Adopted tracing birth papers?

Question

Any advice please .....adopted in the 60's from catholic orphange in Subiaco WA, at 10 days of age.

Adopted parents both dead.

Solicitor who arranged adoption deceased..... where can i start looking? what do i look for?

thanks :)

Answer 1

The orphanage you mention in Subiaco, Western Australia was St. Joseph's..see second URL. To find out details re adoption, you would have to go to the WA Registry Office...the first URL will help you there... look for Births, Deaths Marriages enquiries.

The third URL is for Catholic Services. It is a .pdf file which may help explain what you need to do and where to look.

When you email the registry office, it would be advisable to email a copy of your birth certificate as well as a copy of each of your adopted parent's death certificates, or at least the numbers of them, names, dates and place of death or birth. You should be able to get at least some information under Freedom of Information, unless your natural parents have put a rider on asking that no details be disclosed. Another avenue that may be able to help you is to register your details with Jigsaw, an agency that specialises in reuniting adopted children and their birth parents. There may be a rider on that as well, that's a chance you have to take. Of course, you may find that your birth parents are looking for you. I hope you find what you are looking for.

Just found another link for St. Joseph's Catholic Girls Orphanage, see last URL... look halfway down the column on site for further information. I knew I had read more about it, just didn't see it when I looked a few minutes ago.

Answer 2

Have you tried these?:

http://www.adopteeconnect.com/p/a/1053/

http://www.adoptionsearchwa.com/

WHO SEARCHES AND WHY?

The state of Washington allows the release of non-identifying information to the adoptee, adoptive parents and to the birthparents. This information may include age, heritage, education, religion, occupation and perhaps even a physical appearance of birth parents and is authorized by RCW 26.33.020. In Washington State, information facilitating the location of the involved parties will be found in the birth and adoption records which are sealed, and may only be opened by a court order to a third party (a Confidential Intermediary) approved by the court.

WHAT IS THE STORY ON SEALED RECORDS?

Adoption records in Washington State were "open" until 1935, and anyone could access records, which were kept in the probate files in the county courthouse. In 1935 a law was passed, providing for the adoptee’s original birth certificate and decree of adoption to be placed into a sealed file at the state level in the Vital Records department. This law was meant to protect all the parties from each other, having both positive and negative effects. In 1976, a Seattle adoptee convinced a judge to agree to the opening of her birth record, if a neutral third party was used to make the contact with the birthmother once she was found. This reunion was successful, and as a result family law judges in King County networked with their peers in other Washington state counties, and gradually most counties had at least one judge who would open adoption records to a trained and licensed "Confidential Intermediary". In 1990, a law was passed allowing Confidential Intermediaries to conduct searches and facilitate reunions in this state. Today, search and reunion are routine matters in Washington.

Best of luck to you!