Please contact the Salesians of Don Bosco Professional Standards Office:
Postal address: 3 Middle Street, Ascot Vale, VIC, 3032
Phone: (03) 9377 6000
Email: pso@salesians.org.au
These records are held by Salesians of Don Bosco, Province Centre Archives (1922? - current).
According to the Archivist, the Salesians of Don Bosco Province Centre Archives holds only limited information regarding the running of St John’s Boys Town, and no personal records of former residents of the Home. The Archivist regrets that he does not know of the location of personal files relating to former residents.
The Salesians of Don Bosco Province Centre Archives is located in Ascot Vale Victoria. The Archives is not open to the public. All requests for personal information need to be made in writing. To apply for access to records you will also need to include identification such as a copy of your birth certificate or current driver’s licence. If applying for information about another person, their permission is required. If applying for information about a person who is deceased, proof of death is required as well as proof of your relationship to the deceased person. The Archivist works on a part-time basis.
The Records of St John’s Boys Town contain some correspondence relating to negotiations regarding the Salesian presence at Brooklyn Park. These include correspondence from Archbishop Matthew Beovich to the Salesians whose religious leadership was in Victoria; and letters from the Salesian ‘higher authorities’ in the United States and in Italy. The latter are from the time of the Pacific War when overseas communications were restricted. Some letters are in Italian and some in English.