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The 'Burnbrae (late Byford Presbyterian Children's Home) - attendance' file was created by the Education Department and is organised in reverse date order (that is, with the most recent item at the beginning of the file). The file contains information that may be of interest to people who were in out of home care at the Burnbrae Presbyterian Children's Home. To see the original records, you can request the file from the State Records Office of WA.
Correspondence in the file shows that the Burnbrae school was closed on 19 December 1958 due to 'low attendance', with only 8 children enrolled for the 1959 year. Previously, children from Burnbrae Presbyterian Children's Home had attended the school. On 25 January 1957, Dr HR Pearson, Chairman of the Presbyterian Children's Council, advised the Director of the Education Department that Burnbrae Presbyterian Children's Home would be closed 'because of the continued small number of children' and that the children would be moved to the Benmore Presbyterian Children's Home. On 9 July 1957, Burnbrae was offered for sale.
The file also gives some background information about the operation of the school prior to its closure.
On 19 November 1945 the school was closed due to 'lack of Accommodation for the Teacher'. Classes were reported to be held in a 'private building'.
On 12 November 1947, the Chief Inspector of Schools was notified that 5 girls from the Burnbrae Presbyterian Children's Home would be attending Perth Girls' School in 1948 and that the Matron of the Home would guarantee their attendance there.
It was recorded on 9 February 1954 that the Education Department was notified that the school would be closed because the children from Burnbrae Presbyterian Children's Home were 'polio contacts' and in quarantine.
At pages 11-12 (dated 14 March 1955), there are some Intelligence Test results for children from the Burnbrae Presbyterian Children's Home. The file shows that these children were classified as 'retarded'.
