Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home, located near Nowra, was established in 1908 by the United Aborigines Mission. It was a home for children aged under 10 and ran until 1988. As the longest-running Aboriginal Children’s Home in NSW and the first Home to be established for Aboriginal children in NSW, it has been called “the birthplace” of the Stolen Generations in NSW.
Bomaderry was started to receive seven Aboriginal children, six orphans and one baby rescued by Miss Thompson, a missionary working with Aboriginal people. A cottage was provided by Colebrook, the editor of the Bomaderry Mission’s paper. The home developed until it had four cottages, the last of which was opened on 29 May, 1924. Up to 47 children were resident at the Home at any one time. In 1929, M.F. Morton, MLA. gave five acres of land to the home, bringing the total area of the property to nine acres.
Although Bomaderry was always independent of the Aborigines Protection (Welfare) Board, the Board sent children from reserves and stations to be cared for at the home. Once they reached the age of 10, children were returned to the care of the Board and were often sent into domestic service. The United Aborigines Mission continued their close relationship with the Aborigines Welfare Board until 1969 and then continued to work with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.
Many of the original cottages have been lost, but cottages built from the 1960s to 1980s survive. The site has heritage listing and some buildings are used by the Nowra Land Council.
Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home was mentioned in the Bringing Them Home Report (1997) as an institution that housed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children removed from their families.
In 2021, the New South Wales 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).
From
1908
To
1988
Alternative Names
United Aborigines Mission Children's Home
Bomaderry Infants' Home
1908 - 1980s
Bomaderry Aboriginal Children's Home was situated at 59 Belinda Street, Bomaderry, New South Wales (Building Still standing)
