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The Boarding section of the Salesian School, formerly known as St John’s Boys Town, was run by the Salesians of Don Bosco and operated as a boys home within the bounds of the school. It was often still referred to as St John’s Boys Home. In the mid 1960s the School became known as Salesian College. The St John’s Boys Home section closed at the end of 1984. The Salesian College finished as a co-educational secondary school at the end of 1996. The Salesians of Don Bosco took over the running of St John’s Boys Town in 1942 and were granted permission by the Archbishop in 1954 to discard the name ‘Boys Town’ and to accept day-pupils for both technical and secondary studies. The home became known as ‘the boarding section of Salesian School’ although it was still often referred to as St John’s Boys Home. A new building was erected in 1954-55 so that the number of residents could be increased to 160. The Salesians were particular about the boys they would accommodate, preferring to take

The Society for Providing Services for Neglected or Needy Children holds some records relating to Our Children’s Home (also known as Ardill House). Previously, these records were in the custody of Integricare. Access Conditions Please contact the Society for Providing Services for Neglected or Needy Children. Access to records is provided according to the Society’s Records Policy (August 2020). Records There is a register containing details about children admitted to and discharged from the Home (dates unknown), and a minute book (dates unknown). The minute book contains notes from monthly meetings of the committee that ran the Home, which sometimes include details about individual children. There are also some photographs in the collection. In 2020, the Society for Providing Services for Neglected or Needy Children took custody of this collect

Al Jazeera’s Michelle Stone reports on the apology to ‘forgotten Australians’ and former child migrants.

This is a photograph showing small groups of boys in school uniform walking up a path towards the Mittagong Cottage Homes site of Turner, Linden, and Waverley Cottage. The first group of boys is being greeted by a dog. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This image appeared in the Child Welfare Department of New South Wales Annual Report of 1966 alongside the caption “Turner Cottage boys returning home from school”.

This is a photograph of boys performing a play in front of an audience at what is likely Mittagong Training School (though it could also be the Mittagong Cottage Homes). It shows nine boys on an outdoor stage dressed in costume performing in front of an audience. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

This is a photograph of DeLauret Cottage at the Mittagong Training School for Boys. It shows an L-shaped building with several colourful benches placed in the garden in front of it. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

This is a photograph showing two girls sitting and reading books in the hallway of Linden Cottage at Mittagong Cottage Homes. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This image appeared in the Child Welfare Department of New South Wales Annual Report of 1968 alongside the caption “The spacious hallway in Linden Cottage is designed as a sun trap”.

This is a photograph of girls from Linden Cottage leaving for school. It shows eight girls in school uniforms and carrying briefcases leaving the cottage, while a woman stands on the front porch. The cottage is a boxy brick building with a flat roof and a sign on the front that says “Linden Cottage”. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

This is a video which shows some staff and residents of Padua Hall in Kew. The video is undated but is likely to be from after 1960 when Padua Hall ceased operation as a hostel for former residents of Morning Star and other wards of state. Padua House later became Baraga House, a Slovenian Catholic Mission’s Religious and Cultural Centre Hostel, and was the “first stop” for many Slovenian men migrating to Melbourne.

This is a film made about Arthur Walker, born in 1925, who spent time in foster care and a number of Victorian institutions during his childhood.

This is two photographs of Suttor Cottage at Mittagong Cottage Homes, later known as Renwick. The top photograph is of Suttor Cottage taken from the side, and shows a large two-storey brick cottage with white bay windows. The front of the cottage is single-storey, with the second storey built underneath the back portion of the building into the hillside. The bottom photo is of the cottage from the rear, and shows the rear balconies and landscaping cutting into the hill. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. These photographs both appeared in an album held by the department alongside the handwritten caption “Suttor Cottage has 20 boys”.

