Bungarimbil Boys' Home, 1957? - 1983?, courtesy of Care Leavers Australaisa Network (CLAN).
Details
Bungarimbil Boys' Home was a small, cottage-style Home founded by the Church of England (Anglican) Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn at Tumbarumba in 1957. Some children were transferred from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and placed in this Home. The property was bequeathed to the Church by Mrs Jean McLeod. Later, extra land was added and the Home expanded in 1961. This Home closed in 1983 and became Wagga Community Services.
In 1949 Mrs Jean Macleod transferred 937 acres to the Church Property Trust, and later, further property, together with the Bungarimbil homestead and outbuildings. Bishop KJ Clements planned Bungarimbil, intending it would be 'a real home'.
A bequest of $30,000 from the Estate of the late Mrs Ruby Woodhouse was made available to the Church Property Trust, the interest of which was to be used for the Bungarimbil Boys' Home.
By early 1957 the Bungarimbil Boys' Farm Home had the first intake of boys and by September there were 12. Bungarimbil was staffed by house parents. An auxiliary provided amenities for the home.
Reverend John Brain and his wife were the first house parents at Bungarimbil Boys' Home in 1957. Another house parent, John Locke, was a former resident of Bungarimbil Boys' Home. In the 1960s, Bert Kennett and his wife and Reverend Moore and his wife were house parents. Jim Wenham and his wife were house parents at Bungarimbil Boys' Home around 1961. Margaret Phillips and her husband Frank were house parents at Bungarimbil Boys' Home for over three years leaving in 1976.
High demand for accommodation for boys led to the expansion of the home. In April, 1961, a contract was signed for the building of a second home at the cost of $32,000. The opening of the new 52 sq. Edna Burgmann Boys' Home took place on 25th November, 1961, and was dedicated by Bishop Clements. The official 'turning of the key' was performed by Mgrs. Clements.
The home operated until 1983. In March 2013 'Bungarimbil' was a private house, for sale as an eight bedroom, 54 square metre house on nine acres.
Sources used to compile this entry: 'Urgent Need For Boys' Home To Be Expanded', The Canberra Times, 14 August 1959, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/103128115; 'Getting Expert Information', 14 August 1961, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/103083829; 'Bishop renews appeal', The Canberra Times, 28 May 1980, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/110959665; Anglicare Australia Provenance Project, Anglicare Australia, 2014, https://web.archive.org/web/20210317144223/https://www.anglicare.asn.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/provenance-project-2014.pdf; Hanson, Dallas, Why are they in children's homes: report of the ACOSS children's home intake survey, Australian Department of Social Services: Australian Council of Social Services, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1979, 83 pp; Homes and Orphanages Listings, Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN), https://clan.org.au/homes-and-orphanages/; 'Macleod, Jean Ann (1862-1951)', in Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/macleod-jean-ann-649; PRD Nationwide Orange, 710 Taradale Road, Tumbarumba, NSW 2653, realestateview, Realestateview.com.au; Thinee, Kristy and Bradford, Tracy, Connecting Kin: Guide to Records, A guide to help people separated from their families search for their records [completed in 1998], New South Wales Department of Community Services, Sydney, New South Wales, 1998, https://clan.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/connectkin_guide.pdf.
Prepared by: Naomi Parry
Created: 4 March 2011, Last modified: 11 August 2017
Last updated: 4 August 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nsw/biogs/NE00089b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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