Family Tracing Service

There are many reasons why people become separated.  Family disputes, wars, even just plain old time and distance. There are a number of searches you can do for yourself before contacting us. You should be able to perform most of these searches. At the bottom of this page are some links that you might find useful.

Making Contact

Please be aware:  It could be that your missing person has not told you that they are in some sort of danger.  Maybe they owe someone money, maybe they have been assaulted and had to get away.  Be careful if using photographs and revealing identifying details when searching.

If you do find your relative, it is important that you approach them the right way.
A short letter or email to say hello is usually the best way to start.  It is not a good idea to just turn up on a door step, especially if you are not 101% certain that it is the right person.  There are a lot of “John Smith”s out there.  Before knocking on a door, make certain you have found the actual person you are looking for.

If you have attempted  searches and not found the person you are looking for, then it is time to call us or another, more appropriate search agency (see under "How To Search" tab).

 

Guidelines for Family Tracing services in Australia and overseas are similar, but may vary according to local requirements.

 

 

The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service NSW & ACT*

 

* (Other states and countries have similar guidelines.  Check with your local office for details).

1. After assessment enquiries are usually accepted for missing Family members when contact has been lost for at least three months.

2. Enquiries not accepted  Legal reasons, e.g. Intervention Order in place, Ex Partners/Spouses - Friends, Genealogy/Family Tree searches.  Young Persons… We do not accept searches for children younger than 18 years.  Our methods and procedures are not appropriate for the tracing of children. Applicants must be over 18 years of age. (For special circumstances ask to speak to the Coordinator.

3. Proof of Relationship is necessary e.g. copy of your birth certificate or other documented identification that proves you are related to the person sought.

 

* The Salvation Army reserves the right to refuse any search application. *

 

4. When we receive your completed “Application Form” the information will be examined.  If we are able to accept the search, a Reference Number will be given and sent to you in our letter confirming receipt of your signed application. If you contact us about the search for your relative, or to change your contact details, the Reference Number should always be quoted, along with your missing relative’s name.


5. Our enquiries may take some time to negotiate.  It can often take months to obtain relevant information.  We will keep you informed of the outcome of our investigations once news becomes available.

6. Private Information  We will not reveal any details about your relative without their permission. Contact is often obtained by means of a redirected letter, sent on the assurance that any information about the relative being traced, will not be released without their consent.
Unless agreed beforehand, we must be free to state who the Applicant is, their contact details, and the reason why contact is desired.

7. The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service will not divulge any avenues of search available to us. We are required to keep the information we obtain confidential, and only use it for search purposes.

8. Privacy   The Salvation Army complies with the National Privacy Act and the Privacy Principles.  The personal information we collect is used only to search for a missing family member and the privacy of both parties will be respected.  Your personal details will only be provided to another organisation for confidential search purposes.  Of Necessity, the application form may need to be copied and sent to other Salvation Army Family Tracing Service offices interstate or overseas.

(For a detailed copy of the Privacy Statement, please contact; The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service).

9. Expenses  It is understood that The Salvation Army cannot be held responsible for any costs or legal expenses incurred as a consequence of locating the relative on your behalf.

10. Costs This Service operates without Government funding and incurs considerable expenses.  A donation is appreciated but no person will be disadvantaged if they can not afford to contribute.

*For discount, enclose a copy of your health card or pension card*

**Send Cheque or Money Order payable to The Salvation Army Family Tracing Service

 
Suggested Amounts
Australian Search - $150 (discount $75*)                  Overseas Search - $175 (discount $80*)

(This amount is for searches beginning in NSW.  Other states and countries have varying amounts)


We are required to pay for some searches that may incur additional costs for you – (this depends on the search but range from $20 to $40 each). If these searches are necessary, we will advise you before proceeding.


The Family Tracing Services (FTS) have high caseloads and limited resources.  This means that we are not able to search for too distant relatives.  Generally speaking, we will only search for immediate family.

If you think that your search qualifies and you are certain that you wish to initiate a search, then there are some things to do.  Before contacting us, you will need to gather together any known information about your missing family member:

• Date and place of Birth.
• Full name and any aliases, nicknames.
• Parent’s names.
• Spouse/partner’s and children’s names.
• Occupation.
• Last known address and
• Did they have travel plans?

This information will be needed for us to be able to perform a search.
Any further information you are able to provide may prove very useful, so please think about what you know of the missing person before phoning us.

When you are ready, contact the Family Tracing Service in your state.  If you are in NSW and you want to begin a search, you MUST contact the NSW office.  Same with all of the state.  The search begins in the state where YOU are located.

Below is a list of phone numbers for each of the Australian FTS offices:

NSW:    02 9211 0277 (includes ACT)              Qld:      07 3222 6661
Vic:       03 8878 4795                                      S.A:      08 8408 6900
W.A:     08 9260 9500                                      Tas:      03 6228 8400
N.T:      08 8927 6499

New Zealand:    04 382 0710

 

NSW & Qld Facebook Page:    Family Search Services

Not all of the states are able to search for Post Adoption / Care clients.  If you wish to obtain further details, please contact the state in which you live or the state in which the adoption occurred.

Some of these offices are only staffed a few days per week. If you leave a message, someone will call you back.
If you live outside of Australia, contact your nearest Salvation Army centre and they will be able to direct you to the nearest appropriate FTS office for your location.
When you call, the worker will ask a few questions to confirm that your search does meet the criteria.
If it does, an application/information package will be posted to you.  You need to fill in this application and if you have any extra information that may help, please attach a letter to the application with all of the extra information.
Please think about what you put in the application. Our researchers do not know you personally and have to work from the information that you provide. The information needs to be as accurate as possible and if you are not completely sure of any of the information, mark that you are uncertain.

How it works

As people go through life, they leave tracks.  Some of the tracks you leave are not publicly available. The Salvation Army has a reputation for its integrity. This is a well earned reputation and the FTS works within the confines of the Privacy Act to maintain the privacy of our searches. By doing this, we have been able to negotiate access to some agencies on the basis that we are not at liberty to disclose our sources of information or the information they provide.  ALL INFORMATION IS OBTAINED LEGALLY.
From time to time, the person we are seeking is virtually right in front of us and we can have an end result within days. But this is the exception to the rule. The average search can take from 3 months to 18 months.  Sometimes, it can take years.
With only a few staff in each state and a few thousand searches happening at any point in time, it is not possible for the staff to keep you updated on a regular basis. As a rule, we only contact you when we have positive news.  Do not be surprised if 6 months go by without hearing from us.  It does not mean we have given up the search. It means that we have not yet had a positive result.

If or when we find the person you are looking for, we will ask them one important question.

“Do you wish to have contact with the person who is looking for you?”

If the missing person says ‘yes’, then we work out how to make it happen for the both of you. If they say ‘no’, then it is a brick wall to us. We will only pass on the message that we have spoken with them and they do not wish to have contact.

Please be aware that we will only disclose information that the missing person wishes to have passed on. This does not include how we found them.

When you sign the agreement on the application, you are agreeing to our privacy and confidentiality conditions. If you do not feel that you can accept this, then you may wish to reconsider your application.
If the missing person does not want us to search ever again, we will respect their wishes and mark their file accordingly.

 

 

 

Contact Us

If you reside in NSW or ACT regarding a search, please use the email below-

familytracingservicensw@aue.salvationarmy.org

(02) 9211 0277