St John the Baptist Home for Boys was established in 1898 in Brooklyn Park. Run by the Brothers of St John the Baptist and under the control of the government, it took in Catholic boys from the Boys’ Reformatory, Magill. In 1941 the Home became a private Catholic reformatory known as St John’s Boys Town. St John the Baptist Home for Boys opened at Marshall Terrace, Brooklyn Park in 1898. It was established by Father John Healy of the Thebarton parish who had also founded the Order of St John the Baptist in 1892. The concept behind the establishment of the Home was to provide alternative accommodation for Catholic boys committed to the Boys’ Reformatory at Magill. The Home was officially proclaimed as a reformatory which meant that although run by the Brothers, it operated under the control of the government welfare department, the State Children’s Council and then its successor, the Children’s Welfare and Public Relief Department. Initially nineteen boys were placed at the home b

St John’s Boys Town was the new name given to St John the Baptist Home for Boys at Brooklyn Park in 1941. It was run by the Brothers of St John the Baptist as an orphanage for boys older than 12 years of age. It was located at Marshall Terrace, Brooklyn Park. In 1942 the running of the institution was taken over by the Salesians of Don Bosco. In 1954 St John’s Boys Town became known as ‘the boarding section of Salesian School’. The reformatory St John the Baptist Home for Boys was renamed St John’s Boys Town in 1941. It was run by the Brothers of St John the Baptist under the control of the Children’s Welfare and Public Relief Board and was located at Marshall Terrace, Brooklyn Park. As part of a rationalisation of the prevailing situation in Adelaide, it was decided by the newly arrived Archbishop Matthew Beovich that the Brothers of St John the Baptist would look after older boys, with younger boys from three to twelve years of age being sent to St Joseph’s Orphanage, Largs Bay.

This is a photograph of the locker room at Challoner cottage at the Mittagong Training Home, previously known as the Mittagong Farm Home for Boys. It shows two boys in a large room that has lockers lining the walls, two rows of benches in the middle, and mirrors on the walls. There is a large open walkway at the end of the room through to what appear to be shower or toilet cubicles. At the end of the hallway there is a boy in a small room leaning over a sink. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

This is a photograph of a dormitory at Goodlet Cottage at Mittagong Cottage Homes, later known as Renwick. It shows a room filled with single beds placed against each wall topped with orange sheets. One of the beds is unmade, showing a very thin mattress on the bedframe. There is no other furniture in the room, but there are photos stuck to the walls around the window. Paint is peeling off the walls, and there are cracks in the plaster near the ceiling. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

This is a photograph of Rotherwood cottage at Mittagong Cottage Homes, later known as Renwick. It shows a long, single-storey brick building with an offset roof with inset widows. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. It appears in a photo album held by the Department alongside a handwritten caption that reads “Rotherwood and Garran Cottages both look the same. They each have 20 boys and girls. The one in the picture is Rotherwood.” This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

The Convent of the Good Shepherd at Abbotsford was established by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1863. A number of different institutions operated on the site at Abbotsford on the banks of the Yarra River, including an industrial school, reformatory, orphanage, female asylum and school. In 1961, it was designated by the department as a Youth Training Centre. In the early 1970s, the Sisters converted the dormitory accommodation into separate small units. By 1974, the Youth Training Centre had closed and residential accommodation for girls and young women had ceased at Abbotsford. The Convent of the Good Shepherd at Abbotsford was established by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1863. It was the first institution established by the Sisters in Australia – four Irish women travelled from France and landed at Port Melbourne on 24 June 1863, and purchased the property on the banks of the Yarra River at Abbotsford. A number of different institutions operated on the site at Abbotsfor

This is a photograph taken outside of the Southwood School at Mittagong Cottage Homes. It shows a large group of children in school uniforms playing on the playground in front of two long single-storey brick buildings. Several staff members are also present among the children. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

The Frances Barkman Homes were run by the Australian Jewish Welfare Society (AJWS). From the late 1930s, the Society used a Balwyn mansion, Larino, to accommodate Jewish children migrating from Germany and Austria, including survivors of the Holocaust. In the 1960s, the Society shifted its model of care towards family group homes in the Caulfield area. Frances Barkman Homes closed around 1992. In the late 1930s, the Australian Jewish Welfare Society (AJWS) leased a mansion known as ‘Larino’, to be used as a home for Jewish children migrating from Germany and Austria. The mansion was located at 23 Maleela Avenue, Balwyn, on the corner of Whitehorse Road. Frances Barkman had been the first to propose the immigration of Jewish children to the Executive of the AJWS in late 1938. In February 1939, the AJWS formally requested the Australian government to grant visas to 750 Jewish children over the next three years. In March, the Australian government responded, however begrudging

This is a copy of a photograph of the exterior of the Frances Barkman Homes, in the ‘Larino’ mansion in Balwyn. It shows a group of children in school uniforms walking into the house, being greeted by two adults. The image is part of the Laurie Richards collection at Museums Victoria.

