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Peninsula Family Services

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

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

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…

Minton Boys Home

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

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

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

‘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

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…

Australian Jewish Welfare Society

The Australian Jewish Welfare Society (AJWS) was established in 1936, primarily as a support agency for Jewish pre-war and post-war migrants. Some Jewish children fleeing the Nazis in Germany and Austria immigrated to Australia, some being cared for at Frances Barkman House in Balwyn, Victoria. In 2001 the Australian Jewish Welfare Society was renamed Jewish…

The Foundling Hospital and Infants’ Home (Incorporated)

The Foundling Hospital and Infants’ Home was incorporated in 1914 to run the Foundling Hospital and Infants’ Home in East Melbourne as well as the Beaconsfield Babies’ Home. The Beaconsfield Home closed in 1946, and in 1964 the East Melbourne Foundling Hospital became known as Berry Street Babies’ Home and Hospital. The Foundling Hospital and…