Walcott Centre, 1980, courtesy of Department for Child Protection and Family Support, Department for Community Welfare, Western Australia , Annual Report 1979-80.
Details
Walcott Centre was opened in 1980 and replaced the government-run Mount Lawley Reception Home. It was part of a system of support hostels that included Tudor Lodge and Stuart House. In 1983 two group Homes, Andrew House and Cawley House, were created on the Walcott Centre campus. Both these Homes closed in 1984 and were replaced by group Homes in the community, thus ending the residential program at Walcott Centre.
Walcott Centre was the new name given in 1980 to the government-run Mt Lawley Reception Home. Mt Lawley had offered temporary accommodation to children and young people prior to placement in foster care, group Homes or other institutions. It also accommodated children and young people awaiting Children's Court matters, or referred from the Court.
The Walcott Centre was part of system of support hostels that gave increasing emphasis to assessing children's needs and planning for their future. Two hostels were attached to the Walcott Centre, Tudor Lodge and Stuart House. Together, Walcott and these hostels had three main functions: temporary accommodation for those awaiting Children's Court matters; assessment of future placement and management needs; and 'stablising and training' those whose behaviour at home, school or in another placemement had been 'inappropriate'.
By 1983, Walcott was divided into two group Homes on the campus: Andrew House and Cawley House. These both closed in 1984, to be replaced by group Homes in the community. The Walcott Centre's residential program ceased at this time, but the Centre continued to offer alternative schooling programs for some time after 1984.
In July 1993, when the youth justice functions of the Department for Community Development were transferred to the Ministry of Justice, the Walcott Centre property was also transferred.
1893 - 1907 Government Industrial School
1907 - 1935 Government Receiving Depot
1935 - 1952 Government Receiving Home
1953 - 1972 Child Welfare Reception Home
1973 - 1980 Mt Lawley Reception Home
1980 - 1984 Walcott Centre
Sources used to compile this entry: Information Services, Department for Community Development, Signposts: A Guide for Children and Young People in Care in WA from 1920, Government of Western Australia, 2004, https://signposts.communities.wa.gov.au//pdf/pdf.aspx.
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 15 March 2011, Last modified: 27 April 2018
Last updated: 17 October 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/wa/biogs/WE00227b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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