Archives



Women’s Home, Fremantle

The Women’s Home in Fremantle was established by the government as a continuation of the Female Home (Women’s Home, Poor House) in Perth. Children and women who were intellectually disabled, destitute or pregnant and destitute, were moved from Perth into the buildings that had previously been the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum. It seems that very few…

Female Home [Poor House, Perth]

The Female Home, or Poor House, began in 1851, and was then named the ‘Servants’ Home’. From 1854, destitute or orphaned children under 10 years of age were admitted. It was first run by the Ladies’ Friendly Society, but by the mid-1850s was government-run. From 1902, children were instead admitted to the Government Industrial School…

Wanslea Hostel

Wanslea Hostel was established in North Perth (Mt Lawley) in 1943 by the Women’s Australian National Service (WANS) for young children who could not live at home due to parental sickness or war-related absence. It closed in 1946 and was replaced by a larger children’s Home, Wanslea (Cottesloe), in January 1947. Wanslea Hostel was established…

Wanslea Family Services

Wanslea Family Services was established as the Wanslea Hostel Committee in 1946 and incorporated as Wanslea Family Services Inc in 1948. It ran the Wanslea Children’s Home in Cottesloe and in 2013 offered foster care and other family support services.

Women’s Australian National Service (WANS)

The Women’s Australian National Service (WANS) was established in Western Australia in 1941. From 1943 to 1946 it ran ‘Wanslea Hostel’, a Home for children who could not live with family due to parental illness or wartime absence. The Women’s Australian National Service (WANS) was established in Australia in 1939 and in Western Australia in…

Independent Order of Oddfellows (IOOF)

The Independent Order of Oddfellows (IOOF) was established in Perth in 1898. In 1905, the IOOF built an orphanage to accommodate the orphan children of deceased members. By 1940, that orphanage had closed, but the IOOF continued to support fundraising efforts for other institutions accommodating children in the State.

Centrecare

Centrecare has been the the Catholic social services agency of the Archdiocese of Perth since 1977. Various programs have, and do, run under its umbrella. Centrecare has been involved in out of home ‘care’ but the organisation did not have a role in child migration, nor does it hold records relating to child migration. Centrecare…

Council Presbyterian Children’s Homes

The Council Presbyterian Children’s Homes was the name given to the committee that ran two Homes on behalf of the Presbyterian Church in Western Australia: Burnbrae (1938-1957) at Byford, and Benmore (1947-1963) at Middle Swan (Caversham).

Nedlands Library

The Nedlands Library has a local studies collection that includes information about the Salvation Army and children’s homes in the area.

Children and Young People in Care Advisory Committee

The Children and Young People in Care Advisory Committee was established by the Department for Community Development to provide independent advice to the Director-General on issues relating to children and young people in ‘care’, likely to enter care, and leaving care.