Archives



Raith Lark Hill Hostel

Raith Lark Hill Hostel at Campbelltown was established by the Child Welfare Department in 1964. The main house was called Raith, while Lark Hill was a baby and toddler complex that, according to the Child Welfare Department Annual Report of 1966, was within the same grounds. Raith Lark Hill accommodated children of a wide range…

Broken Hill Shelter

Broken Hill Shelter was established in 1942 by the Child Welfare Department as a remand home for children defined as delinquent. By the 1950s it mainly operated as housing for children awaiting their hearings at the nearby Broken Hill Children’s Court. There was room for six boys and girls up to the age of 18…

Bidura

Bidura in Glebe was a historic house that was acquired by the New South Wales Government in 1920. It was converted to a depot and receiving home, holding children while they awaited foster placements, children’s court hearings or transfer to other establishments. Many children stayed for extended periods. In 1923 it was named the Metropolitan…

Adelaide Walker Home

Adelaide Walker Home was established by the United Protestant Association of New South Wales in 1951. It was a home for infants and small children, between the ages of two and six years. At the time of opening in November 1951 there were 12 children living at the home, with accommodation for 24 children in…

Rockdale Babies Home

Rockdale Babies Home was established in 1904 by George Edward Ardill’s Society for Providing Homes for Neglected Children. In its early years Rockdale housed 50 infants. By the 1950s this had declined to 32 children. In 1976 Rockdale Babies Home was closed as a babies’ home and converted to a child care facility. This Society…

Roslyn Hall Babies Home

Roslyn Hall Babies Home, at 87 Cameron Street, Rockdale, was part of the Rockdale Babies Home at 89 Cameron Street. It was established by the Society for Providing Homes for Neglected Children. It was a babies home until 1973, when it was converted to a child care centre. The name Roslyn Hall appears to have…

Our Babies Home

Our Babies Home was founded in Enmore in 1894 by George Edward Ardill’s Society for Providing Homes for Neglected Children. It moved to Knox Street, Newtown in 1897 then to Albemarle Street, Camperdown in 1901. Our Babies Home closed in 1904 and the children moved to the Society’s new premises at Rockdale.

Sydney Foundling Hospital

The Sydney Foundling Hospital was the new name given to the Sydney Foundling Institution in October 1874. In 1875, the Hospital moved from Darlinghurst into new premises at Port View House, Stewart Street, Paddington. In 1876, with philanthropic help, the committee purchased “Gorton”, a large house on five acres on Henry St, Ashfield. In 1877,…

Sydney Foundling Institution

The Sydney Foundling Institution was founded in May 1874 as a non-church affiliated refuge for abandoned babies and single mothers, run by a committee of women. Its first location was on Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. In October 1874, the institution changed its name to the Sydney Foundling Hospital and soon after, in 1875, moved to Stewart…

The Infants’ Home, Ashfield

The Infants’ Home, Ashfield was established in Henry Street, Ashfield in 1877. Previously, it had been located in Stewart Street, Paddington, and known as the Sydney Foundling Hospital. The Infants’ Home, Ashfield was a lying-in hospital and pioneered the practice of keeping mothers and babies together after the birth, and helping mothers find work. It…