Burnside Orphanage, Parramatta, August 1920, courtesy of State Library of New South Wales.
DETAILS
The way children are cared for by Burnside has changed considerably over the years reflecting changes in child care theories. Originally, children were housed on the North Parramatta site, in the cottage homes, which housed 20-30 children.
In the 1960s the capacity of the homes, originally designed to accommodate 30 children, was reduced to house twelve to fifteen. Also in the 1960s, Burnside began to establish group homes in the suburbs which were designed to care for around six children at a time. In the 1970s, a comprehensive and successful system of foster care was established by Burnside social workers.
From the late 1970s the children's cottages on the Burnside site were progressive closed down. In the 1980s Burnside Homes for Children began leasing properties in Fairfield and Cabramatta to provide accommodation for refugee children from Cambodia. Other family group homes were also established in this period.
From 1986 Burnside Homes for Children stopped running children's homes on the North Parramatta site. It became known simply as Burnside.
Last updated:
07 June 2023
Cite this: http://www.findandconnect.gov.au/guide/nsw/NE00253
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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