Aerial photo of St Vincent's Orphanage, ca. 1970, courtesy of Sisters of Mercy Brisbane Congregation.
Details
St Vincent's Home for Children, Queens Road, Nudgee, was operated by the Order of the Sisters of Mercy. Previously known as St Vincent's Orphanage, the name changed to St Vincent's Home for Children in 1935. From 1938 children under two years were admitted. The home closed as a residential facility in 1971.
In 1938, children between the ages of nine months to two years were admitted to St Vincent's. Prior to that, children were admitted from two years and older. Today the site of the former St Vincent's Home is still owned by the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy and accommodates the head office of Mercy Family Services, which continues to run programs for children, young people and families. This includes foster care and residental care programs.
St Vincent's Home for Children was licensed under the Orphanages Act of 1879. It was further licensed under the State Children Act 1911. In 1966 the home was licensed once again under the Children's Services Act 1965.
A cluster of Family Group Homes opened at St Vincent's campus in the 1970s:
McAuley, Whitty, Conlan, O'Quinn and Duhig Homes and Curtis Hostel. Bayview Cottage continued to operate as a group home in a former dormitory building.
Off-site group homes were established and St Vincent's was gradually phased out as a residential facility in 1971.
c. 1860 - 1867 New Farm St Vincent's
c. 1860 - 1867 New Farm St Vincent's
1867 - 1935 St Vincent's Orphanage
1935 - 1971 St Vincent's Home for Children
Sources used to compile this entry: St Vincent's Home for Children: Centenary [brochure], Reflection on the First Century and the First Twenty-five years of the Second Century, Order of the Sisters of Mercy, 1992; 'A Piece of the Story': National Directory of Records of Catholic Organisations Caring for Children Separated from Families, Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission & Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, 1999, https://cssa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Piece-of-the-Story.pdf. p.82-83.; Department of Families, Missing pieces: information to assist former residents of children's institutions to access records, State of Queensland, 2001. pp.77-79..
Prepared by: Lee Butterworth
Created: 23 June 2011, Last modified: 13 March 2015
Last updated: 18 January 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/qld/biogs/QE00155b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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