Archives



Open All Night Refuge

The Open All Night Refuge was established in Darlinghurst by George Edward Ardill in 1883, via the Blue Ribbon Gospel Army, which later became the Sydney Rescue Work Society. It provided temporary accommodation for women and children, including those fleeing domestic violence. It also took in “friendless” women, including the homeless, those who had been…

Home of Hope for Friendless and Fallen Women

The Home of Hope for Friendless and Fallen Women was a refuge and rescue home founded in Sydney in October 1883 by George Edward Ardill of the Sydney Rescue Work Society. From 1890 it was based in Gilpin Street (Stanley Street) Camperdown and was a lying-in home for unmarried pregnant women who were waiting to…

Drummoyne Lodge

Drummoyne Lodge was established at Drummoyne in the 1980s by Sydney City Mission as a family group home. Sydney City Mission changed to Mission Australia in 1996. In 2004 Drummoyne Lodge was managed by Mission Australia as a medium to long-term semi-permanent accommodation service for homeless and disadvantaged young people aged 18-24. It was still…

Lemongrove Lodge

Lemongrove Lodge was established at Penrith by Sydney City Mission in the 1980s. It operated as a family group home. Sydney City Mission changed to Mission Australia in 1996, which in 2004 managed Lemongrove Lodge as Lemongrove Lodge Transitional Youth Services, a secure accommodation service for homeless youth aged 16 to 21. In 2013 Lemongrove…

Harold Lodge

Harold Lodge was established at Ingleburn around 1984 by Sydney City Mission as a family group home. Sydney City Mission changed to Mission Australia in 1996. In 2004 Harold Lodge provided mediation, long term accommodation and supportive intervention to homeless youth aged 14-18. In 2013 Mission Australia still managed Harold Lodge.

Mt Gibraltar

Mt Gibraltar, a Home run by Sydney City Mission at Bowral, opened in November 1930. The first residents were girls who had previously been at Lawson Cottage in the Blue Mountains. In its early years, Mt Gibraltar’s purpose was to care for ‘under nourished’ girls under 12 years of age. From 1936, a new wing…

A photograph of a two storey brick building with a white van parked out the front. A sign on the building says "Sydney City Mission: Clifton Lodge"

Clifton Lodge

Clifton Lodge was established around the 1970s by Sydney City Mission as a residential youth service. It was in North Sydney. Sydney City Mission changed to Mission Australia in 1996. In the 1950s the North Sydney property was a Home for the Aged run by the Sydney City Mission, also called Clifton Lodge. A newspaper…

Haddon Hall

Haddon Hall, on the Great Western Highway at Hazelbrook, near Woodford, was opened as a boys’ home by the Sydney City Mission in 1950, taking boys from Stonehaven. In 1951 the boys were moved to Mt Gibraltar, Bowral, and girls from Mt Gibraltar were placed in Haddon Hall. Haddon Hall closed in 1967 and the…

Lawson Cottage

Lawson Cottage in the Blue Mountains, was established by the Sydney City Mission in 1927. It housed groups of girls and boys from Sydney alternately for short periods. In 1929, Stonehaven at Springwood opened as a girls’ Home and boys remained at Lawson. This soon reversed and girls returned to Lawson Cottage until the girls’…

Stonehaven

Stonehaven, run by the Sydney City Mission, was located at Park Road, Springwood in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, and was opened in 1929. Initially occupied by girls, it became a boys’ home. From 1942-1945 the children were sent to Cronulla Children’s Home and Stonehaven was occupied by the Defence Forces. In 1951 Stonehaven…