Archives



Integricare

Integricare is a Christian, non-government service that runs child care facilities and playgroups across Sydney. It is the successor of Communicare and the Sydney Rescue Work Society. It also provides permission to access the records of Sydney Rescue Work Society agencies, including South Sydney Women’s Hospital and the Sydney Rescue Work Society Adoption Agency, as…

Blue Ribbon Gospel Army

The Blue Ribbon Gospel Army was established by Sydney philanthropist and evangelist George Edward Ardill in 1882. It provided a range of services to the destitute of the city, including the Open All Night Refuge, the Jubilee Home for Domestic Servants and the Home of Hope for Friendless and Fallen Women. It seems that Ardill…

Communicare Sydney

Communicare Sydney, which began in 1982, was the new name for the Sydney Rescue Work Society. It was a Christian non-government service that was a provider of child care services, including long day care centres, pre-schools, family day care and OOSH centres. It ran many of its services in the same buildings used by former…

Sydney Rescue Work Society

The Sydney Rescue Work Society was formed in 1890 to ‘take over, continue and strengthen the Rescue Work for seven years usefully and beneficially carried on by Mr G.E. Ardill and his philanthropic co-workers’. It ran numerous refuges and homes for women and children in Sydney and surrounding suburbs. From 1911 until at least the…

On Track

On Track began operating in 1994 under the auspice of Stretch-A-Family Inc, working with young people aged fifteen to eighteen to provide residential care and preparation for independent living. On Track ceased operating in 2020 when Stretch-A-Family stopped providing out-of-home care.

Sydney City Mission

The Sydney City Mission was a Christian city mission that was founded in 1862. Between 1916 and 1976, the Sydney City Mission operated a number of children’s homes: Cowley House at Cronulla (1916-76); Lawson Cottage at Lawson (1927-30), Stonehaven at Springwood (1929-49); Haddon Hall at Hazelbrook (1950-67); and Mt Gibraltar at Bowral (1930-74). In the…

Young People’s Refuge

The Young People’s Refuge opened as a crisis centre in Chippendale in 1975. It was linked with Stretch-A-Family. In 1991 it was based in Marrickville and offered 24-hour crisis accommodation to girls aged 13-17. In 2013 it has two refuges in inner-western Sydney and is linked to Detour House, a supported accommodation service that includes…

Stretch-A-Family Inc.

Stretch-A-Family Inc. was an adolescent fostering and residential care provider for children aged seven to 18. It was founded in 1976, as part of the Young People’s Refuge. In 1984 the two programs split and Stretch-A-Family set up its own supported accommodation program, On Track, in 1994. In 2020, Stretch-A-Family stopped providing residential care, and…

Society for Providing Homes for Neglected Children

The Society for Providing Homes for Neglected Children was established in October 1887. The Society was founded by George Edward Ardill who was later to found the Sydney Rescue Work Society. It ran babies and children’s homes. In the 1970s the Society for Providing Homes for Neglected Children converted its children’s homes to child care…

Kemblawarra Child and Family Centre Inc.

Kemblawarra Child and Family Centre Inc. was opened in 1980 at Port Kembla as a 24-hour emergency care service for children aged from birth to 12 years of age. The emergency care function ceased to exist in 1991 but in 1998 the service provided day care and counselling. Kemblawarra Child and Family Centre Inc was…