Ballarat Benevolent Asylum, c. 1870 - c. 1880, courtesy of Central Highlands Regional Library.
Details
The Ballarat Benevolent Asylum opened in 1859, in a building in Ascot Street. Until institutions specifically for children were established in Ballarat, many children were housed there. The Ballarat Benevolent Asylum closed its doors to children in 1869.
Surviving records of the Benevolent Asylum include admission registers (1859-1900) and annual general reports (1859-1970). These records are in the custody of Ballarat Health Services.
The Ballarat Benevolent Asylum became the Queen Elizabeth Geriatric Centre sometime before 1960. In 1997 it merged with the Ballarat Base Hospital and the Grampians Psychiatric Service to form the Ballarat Health Services.
Sources used to compile this entry: Golding, Frank, Orphanages in Ballarat – brief historical notes (draft), 2009; Wickham, Dorothy Glennys, Beyond the Wall: Ballarat Female Refuge, A Study in Moral Authority, A thesis submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree Masters of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University, 2003, http://researchbank.acu.edu.au/theses/69/.
Prepared by: Cate O'Neill
Created: 9 October 2009, Last modified: 25 March 2019