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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…

Mount Henry Hospital [Youth disability accommodation]

Mount Henry Hospital in the Perth suburb of Manning was used as a residential facility to accommodate young people with disabilities in a nursing home environment in 1997. The government-run hospital closed in mid-1998.

Pyrton

Pyrton was a government-run Home for children diagnosed with profound intellectual disabilities. It opened in 1966 in Eden Hill (Lockridge) with children transferred from Claremont Hospital. Pyrton provided long-term accommodation and short-term respite ‘care’. From 1973, young people could be employed in an onsite Training Centre. No children were admitted to Pyrton after the 1980s….

Union Street Hostel

The Union Street Hostel was established by the Slow Learning Children’s Group in 1959 in Subiaco. It was used for short-term accommodation for young women with special needs. In 1960 the property was set up as a ‘training centre’ and in 1961 became the Phoebe Holmes Hostel.

Devonleigh

Devonleigh, in Peppermint Grove, was a former maternity hospital that was used by Mental Health Services (MHS) to accommodate children with intellectual disabilities from 1979 until it closed in 1987. On the closure of the Devonleigh Maternity Hospital it was proposed to use the facility to accommodate up to 32 children with moderate intellectual disabilities,…

Nulsen Haven

Nulsen Haven was a home for children with intellectual disabilities. It was run by the Mentally Incurable Children’s Association (MICA) in the Perth suburb of Redcliffe from 1956. In May 1975 a new dormitory was opened at Nulsen Haven. In 1986, MICA became the Nulsen Haven Association Inc (known as ‘Nulsen’). By 1992, the Home…

Hawkevale

Hawkevale was started by the Slow Learning Children’s Group (SLCG) on a property in Maida Vale in 1957. It was a ‘farm village’ for adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities, and offered accommodation, employment and recreation. Hawkevale was replaced by a new facility in High Wycombe in 1970. Hawkevale was named after the Premier, Mr…

Heathcote

Heathcote began in 1929 on Point Heathcote at Applecross. It was first known as the Heathcote Reception Home, and was a government hospital for people with ‘recent and recoverable’ mental illness. Heathcote sometimes housed Children and adolescents. It closed in 1994. The Royal Commission into Lunacy recommended in 1922 that a new hospital be built…

Fairholme

Fairholme was established in 1952 as a home for 32 children ‘of all ages’ with intellectual disabilities who were transferred from the Claremont Mental Hospital. Fairholme, with Earlsferry, made up the Nathaniel Harper Homes owned and run by the government of Western Australia. Fairholme continued to provide out of home care in the Guildford premises,…