Archives



Dame Mary Herring Spastic Children’s Hostel

Dame Mary Herring Spastic Children’s Hostel in Armadale was a centre that provided residential care to children with cerebral palsy. Run by the Spastic Children’s Society of Victoria, it opened in 1956 and was approved as a children’s home in 1964. Residential accommodation was provided in congregate care form at the Hostel itself, as well…

Seventh Day Adventist Welfare Organisation

The Seventh Day Adventist Welfare Organisation was an arm of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, established in Victoria in 1886. The Seventh Day Adventist Welfare Organisation was one of the 22 private adoption agencies approved by the Adoption Act 1964. There are records relating to adoptions organised by the organisation in the collection of the…

Children’s Court Clinic

The Children’s Court Clinic was established in 1942 and operated in association with the Central Children’s Court in Melbourne. The Clinic was the investigative arm of the Children’s Court. Many children who were at Royal Park Depot or Turana awaiting a court appearance were seen by the Children’s Court Clinic. In 2016, the Children’s Court…

Children’s Court of Victoria

The Children’s Court of Victoria was established in 1906. Before this time, children were dealt with in the same courts as adults. The Children’s Court heard cases involving children under the age of 17 related to criminal matters (juvenile offending) as well as welfare matters (such as determining if a child was ‘neglected’ or ‘in…

Foster Care Westernport

Foster Care Westernport was established in 1979. As well as providing foster care, it provided respite care for children with disabilities through the Westernport Interchange program. The agency had a separate foster care program for adolescents. In 1991, Foster Care Westernport merged with the Victorian Children’s Aid Society to form the new organisation, Family Focus….

Lutheran Children’s Homes

Lutheran Children’s Homes was established in around 1973, following the closure of the Lutheran Children’s Home in Kew. Around this time, the Lutheran Church moved into family group home care, establishing cottage homes in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. During the early 1980s, Lutheran Children’s Homes established a foster care service in south western Victoria, Glenelg Foster…

Citizens Welfare Service of Victoria

The Citizens Welfare Service of Victoria came into being in 1947. Previously it was known as the Charity Organisation Society of Melbourne. The name change coincided with a change in focus towards casework and counselling, employing only professionally trained social workers and expanding its ‘client group’ into Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs. The CWS ran…

Uniting – Connections

Uniting – Connections came into being in July 2017. Previously the organisation was called Connections UnitingCare. It was a community service organisation that was part of Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited. Uniting – Connections had an adoptions and permanent care program, and provided a range of services for children, young people and families. Its predecessor…

Lisa Lodge

Lisa Lodge was the new name given to the Home formerly known as Hayeslee House, sometime around 1994. It was run by the Lisa Lodge – Hayeslee Committee who managed a number of institutions in the Ballarat region. In July 2012 Lisa Lodge merged with Berry Street, to strengthen Berry Street’s services provided in the…

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand

Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand was established in 2008 as the formal framework for the mission of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. In 2014, Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service (Victoria) and Rosemount Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service (based in New South Wales) merged with Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand to become one…