department level. We have not included a detailed listing of records series and items, although selected examples of items and series are provided. Over time we will add more 'gateways' and expand the current listings.
Particular individuals may be difficult to trace because the records are generally arranged by the public office that created them rather than by the person's name. When searching for individuals, the first step is to determine what dealings the person may have had with the government of the day and then to consider which public office would be likely to have retained this information.
Aboriginal women and children
Focuses on guides and finding aids available for more in depth research. More »
Women in the workplace
Focuses on industrial relations, employment records and school and training records. Includes specific record series and terms for further research. More »
Women's advocacy
Focuses on suffrage and citizenship. Includes specific record series and terms for further research. Also includes a partial list of letters to the Colonial Secretary relating to suffrage. More »
Women in the home
Focuses on divorce, health, children and family endowment. Includes specific record series and terms for further research.
This page also includes 'Care of Children' and the agencies that helped mothers to care for their children and the development of family endowment schemes. Includes specific record series and terms for further research. More »
Further research?
For further information relating to archive resources around Australia in relation to women go to the:
A Gallery of New South Wales Women
This new Gallery shines the spotlight on a number of case studies to designed to highlight different experiences of women in New South Wales throughout the years. There will be a number of well known or notorious women featured alongside some lesser known women as they feature in the State archives. Stay tuned for future additions!
- View the digital gallery: A Gallery of NSW Women
Other types of records
Women as convicts, immigrants or 'women as inmates' of prisons, asylums and hospitals have not been identified as a separate group. Information relating to these groups has already been identified and covered in other finding aids, listed below.
Convicts
Includes an overview of the convict system, explanations of terminology, examples of convict records and links to the major finding aids.
Immigrants
Includes different types of shippings records, details on assisted, bounty, and unassisted or free immigrations and examples of records you can find.
Aslyums
Includes an overview of the many asylums and mental patient hospitals in New South Wales and explanations and examples of the different types of asylum records.
Access provisions
The Register of Access Directions provides a listing of records that are the subject of an access direction. Our staff can advise you on the availability of records if they are not listed on the register.
