Anglican Diocese of Perth, Western Australia, Records

Anglican Diocese of Perth, Western Australia, Records is a collection of records and historical information that may be relevant to people who were placed in Homes including: Anglican Farm School, Stoneville, Forrest River Mission; Padbury Boys’ Farm School, Parkerville Children’s Home; Perth Boys’ Orphanage and Perth Girls’ Orphanage; Redhill; Seaside House, Coogee; Swan Boys’ Orphanage; Swan Homes; Swan Native and Half Caste Mission; and Swanleigh. Unfortunately some of the records of the diocese have been lost due to mould and improper storage.

Access Conditions

Access to these records is restricted to protect personal privacy. People who experienced ‘care’ (and their families) through Homes run by the Anglican Diocese of Perth who are wanting to find information about their time in ‘care’, or access personal files can contact the Anglican Diocese of Perth.

Records

Records of Swan Homes
The Archivist responsible for the records of Swan Homes, now held at Swanleigh has advised Find & Connect that: “Most of the Swan Homes records were placed in the original kitchen for storage which is a cellar underneath Brown House. Unfortunately with the ever present damp and storage against external walls, these records were exposed to mould and so were disposed of without a list being created to detail what they were. As a result of this there are few records prior to 1960 remaining, with the exception of some student files from the 1950s.”

The Anglican Diocese of Perth Records collection does include the following records:

Student Boarder Files, Swan Homes & Swanleigh (c. 1940 – c.1970)
Student Boarder Files is an archival series held by the Anglican Diocese of Perth. The contents of the earlier files are organised by family rather than by individual student boarder. In later decades, the organisation of files changes to individuals. Files have been sorted into decades via the decade the first child in the family attended Swan Homes or Swanleigh as it became known in November 1957. Swanleigh informed us that “Very few files remain prior to the 1960’s as the earlier files were destroyed by mould having been stored in the cellar and affected by high temperatures and moisture”. Unfortunately this means that records about some individuals may be missing.

This series contains the following records:

• 2012-00020 Student files for residents of the Swan Homes in the decade of the 1940’s (5 files)
• 2012-00021 Student files for residents of the Swan Homes in the decade of the 1950’s.(158 files)
• 2012-00022 Student files for residents of the Swanleigh in the decade of the 1960’s (698 files)
• 2012-00023 Student files for residents of the Swanleigh in the decade of the 1970’s (695 files)

Anglican Orphanage – Minutes of the Committee (1913 – 1921)

These minutes record the meetings and activities of the Anglican Orphanage Committee between 1913 and 1921. They include information about the change of function of Redhill Reformatory in 1921.
Anglican Diocese of Perth Archives Reference Number: 2008/00051/005 VolB83

Perth Orphanage Committee Minutes (1885 – 1888)

These minutes record the meetings and activities of the Perth Orphanage Committee between 1885 and 1888. They include information about the decision to move Bishop Hale’s Institution/Swan Native and Half Caste Mission to Guilford in 1888
Anglican Diocese of Perth Archives Reference Number: 2009/00048/12 Box 003A

Hillston – Minutes of the Diocesan Trustees [excerpt] (1953 – 1960)

‘Hillston – Minutes of the Diocesan Trustees [excerpt]’ refers to the transfer of land held by the Anglican Church, and used for Padbury Farm School, to the Crown. This was the land used for the government-run detention facility, Hillston.

The excerpt reads as follows:

” This land was transferred from the Diocesan Trustees of the Anglican Church in Perth to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the 2nd on the 27th of June 1958. Approximately 360 acres, it had formerly been where Padburys Boys Farm School had been located and became Hillston. All that piece of land being portion Swan Location 12 and 1310 being Lot 83 on Diagram 23544 Certificate Title Volume 1097 Folio 862. (p.190)”

Anglican Diocese of Perth Archives Reference Number: 2009/00043/015 VolB9