Marlow Cottage, Kaleen, was established in 1986 under the Children’s Services Act 1986. It was originally known as Kaleen Youth Shelter and was run by the Welfare Branch, and later the Housing and Community Services Bureau of the ACT Government. In November 1995, it transitioned to a non-government provider and has since operated under the…
The Quamby Youth Detention Centre in Symonston opened in 1962. It was a government-run facility, housing youth on short term remand, and (in the absence of any other facility) some children unable to live at home. Most ACT children who were sent to institutions in New South Wales initially spent some time in Quamby. In…
Marymead Child and Family Centre was established in 1967 in Narrabundah. It was run by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, until the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn took over responsibility in 1986. In 2018, Marymead continues to provide residential care for girls and boys aged 5 to 17, as well as foster care and…
Barnardos Children’s Family Centre in Downer came into being in 1983 and replaced Barnardos House and Berwick House in Curtin. By the early 1990s Barnardos had shifted away from residential care to foster care and family support. From 1993 Barnardos Children’s Family Centre has run Find-a-Family ACT, a program organising permanent foster placements. Barnardos Children’s…
The Convalescent Home, Busselton was established in 1918 to provide treatment to children with muscular issues and infantile paralysis (polio). The Home was located in a 12 bedroom house near Busselton beach, and had capacity for approximately 21 children, though generally had fewer in residence at any given time. It was established and run by…
The Aboriginal Girls’ Hostel was established in Broome in 1970. It was initially established as a hostel for girls and unmarried mothers travelling to Broome from nearby missions. However, it was soon dedicated solely to children aged 0 – 14 years old, some of whom were state wards, and women escaping domestic violence. The Hostel…
The Djurain Mission Children’s Home opened in 1950 on the grounds of the Djurain Mission (also known as Jureen Mission, Kellerberrin Mission, and North Wollundra Mission), near Kellerberrin. The mission was run by the United Aborigines Mission (UAM), who established it in 1939. The Children’s Home was established in order to keep children separate from…
The Kalgoorlie Child Welfare Cottage was established in the 1930s by the Child Welfare Department. It provided temporary care to children from the Kalgoorlie area awaiting transport to other child welfare or juvenile justice institutions, children on remand awaiting court appearances, and children, sometimes accompanied by their mothers, experiencing family emergencies. The Cottage was under…
Kindra Cottage was a family group home established by the Salvation Army in Bassendean in late 1970. It provided accommodation for up to 8 children aged between approximately 7 and 14 years old, and was run by a married couple acting as ‘cottage parents’. Kindra closed in 1975, following a decline in the number of…
The Forest Farm Community was an initiative of the New South Wales Homeless Children’s Association. In 1981, the NSW Lands Department donated a 160 acre reserve of land to the Association. It was at Mangrove Mountain, near Gosford, on the central coast north of Sydney. The Association had ambitious plans for the Forest Farm Community…