St Vincent's Orphanage Records

The St Vincent’s Orphanage Records, held by the Sisters of Mercy Brisbane Congregation, also contain records from the Industrial School for Girls Nudgee, the Virginia Share House, Ascot Family Group Home, Avila Family Group Home and Narnia Family Group Home.

Access Conditions

Records of St Vincent’s Orphanage are held by the Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane Congregation. For assistance in accessing St Vincent’s Orphanage records please contact the Coordinator, Records Request, Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane Congregation.

Temporary closure of Congregation Archive
In March 2022, the Sisters of Mercy Brisbane Congregation advised that the Congregation Archive is closed to external requests and the records are not likely to be accessible until the end of 2022. The Archive is in the process of being “reassessed and catalogued with preservation plans and processes to be put in place to secure the long-term survival of the collection”. As of January 2025 the Sisters of Mercy archive were still not taking records requests.

Records

The Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane Congregation, have advised that the following records exist in relation to St Vincent’s (also known as St Vincent’s Orphanage and Nudgee Orphanage):

• Children’s Register (Admission to Orphanage)
  Books 1 & 2: March 1872 to 4 May 1880
  Book 3: 15 May 1880 to 10 February 1886
  Book 4: 21 February 1886 to 9 July 1890
  Book 5: 14 July 1890 to 3 July 1895
  Book 6: 1 July 1895 to 2 July 1902
  Book 7: 17 July 1902 to 24 August 1920
  Book 8: 4 September 1895 to 7 March 1916
  Book 9: 16 March 1916 to 23 January 1923
  Book 10: 29 January 1923 to 17 February 1935
  Book 11: August 1904 to November 1925
• School Registers: 1913 to 1973
• Inspectors’ Reports (State and Sisters of Mercy): 1938 to 1971; 29 January 1885 to 12 November 1896
• Admissions Register (Industrial School): 1903 to 1942
• Nudgee Staff Records: 1960s to 1970s
• Confirmation Register: 1954 to 1963
• Baptismal Register: 1916 to 1951; 1951 to 1983
• Roll Book (Primary School Rolls): 1965 to 1973
• Roll Book (Grade Eight): 1960 to 1963
• Roll Book (Opportunity): 1962 to 1968
• Non-state Admission Book Two: 1955 to 1966
• Admissions (Boarders and Non-State): 1950 to 1955
• Admission (Boys and Girls) Nursery: 1939 to 1965
• Medical cards: 1950s and 1960s
• Immunisation Book (Triple Antigen and Sabine): 1959 to 1972
• Committees and Boards (Members): 1967 to 1972
• School Admission Registers: 1913 to 1973
• Admission cards 1922 to 1972
• Sacramental Registers 1893 to 1972
• Building Fund Payments: 1967 to 1972
• Visiting justices: 1920 to 1952
• Houseparents’ register of children on week-end away: 1983
• Files (Many of these files are Family files and 1968 to present would not be readily available to any particular member of the family)

There is a large collection of photos taken throughout the years the institution operated. However, very few exist for the years 1950 to 1953. Anyone with photos for this period is welcome to forward copies to the Sisters of Mercy Archives, Brisbane Congregation.