Leslie Wilson Home, Yeppoon

The Leslie Wilson Home, situated at Todd Avenue, Yeppoon, started running in December 1958. The Home was run by a committee from the Royal Queensland Bush Children’s Health Scheme and was previously known as the Leslie Wilson Home, Emu Park. The Home provided short term accommodation for children from rural areas of Queensland in need of medical or dental treatments and recuperation. The Yeppoon Home closed in December 1994.

Leslie Wilson Home, Yeppoon started operating in December 1958 and was officially opened on 23 May 1959 by HRH Princess Alice. The Home was named after the Governor of Queensland who started the Royal Queensland Bush Children’s Health Scheme, Sir Leslie Wilson. The Home’s opening was the result of 4 years of fundraising and donations to build a purpose built Home to replace Leslie Wilson Home, Emu Park, which had closed in 1954.

The publication Royal Queensland Bush Children’s Health Scheme: The Train is in. Where to now?: 75 years of caring 1935 – 2010 stated:

Yeppoon (Rockhampton) Home – This Home began in 1937 at “Stratford House” Emu Park. In 1959 a new Home to accommodate 24 children was built at Yeppoon , another extension was built to care for a further 8 children, together with additional staff to care for the larger number when this was completed in 1966. Changes in buildings continued throughout the years. Then in 1992 , houses were built for children to be accommodated in regular domestic settings rather than the dormitory style accommodation that had been used earlier.

The Leslie Wilson Home, Yeppoon closed in December 1994.