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Types of records in 19th and 20th century
Explaining the different terms used in the guides
A timeline of recordkeeping in Child Protection and Youth Justice since 1986
Timeline of Victorian government departments that have administered health, welfare and youth justice.
Timeline of Victorian government records that document wardship
Former wards of state and care leavers can potentially have three sources of records.
When adoption agencies closed, they sent their records to the department.
During the 1980s, delivery of mental health services was transferred from institutions to the general health sector
Lakeside Hospital...
– provided assessment and short-term treatment to psychiatric patients in Ballarat...
Central department records and institutional records...
Yooralla Hospital School for Crippled Children and Adults (1918–77)...
Victorian Deaf and Dumb Institution (18666) was established in St Kilda Road, Prahran, Victoria to educate children aged 6 -16 years...
– originally a maternity home for unwed mothers; later a home for babies and toddlers; and finally, a home for girls with disabilities...
Western Region Residential Planning (1983–?)...
William Booth Memorial Home for Girls (1912–72) was established by the Salvation Army in East Camberwell. It accommodated mostly state wards between the ages of 4 to 14...
Travancore Developmental Centre (1933–68)...
St Luke’s Toddlers’ Home (1927–77)...
Talbot Colony for Epileptics (1907–61) was opened in Clayton. It was a non-denominational institution for boys and girls over the age of five...
St Vincent de Paul Orphanage/Home was opened by Father Gerald Ward and the Sisters of Mercy in 1854, to provide institutional care for boys and girls...
St Joseph’s Foundling Hospital (1901–75); Babies’ Home (1976–97) was established by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart as a purpose-built infants' home for up to 300 babies. St Joseph's was...
St Paul’s School for the Blind (1957 - ) was opened by the Villa Maria Society at 3-13 Fernhurst Grove, Kew. It provided residential school for blind or vision impaired children...
Rosanna Forensic Psychiatry Centre (1986 - 2000) Rosanna Forensic Psychiatry Service opened at the (former) Mont Park/Bundoora Psychiatric and Repatriation Hospitals Complex in 1986...
St Cuthbert’s Home for Boys (1948–77) was a Church of England facility, operated by a board of Management in Colac...
St Anthony’s Home (1921–97) was established by the Catholic Sisters in Kew, to cope with the overflow of toddlers (boys and girls) from the Order's 'foundling home' in Broadmeadows...
Agency history in brief In 1916, St. Helen's became a Licensed House. It was located in Wood Street at the corner of Gordon Grove, Preston. It later became a receiving house, a psychiatric...
Parliament Place Clinic (1977–85) provided a psychiatric assessment and counselling service for people with drug and alcohol dependency...
Mission to the Streets and Lanes (1886–1997) was established by the Anglican Bishop of Melbourne at 171 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. It provided pastoral care, food and shelter to women and...
Mission of St James and St John (1919–97)...
Queen Elizabeth Maternal and Child Health Centre (1951–c.60s)...
Murnong Clinic Community Mental Health Centre...
Meerindoo Youth Accommodation Service/Hostel (1977–current) was established in Bairnsdale to enable Aboriginal students without ready access to secondary schools to continue their education. The home...
Miss Heather Anderson Home (1968–73) was established by Miss Heather Anderson of Moonee Ponds. The facility functioned somewhere between a private foster home and a children's home with Miss Anderson...
- provided education, welfare and therapy for children with disabilities...
Maroondah Hospital Psychiatric Unit...
Mercy Maternity Hospital...
Lara Inebriate Retreat (1907-37)...
Kew Asylum...
Kilmany Family Care, Uniting Church group homes. It operated four family group homes in East Gippsland...
Lalor District Community Mental Health Service (1980–95) was located at 185 Cooper Street, Epping...
Isolated Refugee Minors family group home...
Geelong Orphan Asylum...
Agency history in brief In the late 1930s, the Australian Jewish Welfare and Relief Society was established primarily as a support agency for Jewish pre- and post-war migrants. In the late...
Gordon Institute (1886 – 1951)...
