St Stanislaus House

St Stanislaus House was opened in 1956 in Royal Park. Also known as the Polish Orphanage, it was run by the Resurrection Sisters and accommodated orphans, children from broken homes and children whose mothers were out at work or were ill. Some children were of primary school age and attended local Catholic schools. Staffing shortages led to the closure of the home in 1978.

Opened in 1956 at 30 George Street, Royal Park , St Stanislaus House was named after its patron Saint, Stanislaus Kostka. Its establishment was inspired and sponsored by Polish migrants who had recently immigrated to Australia and settled in Adelaide. With the help of the Polish community, Polish American nuns from the Congregation of the Order of the Sisters of the Resurrection were brought out to Australia to run the home. St Stanislaus House, also known as the Polish Orphanage, provided accommodation for up to fifty children. It housed orphans, children from broken homes and children whose mothers were ill or forced out to work. A pre-school and kindergarten were run within the home while older children attended the local Catholic primary school.

In 1970 childcare policies changed and there was a move towards cottage-style accommodation. Due to lack of staff to care for children under this new system, the home was closed in 1978. The Resurrection Sisters remained in residence running a children’s day care centre, named for the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection, Mother Celine Borzecka. Mother Celine’s Child Care Centre closed in 2011. The buildings were demolished and the land put up for sale in 2012.