Bennett House was the new name given to the East Perth Girls’ Home in 1952. It was a government-run transit hostel providing short-term accommodation for Aboriginal children and women from the country. In 1981, full responsibility for Bennett House was transferred to Aboriginal Hostels Ltd.
Bennett House was the new name given to the East Perth Girls’ Home in September 1952. Its purpose at that time was to accommodate what the Department of Native Affairs termed ‘transient and outpatient native women and children’. In the State Solicitor’s Guide to Institutions Attended by Aboriginal People in Western Australia (p.42) this is interpreted to refer to Aboriginal women from missions, reserves and townships who were pregnant to non-Aboriginal men. The women were sent to Perth to await the birth of their babies.
Over the years, Bennett House accommodated a range of children and young people, including a small number of students, brought to Perth to attend the East Perth state school which was alongside Bennett house. Until 1963, the Commissioners of Native Affairs and Native Welfare were the guardians of children and young people placed at Bennett House.
In 1972, the Department for Community Welfare took over the child welfare responsibilities of the Department of Native Welfare, and ran Bennett House.
In 1981, full responsibility for Bennett House was transferred to Aboriginal Hostels Ltd.
From
1952
To
1981
1952 - 1981
Bennett House was located at 191 Bennett Street, East Perth, Western Australia (Building Demolished)
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