The Salvation Army Home for Neglected Girls was established in 1894 in Claisebrook Road, Perth (East Perth), for women and girls with a range of needs. The Home moved to Summers Street, East Perth in 1895. In 1898, new premises were built and the Home moved to Cornelie House in Lincoln Street (North Perth, Highgate).
The Salvation Army Home for Neglected Girls began on 27 December 1894 at Claisebrook Road, after Cheriton Street, East Perth. It was also known as the Salvation Army Rescue Home.
The Home was established by J and H Fuller, female Salvation Army officers, who came to Western Australia from Melbourne and Adelaide for this purpose. In a memoir recalling the Home, J Fuller reported that the first house, in Claisebrook Road, was a 'nice cottage but the conveniences and water supply were a fair distance from the home' with a deep well from which water could be drawn with difficulty, and had to be strained before it was fit to use. At first, 'girls and women were not eager to come to the Home' and the first resident was admitted on 27 December 1894. An official opening was held on 18 February 1895 and the Home 'was soon full', according to Fuller, who described the Home as 'a Rescue Home, Maternity and preventive Home'.
At the end of 1895, Fuller reported that the Home moved 'almost opposite', to Summers Street, after West Parade, East Perth.
In 1898, the Home moved to Lincoln Street, Highgate (North Perth) and became Cornelie House (or Cornelie Home). The original house in Claisebrook Road was demolished in 2007.
1894 - 1898 Salvation Army Home for Neglected Girls, Perth
1898 - 1903 Cornelie Home
1903 - Graceville Centre
1903 - 1922 The Open Door
1922 - 1974 Hillcrest Maternity Home
Sources used to compile this entry: 'The Western Australia post office directory', 1893-1949, http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/explore-discover/wa-heritage/post-office-directories. Post Office Directory 1895 p.20; 1897 p.253.; Cornelie Home, Lincoln Street [Document], Date: 2003; Hetherington, Penelope, Paupers, Poor Relief and Poor Housing in Western Australia 1829 to 1910, UWA Publishiing, Crawley, Western Australia, 2009. p.132.; Second Salvation Army Rescue Home [Document], Date: 2009; Cornelie Court Social Homes Closed (1898 - 2002) file, document titled 'Annual report' [Graceville, Salvation Army], document titled 'Social History', Salvation Army Heritage Museum WA. Summer St. Rescue Home Closed Social Work, document 'Re: Heritage - 192 Claisbrook Road', document titled 'Extract. Women's Social Work in Western Australia', Salvation Army Heritage Museum WA.
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 21 August 2013, Last modified: 16 September 2014