In 1970, eight women from Ballarat, who worked as Honorary Probation Officers, established a hostel for adolescent girls called Lisa Lodge. In 1976, the Committee established Hayeslee House. In 1994, Lisa Lodge Hostel closed and was replaced by a Family Adolescent Support Team. Hayeslee House, which relocated from Ballarat to Sebastopol in 1977, was renamed…
The Community of the Holy Name is a religious order founded in Melbourne, in 1888. The founder of the order, Emma Caroline Silcock (also known as Sister Esther), led the work of the Mission to the Streets and Lanes in Melbourne, and the two organisations had a close association. The order was not formally established…
Peninsula Family Services was established in 1980 by the Mission of St James and St John. The Andrew Kerr Memorial Home had been closed in 1978, with its residents being moved to family group homes in the Mornington Peninsula region. Peninsula Family Services was first located above a coffee shop in Main Street, Mornington. In…
The Try Society came into being in the early 1880s, when William Mark Foster and William Groom formed a number of ‘Try Excelsior’ groups in different suburbs around Melbourne. The clubs established by the Try Boys’ Societies aimed to lead boys away from the path that led to ‘larrikinism’. The Try Society emerged as a…
Berry Street Incorporated came into being in 1992. It was previously known as Berry Street – Child and Family Care. In 1994, a decision was made to amalgamate with Sutherland Child Youth and Family Services. The merger became official on 6 September 1994. The new organisation retained the name Berry Street. Regarding the amalgamation of…
The Minton Boys Home was established in Olivers Hill, Frankston in 1924. It was previously known as the Seaside Home, Frankston and Melbourne Ragged Boys’ Home in Melbourne. The Minton Boys Home accommodated boys until the age of eighteen. In 1943, it was renamed The Menzies Home for Boys. The services provided by the Melbourne…
GordonCare for Children came into being in late 2000. The organisation was previously known as the Gordon Homes for Boys and Girls. The name was changed to reflect the broadening scope of the care programs run by GordonCare. In June 2012 the GordonCare Committee of Management concluded its contract with the Department of Human Services,…
Wesley Central Parish Mission came into being in 1977. It was formerly known as Wesley Central Mission. In 2001, it was renamed Wesley Mission Melbourne.
‘Glastonbury at Colac’ was established in 1977 when Glastonbury Children’s Home in Geelong purchased St Cuthbert’s Children’s Home. It operated three family group homes on the site. The Geelong-based organisation Glastonbury Children’s Home had a longstanding concern for children in Victoria’s Western District. Glastonbury purchased St Cuthbert’s Children’s Home in Colac when it closed in…
OzChild was created in July 1993, when three long-established child welfare agencies – Family Action, Family Focus, and The National Children’s Bureau of Australia – amalgamated to form Oz Child: Children Australia Inc. which later operated as OzChild. OzChild is one of Australia’s oldest independent children’s welfare organisations, with a history of helping children since…
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