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Australian Capital Territory - Organisation

Birralee (1957? - 1968)

From
1957?
To
1968
Categories
Government-run, Home and Temporary Care
Alternative Names
  • Birrale (also known as)

Birralee, in Downer, was a government run shelter established around 1957. It offered emergency accommodation for children and young people aged up to 16 years. It was run by a matron and could accommodate 8 children at a time. 30 children passed through the Home between 1966-1967. Birralee closed in 1968.

Details

'Birralee' shelter does not appear in annual reports after 1967. The decision to close the shelter may have been related to the opening of Marymead in February 1967 and the establishment of the Welfare Section, Department of the Interior in 1968.

Location

1957? - 1968
Location - Birralee was situated on Burn Street, Downer. Location: Downer

Run By

Related Legislation

  • Child Welfare Ordinance 1957 (1958 - 1988)

    The Child Welfare Ordinance 1957 legislated for a regional officer from the Child Welfare Department (NSW) to be stationed in Canberra who would work collaboratively with social workers and 'other persons' from the Department of the Interior. The Ordinance also gave the territory power to establish depots, shelters, homes and hostels in the ACT. It appears that the Birralee shelter was established shortly after the Ordinance was passed.

Related Organisations

  • Marymead Child and Family Centre (1967 - )

    The Birralee shelter does not appear in annual reports after 1967. The decision to close the shelter may have been related to the opening of Marymead in February 1967 and the establishment of the the Welfare Section of the Department of Interior after which there were no government-run shelters or homes, apart from the Quamby Youth Detention Centre operating in the ACT.

  • Quamby Youth Detention Centre (1962 - 2008)

    Quamby Youth Detention Centre and Birralee were the only government-run institutions for children in Canberra, until the establishment of Bimberi Youth Detention Centre in 2008.

  • Welfare Section, Australian Capital Territory (1957 - 1970)

    The closure of Birralee shelter may have been a decision made by the Welfare Section in 1968 as the Shelter is not referred to in annual reports after 1967.

Publications

Books

  • Walmsley, R., Coull, V., Vinson, T., Report, Beyond the image, December 1984 / Review of Welfare Services and Policies in the A.C.T., Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1985, 674 pp. pp. Details

Reports

  • Department of the Interior, Welfare Section, Annual Report 1966-1967, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1968. Details

Online Resources

Sources used to compile this entry: Department of the Interior, Welfare Section, Annual Report 1966-1967, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1968.

Prepared by: Lydia Connell

Created: 26 July 2012, Last modified: 12 July 2016

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