Disability Client Files since 1986...
Ellen Connell Home (1965-73). The Ellen Connell Holiday Home (a 'country cottage for children') in Fernshaw Road, Healesville was established by the Mission of St James and St John. It was a short-...
Fairfield Girls Memorial Home (1922–73) was established by the Wesley Central Mission at Station Street, Fairfield and housed pregnant, unmarried girls. Many of the babies born there were transferred...
Client Expenditure Recording System...
- provided advice and representation to departmental child protection workers in all matters brought before the Children’s Court, including child protection, supervision and guardianship...
- provided social work support to children and unmarried mothers and arranged foster care placements and adoptions...
Child Care Services of the Uniting Church...
More than 7000 children as young as five, from various UK church-run institutions, often orphanages, were sent to Australia after World War ll, many who had been privately placed in care by their...
- originally a small-scale service providing clinical psychology services and assessments of children. Today it undertakes assessments at the request of the Children's Court, and helps the Magistrate'...
- a treatment facility for female alcoholics before 1945...
–originally a long-term mental health facility and later a residential facility for people with a disability...
- and family group homes, accommodating non-ward children in short-term need...
Nunawading Youth Residential Centre (1991 - 93) was established by the Childrens' Welfare Department in Sprinvale Road, Nunawading on the former site of Winlaton...
Winlaton was run by the Children's Welfare Department. It was run as was the main training centre for adolescent girls. Winlaton was located in Springvale Road, Nunawading...
Turana (1955–93) was established and managed by the Childrens' Welfare Department in Royal Park, Parkville. Turana accommodated boys and girls of all ages, from a few days old to 18 or 19 years...
- provider of interim accommodation for boys whose situations led to Children’s Court intervention...
- Catholic provider of residential care for girls and boys of Italian origin, including state wards...
- providing long-term care for children aged four to mid-adolescence, mostly state wards, and a foster care program...
St Gabriel’s Training Centre (1975–94)...
– provider of family support services...
- providing short-term diagnosis and treatment of patients with mental health issues...
- training farm on 39 acres of land in Burwood East, for boys coming into care via the courts...
In 1937, Lady Northcote, an admirer of Kingsley Fairbridge and his Farm School initiative, left a bequest to establish the Northcote Farm School at Glenmore, near Bacchus Marsh, Victoria...
Alcohol and other Drug Services files...
The Victorian Government records relating to adoptions it facilitated...
- children's home for boys; the pre-cursor to the Child and Family Care Network...
In October 1965, following the foundation of the Cato Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, the Parkville Psychiatric Unit was opened under the auspices of the Mental Health Research...
- more than 600 separate adoption records were received from the Church of Christ Adoption Agency...
Circa 1920s, the hospital was established by two nursing sisters in a weatherboard building at 9 King Edward Avenue, Albion. It was initially known as St Andrews...
Greenvale Sanatorium Agency History Tuberculosis was the cause of one death in nine in Victoria in 1902. In May 1905, the first purpose-built public tuberculosis institution in Victoria, “The...
– established by the Aborigines Act 1957 which abolished the original Board of Protection (1860 onwards)...
Victoria’s third Regional Reception Centre and Approved Children's Home that only operated for 18 months to 1966...
- best known as the Bethany Babies' Home for unmarried mothers, infant life-protection babies, state wards and privately placed children up to about four years of age: also an approved adoption agency...
In 1896, Lady Sybil de Vere Brassy, the wife of the then Governor of Victoria founded the Victorian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (VSPCC)...
–a hostel for wards who were leaving the system and undetaking employment...
- for psychiatric outpatients...
- provider of accommodation originally to and later also boys (mostly siblings)...
- provider of accommodation for girls, originally in Camberwell and later in Footscray...
- Emergency Child Care Unit auspiced by the Melbourne City Council and the Catholic Family Welfare Bureau...
–for many years a long-term mental health facility. Later a residential facility for people with disabilities...
- provider of accommodation to young people 13 to 17 years old from the Warrnambool region who were unable to live at home...
