Were you adopted or in care as a baby or a child?

We can help you access records and information about you or your family member's adoption or time in care, to better understand your past.

Or call 0402 969 621

Understanding your adoption or time in care.

The Uniting Heritage Service is a free service for people and their families who were:

If this out of home care was provided by the former Presbyterian, Methodist or Uniting Churches, we are here to help you understand more.

We are here to assist you in sharing your experiences and even locating family or significant people from your past. Our free service is designed to help you stay connected to the people in your past and better shape your family’s future. To learn more about our Heritage Service, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Relevant information

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Founding agencies

“People contact us to find information to help them understand their past, their family, and what happened when they were kids. Sometimes they’re also wrestling with questions such as ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Where do I belong?’.”

Chris Wade, Manager Uniting Heritage Service

The Presbyterian, Methodist and Uniting Churches are our founding agencies who provided out-of-home care and adoption services in Victoria.

The former Presbyterian and Methodist Services later became Connections who provided adoption services. Uniting Vic.Tas continues to provide some out-home-care services today.

How we can help

We hold records, photographs, historical material and other documents that date back to 1890, from Uniting founding agencies.

We can help you access these records, including information about your or your family member’s adoption or time in care and support you in the journey to better understand the past.

Accessing historical information and records

Accessing records held by Uniting
Assistance with requesting records held by other agencies and organisations

Ongoing support

Assistance searching for a family member or other significant people from the past
Connecting people with health and social support services
Organising reunions

Photographs and memorabilia.

We deeply regret that record keeping practices of the past have meant that many records were not retained, or if retained, are very scant. Photographs and memorabilia are important in giving people a clearer sense of their history, particularly where information is scarce. We have a collection of these which you can view. We are interested in hearing from people who may have kept photographs and other items from their time in care.

Uniting Heritage Newsletter

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Heritage Newsletter – November 2025.

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Heritage Newsletter – May 2025.

Heritage Newsletter – October 2024.

Heritage Newsletter – May 2024.

Records from Tally Ho (1903-1986)

Uniting holds minimal records from Tally Ho prior to the 1980s and has for some time been actively searching for personal records and other documents to assist past residents seeking information about their time at Tally Ho. Mistakenly, it had been thought that a fire or fires may have been the reason why the records are incomplete.

Uniting Church apology

In September 2004, the Uniting Church in Australia issued an apology to children who suffered neglect and abuse while in institutional care provided by the Uniting Church, its former denominations (Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational) and its agencies during the last century.

In 2012 the Uniting Church made an apology to those who experienced harm through the forced adoption of their children. See both apologies here.