Please contact Archive Administration or Executive Assistant, Marist180/The St Vincent’s Old Boys Association:
Postal Address: PO Box 451, Blacktown NSW 2148
Phone: (02) 9672 9200
Email: info@m180.org.au
Website: https://marist180.org.au/
These records are held by Marist180 (1994 - current).
Records of St Vincent’s Boys’ Home is a collection managed by Marist180, containing records from St Vincent’s Boys’ Home in Westmead dating back to 1905, as well as records of residential services provided by the Marist Brothers, Marist Youth Care and Marist Community Services.
Former residents and clients (including their families), of The Marist Brothers residential services, including St Vincent’s Boys’ Home, should contact Marist180 directly for information about access to personal records.
Information contained in these records is available to former residents and clients (including their families). Marist180 reserves the right to preserve the privacy of former clients and residents, observing specific policy and procedures for guidance during the process. Marist180 also respects the welfare of family members & ancestors who wish to access these records and offers appropriate support if required.
Marist180 states that former residents and clients should be aware that some records are incomplete or may contain little information; in the past there were no legislative requirements for information recorded and retained for clients in care, so inconsistency is regular particularly if the former resident came from another service. While every effort has been made to preserve them, over time, some of the records have deteriorated reducing the quality and quantity of client information.
Key historical records dating from 1900 to 1985 were digitised as part of the Records Access Documentation Grants in 2019. By 2020 the archive collection, including photos, will be digitally scanned.
The collection relating to St Vincent’s Boys’ Home consists of information that may include: admission ledgers; details of parents and extended family; health and medical; education and achievements; individual files, photos and yearbooks.
Details about the child or young person entering care would be recorded, by hand, into a ledger or record book by one of Marist Brothers as an admissions officer. The ledgers were catalogued by alphabetical listing and in later years were replaced with individual hard copy files for each client
The Register of Residents (1905-present) contains approximately 10,000 entries relating to boys who have been resident at St Vincent’s Boys’ Home, Westmead. They record: name; date of birth; date of admission; mother’s name; father’s name; home address; school attended before admission; discharge date; and discharge information (to whom, address, etc). Quantity: 3 registers
Some school records and admission forms dating from after the 1960s are available.
Marist180 also manages records dated from 1983 onwards, relating to residential services managed by Marist Youth Care and Marist Community Services from 1985, after the closure of St Vincent’s Boys’ Home.