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Royleston

Royleston was established in Glebe by the State Children’s Relief Board in 1922. It was a receiving home, or depot, providing temporary dormitory accommodation for school-age boys who were waiting for children’s court hearings or were state wards waiting to be placed in foster care or another institution. In 1936, 904 boys passed through its…

Minali Receiving and Assessment Centre

Minali Receiving and Assessment Centre was established at Lidcombe by the Department of Youth and Community Services in 1975, in response to overcrowding at the Bidura and Royleston shelters in Glebe. It was cottage care, for boys and girls, and was intended to enable children of the same family to be housed together. Following a…

Metropolitan Boys’ Shelter

The Metropolitan Boys’ Shelter was established as part of the Children’s Court at Albion Street, Surry Hills in 1911. It was a remand home and shelter for boys who were awaiting Children’s Court hearings. In 1974 boys aged 18 to 20 were transferred to Minda. The Children’s Court and the Metropolitan Boys’ Shelter closed in…

Lynwood Hall

Lynwood Hall was established in 1939 in ‘Linwood’, a house that had previously served as the Guildford School for Truants. Lynwood Hall was initially called the Guildford Domestic Science Training School and was known as Guildford Special Training School by 1966. It closed in 1993. Lynwood Hall was first named ‘Linnwood’ and was built in…

Brougham

Brougham, in Woollahra, was run by the Child Welfare Department from 1943. It was first established as a receiving home, then became a boys’ home, later becoming a home for boys and girls defined as vulnerable. By the 1980s Brougham was a receiving unit for children aged 1 to 14 years, both state wards and…

Broken Hill Shelter

Broken Hill Shelter was established in 1942 by the Child Welfare Department as a remand home for children defined as delinquent. By the 1950s it mainly operated as housing for children awaiting their hearings at the nearby Broken Hill Children’s Court. There was room for six boys and girls up to the age of 18…

Bidura

Bidura in Glebe was a historic house that was acquired by the New South Wales Government in 1920. It was converted to a depot and receiving home, holding children while they awaited foster placements, children’s court hearings or transfer to other establishments. Many children stayed for extended periods. In 1923 it was named the Metropolitan…

Allanville Home

Allanville Home was established at Wellington by the Department of Community Services as a receiving home for state wards. It was established in the mid-1970s and housed 15 children at a time. Allanville Home closed in 1995. A search of available information about Allanville Home turns up both positive and negative stories. In 2003 the…

Benevolent Asylum, Sydney

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…

Barnardo House, Ashfield

Barnardo House, Ashfield opened in 1924 under Dr Barnardo’s Homes as the organisation’s headquarters and a receiving home for child migrants from England. It also served as a holiday home for children in the Barnardo’s scheme who were between employment or getting over sickness. Later it only accommodated girls and trained them for domestic service….