Ellen Connell Holiday Home

The Ellen Connell Holiday Home (or Holiday Cottage) was established by the Mission of St James and St John in 1955. It offered short term ‘crisis’ accommodation for children, and sometimes mothers. From 1965 it provided children more permanent residence. The property was sold in 1973.

The Ellen Connell Holiday Home (or Holiday Cottage) opened in 1955.

A man named John Connell who died in 1952, left a bequest of more than 250,000 pounds to the Mission of St James and St John. His farm at Healesville, which became known as the Ellen Connell Holiday Cottage, was dedicated by Archbishop Booth on 26 April 1955.

It was used as a holiday home for children, as well to provide short-term ‘crisis’ accommodation for families in need, such as when a mother is absent from home due to hospitalisation. The home, with its cottage parents, would also care temporarily for the children of women ‘deserted’ by their husbands and needing respite from caring duties.

In 1965 the Mission applied for the home to be declared an approved children’s home so that it could take children for longer periods as well as continue with emergency and holiday placements. The home was declared an approved children’s home in August 1965 and offered more-permanent care of children. This new function ended in January 1969 when children were transferred to other Mission Homes and Ellen Connell became a holiday home once again.

The property was finally sold in 1973.

In 1997 the Mission of St James and St John became part of Anglicare Victoria. At this time, records of the Mission were transferred to Anglicare Victoria. These included records of the various orphanages, homes and other residences run by the Mission.