- offering care to young people in the Broadmeadows region...
- the precursor to Turana where boys and girls lived before being boarded out, placed into service or placed into custody...
- an approved adoption agency in the mid-20th century...
- originally for orphaned and neglected boys, and later for boys with educational problems...
- provider of accommodation for children in need of protection...
- one of Victoria's oldest independent residential care providers for babies and young children as well as unmarried mothers; also an adoption agency...
–early mental health facility, later a provider of disability services and a psychiatric hospital...
- largely for boys with custodial sentences from the Children's Court...
- a non-denominational children's home for boys and girls to 16 years...
- accommodated boys 10 to 15 years originally in Olinda (Dandenong Ranges) and later in Croydon...
– provider of residential care for boys and girls aged 6-14 years...
– provider of psychiatric outpatient services in Shepparton and from 1987 a psychiatric hospital...
– small temporary care facilities established by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (later called the Children's Protection Society)...
- originally a holiday home for boys. Later provided respite and emergency care for children whose families were under stress...
– for many years, Victoria's main reception, classification and treatment centre for girls and boys in need of protection...
–Victorian Government mental health clinic...
–provider of accommodation to children 15 months to 15 years, including many with disabilities...
–provider of short-term assessment and treatment of psychiatric patients...
- an advocate for the rights of children and young people living in institutions...
–provider of accommodation and support services to Aboriginal children and young people...
– provider of accommodation and education to Catholic girls, many of whom were wards...
– a youth justice facility for children aged up to 14 years who were awaiting court hearings...
–provider of accommodation and support to vulnerable young women...
–originally a penal facility, later for young offenders with custodial orders...
Kew Cottages (1887-2008)...
–provider of residential care to boys, many of whom were wards of the state...
- initially a facility for military mental health patients (1920), later becoming the Bundoora Repatriation Hospital...
Sutton Grange Children’s Home (1957–77)...
St Mary’s school for the Deaf (1950–85)...
– a home for boys, young men, and later also girls. Also accommodated child migrants...
–originally established to house orphaned children, aged three to 16 years. Later evolved into OzChild, providing disability services...
In September 1907, the Royal Park Receiving House opened in Park Street, Parkville, providing short-term diagnosis and treatment for patients...
Presbyterian Babies Home...
Plenty Mental/Psychiatric Hospital (1963–91)...
Nazareth House Children’s Home (1949–75)...
–established as a hospital initially for mentally unwell military personnel, later becoming a premier Victorian psychiatric facility...
- established in Ballarat to offer young vulnerable women a safe home close to family and friends while they continued school or work...
– a psychiatric unit providing short term inpatient, day patient and outpatient counselling, therapeutic and consultative services...
- to house children up to 14 years of age on protection applications or safe custody orders...
- the early response measures to care for babies and children in need, later incorporated into foster care and adoption provisions...
- originally established to treat tuberculosis patients. Later as a facility for people with disabilities...
- originally to treat tuberculosis patients. Later for people with drug and alcohol issues...
Footscray Psychiatric Hospital (1978–96) - was operational at a site in front of the Western General Hospital. By 1995, it had 48 beds in three wards at 160 Gordon Street, Footscray...
Darling Babies Home...
- provided hostel services for up to seven young women and girls, 16–36 years, who had been released from Fairlea Women’s Prison, Winlaton and other correctional facilities...
- a home and special school for mildly intellectually-disabled boys...
St Nicholas Hospital...
- provided children in the Glenelg Region with temporary emergency care in times of family crisis...
E C Dax House...
In 1856, a group of philanthropic women and two young doctors founded the Melbourne Lying-in Hospital and Infirmary for Diseases of Women and Children in Albert St, Eastern Hill (East Melbourne)...
Victorian Neglected Children’s Aid Society (1893 - ) was established by Miss Selena Sutherland to rescue destitute and neglected children in Melbourne. Receiving centres opened in Latrobe Street...
Waverley Community Mental Health Service...
