Please contact the Samaritans Foundation:
Postal Address: PO Box 817, Newcastle, NSW 2300
Phone: (02) 8752 5340
These records are held by University of Newcastle Archives (1975 - current).
The Diocese of Newcastle Children’s Homes is a collection of records held by the University of Newcastle, related to children’s Homes and out-of-home-care services run by the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle from 1918 to 1987. Homes mentioned in these records include St Elizabeth’s Girls Home; St George’s Training Farm Home for Boys; St Alban’s Boys’ Home, Mayfield; St Christopher’s Home for Little Children; St Christopher’s Home for Little Children, Taree; St Alban’s Boys’ Home, Murrurundi; St Hilda’s Hostel for Girls; St Alban’s Home for Boys; and St Alban’s Home for Boys, Morpeth.
Access to these records is governed by the Samaritans Foundation (which was previously known as the Newcastle Anglican Board of Social Work). People wishing to access these records need to contact the Samaritan Foundation to obtain permission. Proof of identity may be required. Access is provided in accordance with privacy laws – former residents of the children’s Homes are able to access their personal records and information relating directly to them. The Samaritan Foundation can provide support and counselling if required.
The University of Newcastle Archives holds a collection of records relating to the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. This collection includes a group of records titled ‘Diocese of Newcastle Children’s Homes’. These records cover the period from 1918 to 1987 and include the following homes:
The records relating to these homes include reports, agendas, registers, correspondence, Home cash books, appeals and applications, press cuttings, birth dates, and a small number of photographs.
These records are not listed in the University of Newcastle catalogue but a paper listing exists. The records have been assigned item numbers (a unique code to identify each record). These item numbers start with an A if the record is in a box, or B if the record is loose or in a folder.
People who experienced ‘care’ through any of these homes should be aware that a lot of institutions did not keep records about individual children. As such records are often grouped together by the name of the home or organisation they relate to rather than by the names of individual children. Additionally some records if they ever existed may have been damaged or lost over time.