Maternity allowance forms - McBride Maternity Hospital (GRS/13673)

This series contains duplicate copies of Maternity Allowance Certificate of Registration of Birth forms for mothers who gave birth at McBride Maternity Hospital.

Under the Maternity Allowance Act 1912, mothers were entitled to a payment of 5 pounds for the birth of a live child. The scheme applied to both married and unmarried mothers, but excluded full blood Aboriginal women living a tribal way of life (1).

Information recorded on the forms includes mother's name, date and place of mother's birth, child's name, date of birth and place of birth, whether born alive or stillborn, whether child born alive lived for at least twelve hours, name and address of doctor or midwife, and signature and address of person giving information to Registrar of Births (generally the mother).

For married mothers, the forms also record full name of father, date of marriage and place of marriage. Later forms also include mother's maiden name and father's place of birth.

The forms are arranged chronologically in booklets and have a single number with an alphabetical prefix, e.g. A72001.

Sources:
(1) Occasional Paper No. 12, Maternity Allowance, Department of Families, Housing, Commonwealth Services and Indigenous Affairs website, www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/publicationsarticles/research/occastional/Documents/op12/sec4.htm, accessed 09/02/2011.

and GRG52/1/190/1956 for discussion of intention Maternity Allowance Act with regard to aboriginality.