Kindra Cottage was a family group home established by the Salvation Army in Bassendean in late 1970. It provided accommodation for up to 8 children aged between approximately 7 and 14 years old, and was run by a married couple acting as ‘cottage parents’. Kindra closed in 1975, following a decline in the number of…
The Forest Farm Community was an initiative of the New South Wales Homeless Children’s Association. In 1981, the NSW Lands Department donated a 160 acre reserve of land to the Association. It was at Mangrove Mountain, near Gosford, on the central coast north of Sydney. The Association had ambitious plans for the Forest Farm Community…
The Melbourne Benevolent Asylum opened in 1851. Due to a lack of other institutions in the colony at the time it was established, the Benevolent Asylum initially accommodated a wide range of people in need. This included children, until 1857 when children were transferred to the Melbourne Orphan Asylum at its new site in Emerald…
Koinonia was a maternity home (also known as Life Life Home for Unmarried Mothers) in Graceville run by the Methodist Church. It opened in around 1967 and had closed by 1978 when the property was sold by the Methodist Church. Koinonia was located in a substantial building called Glenrae in Bank Road, Graceville which was…
Madonna House was a “rest home for mothers and children in necessitous circumstances” located in Scarborough. It was run by the Catholic Daughters of Australia, under the management of the Sisters of St Joseph. The Catholic Daughters of Australia (CDA) had run holiday homes for children at Sandgate from 1930 until 1950. In 1950, the…
The Presbyterian Home for Mothers and Babies (also known as Koolkuna) was located in Redcliffe. The Home opened in around 1968 and continued to operate until around 1974. After it closed, it was converted by the Presbyterian Church into a Family Care Home, and later a refuge to provide emergency care and support to women…
The Margaret Hallstrom Home for Unmarried Mothers opened in Marion Street, Leichhardt in 1968 by the Central Methodist Mission. The exact closing date of the Margaret Hallstrom Home for Unmarried Mothers is unknown, but it is believed to have closed around 1977. The need for a new Home for unmarried pregnant women was identified in…
St Vincent’s Hostel was opened in 1924 by the Christian Brothers in Albert Park for boys who had been apprenticed in the city but could not afford to pay private board. St Vincent’s Hostel closed in June 1967. Despite objections to the hostel opening by neighbours, on 24 August 1924 St Vincent’s Hostel opened at…
St Ann’s was established on 3rd March 1896 as a sub-reformatory of the Brookside Reformatory for Protestant Girls. Like the Brookside Reformatory, St Ann’s provided reformatory training to girls prior to them being sent to domestic service placements. It was located on a farm a few miles from Heywood in Western Victoria, and was variously…
The Benevolent Institution for Aboriginal Children was opened in April 1847 by the Sisters of Mercy, Perth Congregation as a Home for Indigenous children or non-Indigenous children considered to be orphaned or destitute. It was a small institution and soon became only for girls. In 1849, a small cottage was built, and 12 girls were…