Archives



Aboriginal Girls’ Hostel

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…

Djurain Mission Children’s Home

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…

Kalgoorlie Child Welfare Cottage

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 Home, Bassendean

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…

Department of Communities, State Government of Western Australia

The Department of Communities was established on 1 June 2017. It performs the functions of several former government agencies, including the Department for Child Protection, Department of Housing, Disbability Services Commission, and the Department of Local Government and Communities. It includes the Child Protection and Family Support agency, through which it runs out-of-home care facilities…

CatholicCare Tasmania

CatholicCare Tasmania was formerly known as Centacare Tasmania. The name change was adopted on 1 July 2015 in order to more clearly identify the organisation with the Catholic Church. CatholicCare Tasmania continued Centacare Tasmania’s work as the primary social services agency of the Catholic Church in Tasmania. In 2022 CatholicCare Tasmania provided Therapeutic Residential Care…

St Patrick’s Province (Victoria and Tasmania), Christian Brothers

St Patrick’s Province (Victoria and Tasmania) of the Christian Brothers was established in 1967. That year, St Patrick’s Province of the Christian Brothers was split into two provinces: St Patrick’s (Victoria and Tasmania) and Holy Spirit Province of the Christian Brothers (which governed the states of South Australia and Western Australia). St Patrick’s Province (Victoria…

Forest Farm Community

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…

Department of Justice, State of Western Australia

The Department of Justice was created out of the merger of the Department of Corrective Services and the Attorney-General’s Department. It assumed responsibilities for the functions previously undertaken by the Department of Corrective Services, including youth justice.

Melbourne Benevolent Asylum

The Melbourne Benevolent Asylum opened in 1851. Due to a lack of other institutions in the colony at the time it was established, the Benevolent Asylum initially accommodated a wide range of people in need. This included children, until 1857 when children were transferred to the Melbourne Orphan Asylum at its new site in Emerald…