Archives



House of Mercy and Retreat for Women

The House of Mercy and Retreat for Women was established in Walkerville by the Church of England in 1881. It provided shelter for unmarried mothers during pregnancy and the first year of their babies’ lives. Babies stayed with their mothers, were placed at the Babies’ Home Walkerville or adopted. The House of Mercy closed in…

Karingal Youth Hostel

The Karingal Youth Hostel was opened by the Church of England in Hindmarsh in 1952. It was run by an independent management committee that reported to the Diocese of Adelaide. It provided accommodation for boys of 15 to 18 years, from the Church of England Boys’ Home at Walkerville and similar institutions, while they studied…

Girls’ Friendly Society

The Girls’ Friendly Society began in England in 1875 and in South Australia in 1879. Its object was ‘to unite girls and women in a fellowship of Prayer, Service and Purity of Life for the Glory of God’. The Society managed lodges in Adelaide, South Australia to provide safe, home-like accommodation for girls, particularly those…

Hostel of the Holy Name

The Hostel of the Holy Name was the new name given to the Church of England Diocesan Mission House in 1949. The hostel was situated in Wellington Square, North Adelaide. Run by the Sisters of the Community of the Holy Name, it cared for teenage girls from the country who were studying or working in…

Girls’ Friendly Society Lodge

The Girls’ Friendly Society Lodge was opened by the Church of England Girls’ Friendly Society at Kermode Street, North Adelaide in 1913. It provided a home for country girls working or studying in the city. In 1916 the lodge moved to Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide. During World War II it provided accommodation for female munitions…

Farr House

Farr House was the new name given to The Orphan Home in 1935. It was situated on Fullarton Road, Upper Mitcham and operated as a Home for girls of primary school age. In later years it also accepted teenage girls. Farr House was run by an independent management committee that reported to the Anglican Diocese…

State Library of South Australia

The State Library of South Australia is the largest public reference library in South Australia with a collection focus on South Australian information. The Library’s archival collection includes manuscripts, photographs, oral history recordings and film. The Library has a collection of newspapers and general reference books and journals. Researchers can have access to documents and…

Diocesan Archives Centre, Anglican Diocese of Adelaide

The Diocesan Archives Centre, Anglican Diocese of Adelaide was established in 1998. The Archives collect, preserve and make available historical records of the Anglican Church in South Australia. The Diocesan Archives Centre manages access to records related to former Church of England and Anglican Children’s Homes and Social Welfare Bureau’s. The Archives also manage access…

The Babies’ Home Walkerville

The Babies’ Home at Walkerville was established by the Church of England in Walkerville in 1912. It cared for, and often adopted out, babies born at the House of Mercy, a refuge for unmarried mothers. After the home closed in 1945, babies were placed at St Mary’s Mission of Hope. The Babies’ Home at Walkerville…

Lutheran Archives

The Lutheran Archives, based in Bowden, South Australia, is the official repository of historical material relating to the activities of the Lutheran Church of Australia. The Archives holds records of the present Lutheran Church as well as records of earlier Lutheran synods in Australia. These synods amalgamated to form the present day church. Access Conditions…