Convent of Mercy, 1860, courtesy of State Library of Western Australia.
Details
St Joseph's Catholic Orphanage for Girls was established in Perth by the Sisters of Mercy in 1868, for girls from the Poor House. Children who were destitute were accommodated, along with orphans. In 1901, the Home moved to Subiaco and became the St Joseph's Girls' Orphanage.
An orphanage for Catholic girls was first established in 1868 when 11 girls were taken from the Poor House to live at the Sisters of Mercy Convent behind the Catholic pro-Cathedral in Victoria Avenue. By the end of that year, the convent had 27 children and no more room. A public appeal, supported by both Catholics and Protestants, raised £1400 for new premises. A new Convent of Mercy in Victoria Square was completed in 1871 and the orphanage was named St Joseph's Catholic Orphanage for Girls. In 1901, the orphanage moved to Subiaco and became the St Joseph's Girls' Orphanage.
1868 - 1901 St Joseph's Catholic Orphanage for Girls
1901 - 1971 St Joseph's Girls' Orphanage
1971 - 1991 Catherine McAuley Centre
1997 - 2002 Mercy Community Services (Inc)
2002 - MercyCare
Sources used to compile this entry: Report by the Superintendent of Relief and Inspector of Charitable Institutions for the year, Government Printer, Perth, 1897; Report by the Inspector of Charitable Institutions, Government Printer, Perth, 1898; Coldrey, Barry M., The Scheme: the Christian Brothers and Childcare in Western Australia, Argyle-Pacific Pub., O'Connor, W.A., 1993. p.20.; Hetherington, Penelope, Paupers, Poor Relief and Poor Housing in Western Australia 1829 to 1910, UWA Publishiing, Crawley, Western Australia, 2009. pp.89-90..
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 28 January 2013, Last modified: 2 July 2020