Villa Maria Family Group Home was opened in 1964 by the Sisters of Charity. It provided cottage accommodation to seven or eight children who had been placed there by their parents or who were wards of the state. Initially the home was in New Town, before moving to Howrah in 1968. Villa Maria was established to support the Sisters of Charity’s move away from institiutional care to cottage care. The Home was originally managed by St Joseph’s Orphanage, then St Joseph’s Child Care Centre. From 1978 Centacare ran Villa Maria. Villa Maria closed around 1981.
In Howrah, Villa Maria was in a two storey brick house with an iron roof. It had timber floors and one internal staircase. There were six rooms on the ground floor.
Villa Maria had two home mothers and seven to eight children were accomodated.
From
1964
To
c. 1981
1964 - 1967
Villa Maria Family Group Home was located at 11 Pirie Street, New Town, Tasmania (Building State unknown)
1967 - c. 1981
Villa Maria Family Group Home was located at 83 Corinth Street, Howrah, Tasmania (Building Still standing)