Hi my name is Stephen I was born in Launceston in 1957 I was adopted two years later.
All my life I have woundered who I am and where I belong, am married with two grown up children, I no very little about my family I have regestered with a adoption site but not much luck dose any one else out there have the same thoughts about who they are where they came from why they where given up for adoption and then nothing no one came looking for them .

In the 1950s, it was SHAMEFUL to have a child out of wedlock. Most women who did, chose adoption because it was a way to move on with their lives without everyone knowing their shame.

Most of those women never told ANYONE they were pregnant. They certainly didn't tell anyone that they'd had a child that was placed for adoption, either.

I know a woman who placed her son for adoption in 1960. She has no regrets, but her husband and children don't know about the child she placed. She has absolutely NO interest in having that child come back and "disrupt" her life. Her opinion is that she gave her son a family, and he shouldn't need her.

She left medical information at the adoption agency and at the courthouse where the adoption was finalized, and figures she's done her duty to that child.

If you've contacted the adoption agency, the courthouse, and have registered on reunion websites (like adoption.com, adoption.org, and ISRR), and have had no luck, your next option would probably be a private detective.

However--your birthmother may not WANT contact. I suggest seeing a counselor to work out exactly what it is you hope to gain from meeting this woman.

I have a family member who went through this recently. She was born in 1962. She did find her birthmother and it ended up pretty ugly for the reasons Synnen stated above. Without getting into too much personal info... this has really had an impact on said family member... not in a nice way.

Sometimes it's better to just be thankful for the parents that we DO have, the ones who raised us and gave us a better life than what could have been. Sometimes it's best to just leave that door closed.

Launceston as in Australia? If so try these maybe they'll point you in the right direction
Australia Adoption Registry (http://www.adopteeconnect.com/p/a/2)
32 International Adoption Search Info: Australia (http://stason.org/TULARC/society/adoption/32-International-Adoption-Search-Info-Australia.html)
Adoption, Search & Reunion (http://www.adoptionsearchreunion.org.uk/help/websites/)
I searched and reunited with my Bmom,Bdad and 2 older siblings. I was #4 of 6.
Is it perfect? Nope 4 of my sibs wish no contact with me. But knowing is sooo much better than not knowing for me.
Good luck in your search!

Here is my position on this. While I understand the needs of an adoptee toi know his biological family, I also understand the needs of the bio parent to have their privacy.

Adoptees and their bio parents have an advantage these days because the Internet has provided an meeting place where both can post their details in the hopes of hooking up.

The key here is that this is all voluntary. Bio parents who WANT to be found can show their desire. Adoptees who WANT to connect can post their info. But I would not advise an adoptee to go to extraordinary means, like hiring a PI to invade on the privacy of a bio parent who does not want such contact.