This is a photograph of the Turner Cottage school, which was part of the Mittagong Farm Home for Boys, and later part of Mittagong Cottage Homes. It shows a small, blue, weatherboard cottage with a small sign on the front that reads “Turner cottage school”. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

This Roll Book contains the names of children admitted to the Sydney Male Orphan School between 1819 and 1848. It contains information including the child’s name, age, admission date, date leaving the school, parent’s names, parent’s occupation, parent’s address, and other notes, e.g. why they were discharged and to whom. At the back of the book there is a list of children noting their physical attributes, such as eye and hair colour, height, teeth, nose, eyebrows and other remarks. There is also an inventory of things belonging to the Orphan School’s hospital on 9th December 1847. Access Conditions This book has been digitised and is available via the State Library of New South Wales website via the link on the right-hand side of this page. This book has also been transcribed. The transcription is available here: http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2012/D14546/a4656.htm?<

This is a photograph showing four boys tending to flower beds at Yawarra Training School. They are in a small fenced off area next to several single-storey brick buildings. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

Please contact the Privacy Officer at Meli: Postal address: 33 Mackey Street, North Geelong Victoria 3215 Phone: (03) 5226 8900 Email: records@meli.org.au Website: https://www.meli.org.au/accessing-your-information/application-for-release-of-personal-information/  

This is a photograph of what appears to be the dining room at Yawarra Training School. It shows a room filled with small, orange, four-seater tables. The room opens up onto a courtyard. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

This is a photograph of food being served at Yawarra Training School. It shows a woman passing plates of food through a serving hatch to a boy in a khaki uniform. The food being served appears to include spaghetti, scoops of mashed potato, mashed pumpkin, grilled tomato, and other vegetables. Two of the plates have meat on them instead of spaghetti. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

This is a photograph of a dormitory at Yawarra Training School. It shows a large room filled with rows of beds covered in yellow sheets, each next to a bedside table. The room is divided into sections with low brick walls. There are several small personal photographs stuck to the wall at the head of one of the beds. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

The Sandeman Nursery opened in 1897 at Wynnum and operated in conjunction with St Mary’s Home. It accommodated babies born to women at St Mary’s, who were awaiting adoption or transfer to the Good Shepherd Home at Nundah. Sandeman Nursery closed in 1899 and the children were transferred to St Mary’s.

The Committee of St Mary’s Church of England Home was established to run St Mary’s Home, and later St Mary’s Home, Toowong. A matron was employed to manage the day to day operations of the Homes.

St Mary’s Home was established in 1894 in West End for pregnant single girls and women and unwed mothers and their babies. The Home was opened by the Church of England and run by a committee with a matron in charge. The residents operated a laundry on the site to generate income. In 1897 Sandeman Nursery was opened in Wynnum, in conjunction with St Mary’s Home to take the babies from St Mary’s. It closed after a couple of years and it is likely this occurred at the same time as St Mary’s move to larger premises in Taringa, with children transferred back to St Mary’s Home to be with their mothers. The Brisbane Courier reported the Taringa property had room for “twelve women and twenty-four infants and children”. In 1919 St Mary’s Home amalgamated with the Brisbane Female Refuge and relocated to Bent Street, Toowong becoming known as St Mary’s Home, Toowong.

