Hay Cottage, Lockleys

Hay Cottage opened at Lockleys in 1968. Run by the government, it accommodated up to ten State children under the supervision of a cottage mother. Children attended local schools and churches. In 1979 Hay Cottage closed and the Elizabeth Grace Community Unit, part of Vaughan House, was transferred to the site and was called the Hay Community Unit.

Hay Cottage at 4 Rowells Road, Lockleys was purchased by the Department of Social Welfare in 1968. It was the sixth cottage home developed by the Department in the 1960s and was named after Miss Margaret Hay who had been a long-term Boarding Out Officer. The other five were Merrilama Cottage at Glenelg, Stirling Cottage at St Peters, Clark Cottage at Clarence Park, Spence Cottage at Kensington Gardens and Colton Cottage at Thorngate.

Hay Cottage opened on 6 October 1968 and initially accommodated seven boys but had the capacity to house up to ten children. Mrs D E Nicholas was the first cottage mother. Children placed at the Home were those who were under the care of the State. Departmental Annual Reports from the 1960s stress the belief that cottage style care enabled greater individual attention to be given to each child. The Department also felt that children living in cottage style accommodation and attending local schools would be less conspicuous as ‘State’ children, making it easier for them to become part of the local community. The cottage system also allowed for brothers and sisters to be placed together. Reports also noted that providing cottage style care was less costly for the government than running large institutions.

In 1979 Hay Cottage closed and the Elizabeth Grace Community Unit, part of Vaughan House, was transferred to the site. From that time it was called the Hay Community Unit.