St Vincent’s Home for Children, Queens Road, Nudgee, was operated by the Order of the Sisters of Mercy. Previously known as St Vincent’s Orphanage, the name changed to St Vincent’s Home for Children in 1935. From 1938 children under two years were admitted. The home closed as a residential facility in 1971. In 1938, children…
Norfolk Island Orphan School was established in 1795 by the Lieutenant-Governor Of Norfolk Island, Philip Gidley King. The Orphan School was a residential facility for female orphans who lived on the island and it was run by the Secretary of the Governor. Norfolk Island Orphan School closed in 1814 when the entire settlement on Norfolk…
The Protestant Orphan School was established in Parramatta in 1850 by the New South Wales Colonial Government. It replaced, and brought together, what had been the Female Orphan School and the Male Orphan School. The Protestant Orphan School housed hundreds of children at a time. It was closed in 1881, after the boarding out system…
The Female Orphan School opened on 17 August 1801 in George Street, Sydney. It first housed 31 girls aged between seven and 14 years old, but by 1803 there were 103 inmates. In 1818, the girls were relocated to a new building on Arthur’s Hill (now Parramatta), and in 1819 the George Street site became…
The Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children began in 1858, when the Asylum for Destitute Children relocated from Ormond House in Paddington to Randwick. It was run by the Society for the Relief of Destitute Children and housed up to 800 children at a time in large dormitories that are often called ‘barracks’. Most of the…
The Roman Catholic Orphan School at Parramatta was established on the 8 March 1844 and run by a committee. On the 31 March 1859, it was taken over by the Good Shepherd Sisters, later known as Sisters of the Good Samaritan. It was Australia’s first purpose built orphanage for Catholic children and was funded by…
The Croagh Patrick Home was established in 1929 in Orange, in central western New South Wales. From 1929 to 1969 the home was operated as a boys’ home by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul. In 1969, the operation of the orphanage was taken over by the Sisters of Mercy, Bathurst Congregation….
The Benevolent Asylum, run by the Benevolent Society of New South Wales, was opened in 1821 by Governor Macquarie. It issued poor relief and took in the poor, destitute, disabled and aged but its main focus was pregnant women and children. The Benevolent Asylum closed in 1901 as the land was resumed by the government…
Ross was opened as part of the Burnside Presbyterian Orphan Homes in 1935 at North Parramatta. It was a boys’ home. It remained a cottage home until it was briefly converted to a therapeutic unit for emotionally disturbed children. Ross, along with the other Burnside Presbyterian Orphan Homes for Children, was evacuated during World War…
Lincluden was opened as part of the Burnside Presbyterian Orphan Homes on 16 February 1931 at North Parramatta. It had been the home of Sir James Burn, founder of Burnside, and had been known as ‘Gowan Brae’. Lincluden was a girls’ home until 1952 then was staff quarters until 1962 when it was used as…
Dec 18, 2024
Nov 15, 2024
