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Salvation Army Homes

Download a printable version of Records from Salvation Army Homes (1.3 MB PDF)

This is a guide to looking for records from children’s Homes, institutions and reformatories run by the Salvation Army. These records date back to the 19th century and continue up until around the 1980s, when these institutions were closed.

Please be aware that if you were a state ward and spent time in a Salvation Army Home, there may be more records about your time at a Salvation Army Home on your ward file. These ward records are not held by the Salvation Army, they are held by the state government. For more information about applying for ward records, please see ‘Where to Start’.

Please note that more recent records (created since around the 1980s) of out-of-home care services run by the Salvation Army are likely to be held by current Salvation Army services, not by the Territorial Headquarters.

Applying for records

Until 2019, The Salvation Army was divided into the Eastern and Southern Territories. The Salvation Army is now run as one National territory in Australia. All inquiries about the records of children’s Homes and institutions run by the Salvation Army now go through one centralised contact: the Centre for Restoration, located in Blackburn, Victoria.

Please forward your request for assistance to:

Historical Records Department
The Salvation Army
Weekdays 8.00am – 4.00pm
Postal Address: PO Box 479, Blackburn VIC 3130
Phone: 03 8878 2404
Email: historicalrecords@salvationarmy.org.au

Museum and Heritage Centres

The Salvation Army also operates heritage centres and museums to preserve and communicate the history of The Salvation Army in Australia. They hold a wide variety of collections, including the origin of the Salvation Army in Australia, Red Shield Services, musical instruments, uniforms and publications. The Museum does not hold personal records, but does have historical material that may be of interest, including photos, War Cry [the Salvation Army newspaper] articles, and other Salvation Army memorabilia.

Melbourne

The Salvation Army Australia Museum
69 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Manager: Lindsay Cox
Phone: 03 9653 3270
Email: lindsay.cox@aus.salvationarmy.org

Sydney

Heritage Centre – Sydney
120 Kingland Road, Bexley North NSW 2207
PO Box 226 Bexley North NSW 2207
Phone: 02 9502 0424
Fax: 02 9554 9204
Email: aueheritage@aue.salvationarmy.org

Perth

Major Dennis L. Dell, Director
Salvation Army Heritage Museum WA
Level 3, 333 William Street
Northbridge WA 6003
PO Box 8498, Perth BC, WA 6849
Phone: 08 9260 9500 (Tuesdays)
Email: dennis.dell@aus.salvationarmy.org

The South Australian Heritage Centre has closed and some of its material is now at the Salvation Army Australia Museum in Melbourne.