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The Gables Residential Unit 101

The Gables Residential Unit 101, in Kew, opened in 1985. It operated on the same site as the former children’s Home, The Gables (1962-1985). The Gables Residential Unit was run by the Victorian government. It was a facility for teenagers. It closed in around 1992.

Church of England Women’s Shelter

The Church of England Women’s Shelter in Brisbane opened in 1903. It was a shelter for single mothers as well as women needing “rescue”. First located in William Street, it moved to a building in Mary Street in 1907 and remained there until 1928 when it moved to Spring Hill. The Shelter moved to its…

Kyle Williams Home

Kyle Williams Home was a family group home run by the Presbyterian Department of Social Services. It opened in 1985 in Blakehurst, Sydney. Previously, the property had been a Home run by Sydney Legacy, called Kyle Williams Legacy Home. It closed in 2003, when the government withdrew funding.

Moorlands

Moorlands, in Auchenflower, was a children’s hostel run by Brisbane Legacy. The first children moved in in July 1946 and its official opening was in February 1947. It could accommodate 30 to 40 children, aged between 7 and 20. The first Matron was Moya Nettlefield. It closed in 1972. The Senate described Moorlands in a…

Caretakers Cottage

Caretakers Cottage was established by the Paddington Woollahra Youth Service (PWYS) in 1977. It was first located in a cottage on Gordon Street, Paddington provided by the Uniting Church, and later moved into the Manse on Regent Street. In 1990, the refuge – still called Caretakers Cottage – moved to Albion St, Surry Hills. In…

Milne Legacy House

Milne Legacy House, in Strathfield, was run by Sydney Legacy. It was described by the Senate in 2005 as a “transition home for children including total orphans or children permanently or temporarily separated from their mothers”. It was designed for children ‘destined for institutions’ or ‘on discharge from them’ to be accommodated under Legacy’s care….

Bethany Guest Home for Children of Sick and Expectant Mothers

Bethany Guest Home for Children of Sick and Expectant Mothers was located in Strathfield. It was established by the Legion of Catholic Women (an organisation known in 2021 as the Catholic Women’s League) in 1946. In 1948, the League applied to the Sisters of Mercy at Grafton to administer the Home for them. The Sisters…

St Mary’s Hostel

The St Mary’s Hostel was a hostel providing accommodation for up to 20 young women working in the Geelong area. It was initially run by The Legion of Mary, and from 1964 came under the administration of the Sisters of the Holy Angels. The hostel was located in a building called “Hawthorne” at 39 Skene…

Presbyterian Sisterhood Home

The Presbyterian Sisterhood Home, in Warrnambool, western Victoria was established around 1901. It was a refuge for ‘girls in distress’ and their babies. The Presbyterian Sisterhood was founded by the Rev. Donald A. Cameron in around 1901, and was closely connected to St John’s Presbyterian Church, Warrnambool. The Home was located in the Manse next…

St Joseph’s Industrial School

St Joseph’s Industrial School was established in 1865 by the Sisters of Mercy, Geelong Congregation. St Joseph’s opened in the grounds of the Convent of Mercy, Geelong and accommodated around 20 to 30 girls. The school was for girls from 8 to 16 years old to finish their education and receive training in domestic service…