Redcliffe Home, Goodwood, January 2013, by Butterworth, Lee, courtesy of Lee Butterworth.
Details
Redcliffe Home, in Goodwood, was run by the Peirson Memorial Trust. It opened in 1955. The original home was remodelled in 1968, closed in January 1977 and reopened in September1979. Redcliffe Home closed again in November 1983, and reopened February 1984. It finally closed as a group home around 1989/90.
Redcliffe was established in 1955 and licensed as a foster home 30 September 1955. It was licensed under The lnfant Life Protection Act in 1960 c., then as a residential institution under the State Children Act 1911 on 30 April 1964. It was again licensed under the Children's Services Act 1965 on 4 August 1966.
The land on which Redcliffe was situated was originally owned by Henry Edward Peirson, and functioned as a sugarcane plantation called Redcliffe Plantation. Born at Heytesbury, Wiltshire, England, Peirson landed at Maryborough, Queensland, in 1851. He died July 1920 at his home 'Heytesbury House', Jane Street, West End.
Frank Cane was the first person appointed to care for the boys at Redcliffe Home. He had previously served in the army as a chaplain and worked in North Queensland with Aboriginal communities. Frank and his wife, whom the boys called Mum and Dad, took the boys to church on Sundays. If the weather was bad Frank whould conduct a service at Redcliffe. Before going to school the boys would milk the few cows on the property.
Heytesbury Home and Redcliffe Home were situated on the same property at Peirson Road, Goodwood. Collectively the homes were informally known as the Goodwood Boys Home.
Sources used to compile this entry: 'Personal', Brisbane Courier, 9 July 1920, p. 11, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20405112; Department of Families, Missing pieces: information to assist former residents of children's institutions to access records, State of Queensland, 2001. p.69.; Conversation with Lyall Leeson, past worker on Redcliffe Farm, 24 January 2013.
Prepared by: Lee Butterworth
Created: 2 February 2013, Last modified: 18 October 2019