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Western Australia - Organisation

Withnell House (1984? - 1987?)

  • Withnell House, 1970s

    Withnell House, 1970s, 1980s, courtesy of Salvation Army Heritage Museum WA, Withnell House child home closed file.
    Details

From
1984?
To
1987?
Categories
Home, Hostel and Salvation Army

Withnell House was a youth hostel in Mount Lawley run by the Salvation Army from about 1984. It took its name from the boys' hostel that had occupied the same buildilng from 1953 to 1969. Around 1987, the boys resident there were transferred to Mirrabooka House.

Details

The 2003 Compendium of Salvation Army Social Services Soup-Soup-Salvation states that the Salvation Army boys' hostel Withnell House (1952?- 1971) on Guildford Road, Mount Lawley, 'became used for another two decades for a variety of residential programmes for both male and female adolesecents'.

The premises housed Withnell House Girls Home from 1969 to about 1972, and then became a cottage home for children called Cottesloe House until at least 1979. The building may have closed for some time before reopening in about 1984 as a boys' hostel.

A description of Withnell House written in the 1980s said that a youth hostel had run there since the 'beginning of 1984'. This suggests that Withnell House may have closed and re-opened over the years. In the 1984 program, residents were aged 15-18 years and Withnell House was staffed by three youth workers on a 24-hour roster.

Mostly, the purpose of Withnell House seems to have been providing a transition to 'independent living' for boys who were in education or employment. In 1987, the boys at Withnell House transferred to Mirrabooka House.

In 1993, youth services at Withnell House ceased and the facility was renamed 'Tanderra Hostel' for men. In 2013, Tanderra was being redeveloped to provide purpose-built short-term accommodation programs.

In 2014, Debra Rosser confirmed that 68 Guildford Road, Mount Lawley, the former address for Withnell House, had become a vacant block.

Events

1984? - 1987?
Address - Withnell House was located on 68 Guildford Road, Mount Lawley. Location: Mount Lawley

Timeline

 1984? - 1987? Withnell House
       1987 - 1998 Mirrabooka House

Related Glossary Terms

Related Organisations

Publications

Books

  • Kirkham, Lt-Col John C, Southern Soup-Soap-Salvation, a compendium of Salvation Army Social Services in the Australian Southern Territory, The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory Territorial Archives and Museum, 2003. p. 145. Details

Online Resources

Photos

Withnell House, 1970s
Title
Withnell House, 1970s
Type
Image
Date
1980s
Source
Salvation Army Heritage Museum WA, Withnell House child home closed file

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Information Services, Department for Community Development, 'p.341', 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; Kirkham, Lt-Col John C, Southern Soup-Soap-Salvation, a compendium of Salvation Army Social Services in the Australian Southern Territory, The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory Territorial Archives and Museum, 2003. p. 145.; Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory and The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory, 'Submission No. 46, The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territorial Headquarters (VIC), Attchments, Appendix A, The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory Childrens Homes, A list of openings, closings and function', in Submissions received by the committee as at 17/3/05, Inquiry into Children in Institutional Care, Parliament of Australia website, Senate Community Affairs Committee, Commonwealth of Australia, July 2003, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/inst_care/submissions/sublist; Notes entitled 'Rebe Taylor Salvation Army questions' sent from Debra Rosser to Rebe Taylor by email on 28 August 2014.

Prepared by: Rebe Taylor and Debra Rosser