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Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: Siouxsie on Wednesday 11 January 23 03:29 GMT (UK)

Title: Miscarriages and Stillborn at the turn of the century
Post by: Siouxsie on Wednesday 11 January 23 03:29 GMT (UK)

I am asking the hive mind as I haven't been able to turn up a birth/death certificate for the child that was born/miscarried and died, and then subsequently my great grandmother died. And this was 1908 in Broken Hill, NSW.

I am wondering at what stage in the pregnancy would a death not be recorded? Would there have been a cut off period......say 6 months?

Many thanks in advance.

Title: Re: Miscarriages and Stillborn at the turn of the century
Post by: franh1946 on Wednesday 11 January 23 06:21 GMT (UK)

Hello Siouxsie. Still births were not registered (as a birth) in Australia until 1986,as far as I know. The death was not required to be registered.  Fran

Title: Re: Miscarriages and Stillborn at the turn of the century
Post by: Siouxsie on Wednesday 11 January 23 10:33 GMT (UK)

Many thanks Fran.

I should have been more expansive........I know that she birthed a child, but I am not sure how far along she was.

Was there a cut off period where they were not registered, but considered miscarriages?

Title: Re: Miscarriages and Stillborn at the turn of the century
Post by: franh1946 on Wednesday 11 January 23 20:39 GMT (UK)

After 20 weeks gestation or over 400 grammes are the current criteria; I'm afraid I know no more than that, I know that some stillbirths were buried in unmarked graves in Sydney, for example, until quite recently. Heartbreaking for the family. I can't imagine that guidelines would be kinder in the 19th/early 20th centuries. Fran