Airlie, c. 2013
Details
Airlie was opened as part of the Burnside Presbyterian Orphan Homes in December 1914 at North Parramatta. It was originally the Administrative Block but in 1917 became a playschool for 40-50 children. By 1919 it was a home for kindergarten-aged children. It was a boys' home in the 1930s. In 1971 it was converted to a kindergarten.
Airlie closed in 1941, as Burnside was evacuated for the duration of the war. When the children returned in 1945 it became a toddlers' centre, and in 1946 was a preschool. Artist Pixie O'Halloran painted murals for kindergarten children on its walls in 1949. In 1971 the kindergarten was opened to the general public. From 1977 it has been operated by the Kindergarten Union (KU).
Sources used to compile this entry: Airlie [Document], Date: c. 2013; 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: 17 March 2011, Last modified: 9 January 2019