Charlton Boys' Home, Ashfield

Charlton Boys’ Home, Ashfield was established in 1966 by the Anglican Home Mission Society. It had earlier been known as the Charlton Memorial Home, located in Glebe, and moved into a property that was formerly the Milleewa Boys’ Home. In the late 1970s this property became known as Robinson Home. Like its predecessor, Charlton Boys’ Home was in some ways progressive for an institution of its time, however former residents have also described major issues at the home with harsh punishments and sexual abuse perpetrated by staff and other residents.

Charlton Boys’ Home was intended to be a modernisation and streamlining of its activities previously conducted at Glebe. Charlton took boys aged 8 to 17 who had been through the Children’s Courts. Boys who were working age were expected to go out and work each day, while younger boys attended local schools. By 1969 over 1500 boys had lived at either the Charlton Memorial Home or the Charlton Boys’ Home, Ashfield.

Charlton consisted of three buildings built at 16 Brunswick Parade Ashfield. The buildings were named Milleewa, Robinson House, and Wright House, and were each run by a set of ‘house parents’. Milleewa was opened in 1966 and had capacity for 21 boys. When Robinson House and Wright House (also known as the ’round houses’ due to their circular construction) were opened in 1969 they increased the capacity of the home to 69. These new houses each had six four-person bedrooms that were arranged around a central area, allowing more space for accommodation and less space taken up by corridors. Boys from the Charlton Boys Homes at Bowral and Castle Hill were moved into these new buildings, and those homes subsequently closed. The age of the boys determined which house they stayed in. A swimming pool and activity hall (which doubled as a community centre) were also constructed at Ashfield in 1969.

Charlton was, in certain ways, somewhat progressive for an institution of its time. Boys at the home were expected to take jobs in the community, and traveled unsupervised to their workplaces – a practice that was unusual for children’s institutions. Boys at Charlton were also able to bring friends back to the Home, and members of the local community were encouraged to visit.

Several former residents of Charlton Boys’ Home at Ashfield have spoken about physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by staff and employers against boys at the Home (‘Raped by his supervisor then convicted of buggery: Life in a 70’s boys’ home’, The Guardian, 3 October 2014). Abuse is known to have taken place at the Home, at the boys’ workplaces, and when small groups of boys were taken on camps and weekend outings. Boys who disclosed abuse to other staff members were beaten, humiliated, and threatened with transfer to the infamous Institution for Boys, Tamworth. In at least one instance a boy disclosing abuse was taken by staff at the Home to the police not to report his rape, but to “confess” to and be charged with buggery. At least one staff member from Charlton Boys’ Home has been charged with offenses committed against the boys.

Charlton Boys’ Home closed in the late 1970s. Robinson House continued to be used by the Anglican Home Mission Society as a Family Group Home.