Evelyn Mavis (born Dyer -1919

[judb]

Please re-read my reply#34

Just to clear up the adoption procedures in WA at the time:

https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/past-adoption-information-and-services
Adoptions have been possible in Western Australia since 1896. The legislation has changed over the years and historically adoptions could be arranged either by the Department of Communities or privately through solicitors.

There was an adoption register
https://slwa.wa.gov.au/dead_reckoning/government_archival_records/a-c/adoption
Child Welfare Department. Indexes to Adoption Registers
The Department of Communities is responsible for enquiries about historical adoptions in Western Australia. It has an alphabetical listing of birth names of adopted children, and in some cases, adoptive parents, who were registered by the Department dating from 1908-1966.

However - since time immemorial babies/children have been raised by members of their family other than their parent/s, by friends or by outsiders. As time goes on these children may take on the surname of their carers - remember that name changing is perfectly legal (debatable re minors) and it's only relatively recently that documentation for names has become so strict.

Judith

Private adoptions did not need to be registered anywhere.  I know it's difficult to comprehend in these days when documentation is needed for many purposes, but you could, for example, open a bank account, pay tax, start a new job, get a driver's licence etc etc without any documentation whatsoever -  you just told them the name and details you chose to use.  So I'm not at all surprised that Evelyn is so elusive.  I suspect she was given a new name by the people who became her carers.

What I do find interesting is the birth notice - you would think, if she was to be fostered/adopted that her mother wouldn't wish to draw attention to her birth.  However, who knows what happened later.

Judith

[AlKeallz]

Evelyn's birth was registered on 15th March 1919, 2 days after birth.
Apart from the small birth notice which could have been placed by Nurse Lloyd as have others, there is no other notice.
Again surmising, as Lena's families all lived either in Meekatharra, Wiluna or Sydney at the time, they may have not got the paper or read the article. And again if Lena kept Edna secret, I am of the opinion she did so with Evelyn.
As Nurse Lloyd did arrange for babies to be adopted by friends or other couples this may have been the case with Evelyn.
As you suggested I will now try the West Australian archives avenue.

[sparrett]

Hi,
Hoping you won't mind a different opinion here

I would think the approval of the mother giving birth to the child would be needed for Nurse Lloyd (if it was her doing) to go ahead and place the advertisement which would also entail some expense.

To me it is strangely at odds that a newspaper  announcement would be placed for all to see (including potentiallly acquaintances and family of Ernest) and then the child fosterd or adopted out, if that is indeed what happened.

Surely these actions would draw questioning.

As a line of thought,
I cannot find a birth for Evelyn Mavis HODGES (or HODGE) who married James BLAIR in 1937 at Yilgarn
They are interred at the Yilgarn cemetery and had lived and worked there through their lives.
It may be worthwhile trying to eliminate her as being nee DYER
Sue

[Jennaya]

We may never know who knew, or didn't know about the pregnancy and birth of Evelyn.
We do know that she appears to have been raised by someone other than her birth mother.
Two women have been suggested as possibilities for the adult Evelyn. Perhaps it would be better to get marriage and/ or death certificates for them to see if they are possibilities. Back in that era most adoptions were by couples who were unable to have children, or have more children after one difficult birth. So, I would be looking for an Evelyn who was an only child.

[Jennaya]

As a line of thought,
I cannot find a birth for Evelyn Mavis HODGES (or HODGE) who married James BLAIR in 1937 at Yilgarn
They are interred at the Yilgarn cemetery and had lived and worked there through their lives.
It may be worthwhile trying to eliminate her as being nee DYER
Sue

Is this the wedding? Seems to have Mavis' parental info missing.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/259064166?searchTerm=Hodges%20Blair

[Jennaya]

Wrong date of birth.

https://www.bradyfamilytree.org/genealogy/familygroup.php?familyID=F79164&tree=BRADY2008

[giblet]

Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954) View title info
Sun 14 Jan 1917

NURSE LLOYD gives superior accommodation and. Services, £2/2/ weekly; outfit provided. Arrangements made for children. Coolgardie street, Subiaco. TeL 1167.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/58021916

Arrangements made for children Not sure if that means they will find some where for the mother's other children while she is in hospital OR if it means arrangements can be made for the new baby??

Wonder who would have paid for Lena's stay there while she had Evelyn.

[judb]

Obviously this is unlikely to be relevant except that it shows that babies were freely adopted privately through newspaper ads and may not even stay in Australia, at around the time of Evelyn's birth.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/27599466?searchTerm=baby%20adoption
 The West Australian (Perth, WA)  Tue 25 Mar 1919 (under Personal, last column)
LADY returning to England will adopt newborn baby girl. Mother, F3, this office

Judith

[sparrett]

Yes,
Adopt really just meant receive into the care of another woman on a permanent basis.
As Judith says, this was often managed directly, birth mother to adoptive person without recourse to any agency or third person.

We do not know when exactly Lena relinquished Evelyn.
However I tend to think  it was quite soon after her birth as Lena already had 2 children from her marriage and they were of an age to be aware and "chat about" a baby sister who arrived then disappeared. 

By the way..I do wonder where these 2 were while Lena was a waitress in Subiaco..

I'm glad that Evelyn Mavis Hodge's birth was found 
She can go off the list!
Sue