Bethel Home, Dalby

Bethel Home, Dalby, was operated by the Association of Bethel Home. It was established in 1952 by Alan Back, a Baptist pastor in Dalby, as a Christian home for children who were wards of the state, although it wasn’t officially opened until 1954. It functioned as a Home for “orphans, and otherwise destitute and needy children” as well as a boarding facility for children from country areas attending school or sheltered workshop facilities in Dalby. Bethel Home closed in May 1982.

Bethel Home was first licensed under The Infant Life Protection Act 1905, then The State Children Act 1911.

Bethel Home was located on a 40 acre farm property on the Moonie Highway near Dalby. At the time of its opening the multiple residential buildings included dormitories, recreation rooms, laundry, and sewing rooms (as well as kitchen, dining rooms, and bathrooms) and the farm included an orchard, vegetable gardens, and several dairy cows. Accommodation consisted of individual cottages known as Back House, Morris Cottage, Bethesda House and Westaway House.

Bethel Home had capacity for up to 35 children aged between 2 and 14 years old. Older children were able to continue living at the Home as boarders if they attained local employment. The Home aimed to provide children with accommodation, daily scripture teaching, education, and vocational and farm training, as well as providing medical and surgical treatment to children. According to a newspaper report about the official opening of the Bethel Home published in The Darly Herald in 1954, the superintendent of the Home stated that it operated with “spiritual guidance as the supreme motive.”

Following its closure the property housing the Bethel Home was donated to the National Indigenous Training Association (NITA).

The Secretary of the Bethel Home Committee advised that they have not been able to locate any client records.

National Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse

In 2021, the Queensland government has agreed to be a funder of last resort for this institution. This means that although the institution is now defunct, it is participating in the National Redress Scheme, and the government has agreed to pay the institution’s share of costs of providing redress to a person (as long as the government is found to be equally responsible for the abuse a person experienced).