Lombadina, on the Dampier Peninsula, was a Mission established by the Catholic Diocese of Broome and run by the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines) from 1909. It accommodated Aboriginal babies, children and young people. The Sisters of St John of God ran the Mission school from around 1917 to the 1970s. In 1941 there were 42 children living at Lombadina, with 26 reported to be attending school regularly. From 1905, the head of the government departments responsible for Aboriginal welfare was the guardian of children at Lombadina and from 1972 the chief executive officer of the Department for Community Welfare was the guardian of any children at Lombadina who were deemed to be ‘native wards’ or ‘wards of the State’. In 1975, Lombadina became a self-governing community and its role in institutionalised child ‘care’ ended. However, it continued to receive government support as a subsidised centre under child welfare legislation until 1988.
From
1909
To
1975
Alternative Names
Lombadina Mission
One Arm Point
Cygnet Point
1909 - 1975
Lombadina was located on the Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia (Building Still standing)