Acheron Youth Training Centre at Buxton was established in the mid 1960s as a facility for young people in Victoria’s youth training centres, particularly Turana. Acheron provided ‘adventure camp facilities’ and other training programs and a 350 acre minimum-security camp near Buxton. Approximately 300 ‘trainees’ a year went to Acheron in work groups. These trainees received instruction in building and grounds work as part of their treatment program. An additional 1500 trainees a year attended adventure camps at Acheron. From 1970, girls from Winlaton were also using the camp. The 1975-76 annual report of the Social Welfare Department stated that the facility at Acheron was being used for a variety of activities including camping, staff training and coferences. It was mainly used by Turana Youth Training Centre, as well by Langi Kal Kal and the Brunswick Youth Welfare Service (Annual report 1975-76, p.28). In 2003, Acheron was part of the Melbourne Juvenile

This is a copy of a form used by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services in the 1970s to administer child endowment payments to institutions. This form was provided to the Find & Connect web resource by Berry Street’s Heritage and Background Information Service and has been redacted to protect the privacy of individuals.

This is a photograph showing a group of approximately 20 boys playing sports on an outdoor sports court at Yasmar Shelter. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photograph was published in the 1954 annual report of the Child Welfare Department alongside the caption “Boys at play – Junior Section – Yasmar”.

This is a photograph showing boys walking on the lawn in front of the buildings at Weroona. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

This is a photograph of the main building at Weroona after it was rebuilt following the 1957 bushfires. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

This is a photograph of a dormitory at the Weroona Home at Woodford. It shows a long room with at least eight beds covered with blue blankets arranged in two rows. There is no other furniture visible in the room. This photograph was likely taken in the new Weroona that was built after the previous building burnt down in 1957. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

This is a photograph of the original Weroona building at Woodford. It shows a large house with lots of ornate architectural features. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. Another version of this image is held by the State Library of New South Wales.

This is a copy of the front page of The Sun, as part of a collection of photographs of the 1957 Leura, Wentworth Falls and Woodford fires.

This is a photograph of the dining room of Challoner Cottage at Mittagong Training School. It shows at least five six-seater tables in a large room set with tableclothes, cutlery, plates of fruit, and small vaess of flowers. The room has been decorated with large vases of flowers, and two banners which read “FHM Cricket B” and “FHM Football B”. There is a boy in the corner of the room adjusting a radio set. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice.

Mittagong Cottage Homes were established from 1885 by the State Children’s Relief Board. They were houses that each held 20 children, ranging in age from infancy to adolescence. The first were in the Mittagong township but in 1896 they moved to the Southwood Estate on Bong Bong Road, where further cottages were added. The cottages had several different functions over time, including hospitals, disability and truancy institutions, convalescent homes, transit points between foster placements and the reformatory which was located on the same site as the cottages. More than 30,000 state children passed through the cottages. In 1976, when the Mittagong Training School closed, the entire complex of buildings and farming land was renamed Renwick, a complex of cottage homes for state wards of all ages. The first Mittagong Cottage Homes were for ‘delicate and invalid children’. A cottage in rented premises in Mittagong township was opened on 21 March 1885. Within a short period six ‘scattere

This is a photograph of Anglewood, also known as the Anglewood School or the Burradoo Special School for Truants. It shows a large Tudor-style building with multiple chimneys, gable windows, decorations, and a large central arched entrance. This photograph is part of a collection of photographs from children’s Homes and Institutions held by the NSW Department of Community Justice. This photo is undated, the date included is an estimate.

Anglewood was established by the Child Welfare Department in 1943 at Burradoo, near Bowral, as a boarding school for boys whose ‘only reason for committal was school truancy’. Boys were detained in the home for up to two years. Some children were transferred from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and placed in this Home. Anglewood was divided into three cottage homes: Yean Cottage, Nattai and Oxley. In 1979 Anglewood became a home for state wards. It closed in 1994. Anglewood, formerly Anglewood Grammar School, was acquired by the Child Welfare Department in 1943. When it opened in October 1943, 15 boys to Anglewood from Turner Cottage Special School for Truants, at Mittagong. Anglewood had a one teacher school and 2 residential cottages, Nattai and Yean. Nattai was a two-storey, modern structure, housing 30 boys, and Yean Cottage accommodated 44 boys. Yean was a three-storey, Tudor style mansion which was remodelled for the boys. Anglewood was officially opened, on 22