摘要：This study examines policy and practice in Australia in relation to the access to and use of the original birth certificates of adopted people. The analysis of policies are placed within the historical context of close adoption practices in Australia and internationally. The framework used for my analysis is that of Bacchi (2009) which worked well to highlight the ways that 'illegitimacy' (sic) was a 'problem' and the best way to 'solve' the said 'problem' was to remove children from their mothers to be raised by strangers and then issue the children with new birth certificates. The past was covered up and society pretended that all children were born to married parents. In more recent years adopted people have been able to access their original birth certificates with the opening of adoption registers. My research consisted of a detailed analysis of Australian policy and legislation. I obtained documentation from all States and Territories and then examined them to see how adopted people accessed their original birth certificates and what they could then do with them. I found that the process was complex, costly and time-consuming and they are unable to use their original birth certificates as a legal identity document. Thus, despite the opening of adoption and birth registers, in my research I found that there is still the need for policy and practice changes. These are discussed and suggestions for improvements are made, including the presentation of two revised versions of birth certificates for adopted people.
关键词：sociology; history; cultural studies; law; family studies;adoption; birth certificates; parents; adoptee; adopted people; birth registers
