Wybra Hall, run by the government, opened in 1956. It was a training institution in Mangalore that housed boys aged between 9 and 14. From 1979, Wybra Hall also accommodated girls. It closed in 1988. In October 1952, the Tasmanian government sought parliamentary approval to purchase Wybra Hall, built in 1860, to be used for…
The Commissioner for Children was established in 2000. It is an independent, statutory office responsible to the Parliament of Tasmania. In 2014, the Commissioner’s functions include promoting the rights and well-being of children along with examining the policies, practices and services provided for children and any laws affecting their health, welfare, care, protection and development….
Ashley Home for Boys, in Deloraine, replaced the Boys’ Training School in 1926. It was a government run reformatory which took in boys aged eight to 18, until the 1950s when it only took in boys over 14. From 1988, Ashley also accommodated girls. The Home operated on a privilege system, with boys working under…
Glenhaven Children’s Home, run by the Christian Brethren Assemblies of Tasmania, was located near Ulverstone. It opened in 1959. It was a small approved cottage Home for older children and teenagers. Glenhaven Children’s Home became Glenhaven Family Services in the late 1980s. Glenhaven Children’s Home had a number of locations before settling in Ulverston in…
Kennerley Boys’ Home opened in West Hobart in 1869. As an industrial school, it provided accommodation and training for boys considered to be neglected. In 1969, it became Kennerley Children’s Home. On 20 March 1876, the wealthy businessman, philanthropist, and Premier, Alfred Kennerley (1810-97), issued a Deed of Gift to enable ‘The Boys’ Home’, established…
Clarendon Children’s Home, run by the Anglican Church, opened in 1922 in New Town, on the same site as the Home of Mercy (the two Homes were jointly run by the Church of England). Clarendon Children’s Home accommodated children over the age of three (babies and younger children were at the Home of Mercy). In…
St Joseph’s Orphanage, run by the Sisters of Charity, opened in central Hobart in 1879. It was for Catholic girls who could be placed there by relatives for a fee, or by the Government. In 1958, the Sisters renamed it Aikenhead House. It began accepting young boys in 1963. The Listen to the Children inquiry…
The Youth Justice Act 1997 (Act No.81/1997) commenced in 1999. Its long title was ‘An Act to provide for the treatment and punishment of young persons who have committed offences and for related purposes’. Together with the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997, which commenced in mid-2000, this legislation brought about significant changes…
The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 (Act No.28/1997) came into effect on 1 July 2000. Together with the Youth Justice Act 1997, which commenced in 1999, this legislation brought about significant changes in the delivery of care and protection and youth justice services in Tasmania. According to Ombudsman Tasmania (2004), the Children,…
The Department of Health and Human Services succeeded the Department of Community and Health Services in 1998. Through its Children and Youth Services program the Department ran child and youth welfare services, including out of home care and adoptions, in Tasmania. In 2018 the Children and Youth Services program and the department’s functions regarding child…