The Index Books to State Ward Registers are an alphabetical name index to the Ward Registers. Ward Registers were used to record the personal details of children in the 'care' of the state and details about their admission, placements and discharge. The indexes are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the child. These indexes were maintained by the Department of Industrial and Reformatory Schools, Colony of Victoria, and its successor government departments. From 1898, the Ward Registers contained an internal index at the front of each volume. The Index Books are held by Public Record Office of Victoria, and they cover the period from 1864 to 1871 (registration numbers 1 to 5480). Prepared by: Rosemary FrancisCreated: 12 October 2011, Last modified: 4 December 2014