Try Youth Hostel - The Try Society emerged the early 1880s, reflecting the work of William Mark Forster with boys in Melbourne. Shortly after he established the Try Society Forster also began the...
Upper Murray Family Care (1980–current) was established by the Melbourne Family Care Organisation whom opened a family group home at 3 Norah Avenue, Wodonga...
Swan House (1968–83?)...
Sutherland Homes for Children (1908–91)...
St Joseph’s Home(s) for Children (1888–1997)...
Hobson Park Hospital history in brief Hobson Park Hospital, Traralgon, opened in 1963. It is referred to as an informal hospital in annual reports of the Mental Hygiene Authority and Mental...
- a psychiatric clinic and therapeutic service...
- established in 1980 but was financially unviable and closed shortly thereafter...
Established in 1896, the Queen Victoria Hospital in Melbourne was the first women's hospital in Victoria...
Orana Methodist Peace Memorial Homes...
St Aidan’s Orphanage (1905–81)...
- originally cared for boys 10 to 16 years, and later provided short-term care to both girls and boys of ex-service men and women, four to 13 years...
Salesian School (Rupertswood) (1929–c.97)...
Providence Children’s Home (1957–78)...
Overton Residential Nursery (1962–74)...
Hartnett House (1900–83) Melbourne City Mission Maternity Home was founded by Sister E Hartnett in East Brunswick, then Albion Street, Brunswick. The home was a 'pre-maternity home' for pregnant women...
From 1980–82, after the Bayswater Boys Home closed, the Salvation Army starting work to establish residential units in the Western Region...
Marillac House...
Dame Mary Herring Spastic Children’s Hostel (1965–)...
Parklands Clinic (1968–87) - In December 1968, the Ballarat Psychiatric Hospital opened Parklands Clinic at Lakeside Hospital. Parklands provided treatment on an inpatient basis for approximately 40...
Convent of the Good Shepherd...
Hillside Boys’ Home (1959–85)...
Lutheran Children’s Home (1950–76)...
Seaside Garden Home for Boys (1921–34)...
Malmsbury Youth Training Centre (1965–93)...
Smith Street Clinic (1958?)...
Kildonan Homes for Children (1881 – 2001)...
Yarra View Training Farm (1957–67) was established by the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God at Lilydale. According to an article published by Broken Rites, the institution at Lilydale was...
Wimmera Community Care (1981 – 2010)...
The Melba Centre (1970s - current) Melba Support Services Inc was established in the early 1970’s by a group of parents who were concerned about the lack of facilities for their children with...
Woodbine Centre for the Welfare of Mentally Handicapped Children (1954 – 2000)...
Victorian Society for Crippled Children (1935–77)...
Novar Receiving House...
The Gables (1962–85), was established by the Childrens' Welfare Department at 101 Princess Street, Kew. The state-run home accommodated up to 25 children, all wards of the state: boys about four to 10...
Pleasant Creek Colony (1937–68)...
Parkville Youth Residential Centre (1993 - current) opened in 1993 in Park Street, Parkville on the former Baltara Reception Centre site. Parkville Youth Residential Centre housed young people...
Illoura Children's Home (1964 -84) was located in Maleela Avenue, Balwyn, Victoria and was established by the Social Welfare Department. It accommodated up to 36 children...
Hawthorn Community Mental Health Centre...
Salvation Army Child Care and Family Centre, Jacana...
Houghton Lodge Hostel (1973-89) was established by the Social Welfare Department at High Street, Kangraroo Flat (Bendigo). It helped young people from institutions that were transitioning from school...
Kardinia Children’s Home...
Ivanhoe Girls Hostel (1965-93) was a government run home that provided accommodation for females. The hostel was located in Marshall Street, Ivanhoe...
Hillview House (1965–94) was established as The Harbour in 1887 by the Salvation Army in Cohuna Street, West Brunswick...
Hayeslee House...
Harrison House Youth Hostel (1978-81) was opened by the West Hawthorn Presbyterian Church at 50 Power Street, Hawthorn. It provided hostel-style accommodation. It's aim was to improve living skills...
Heatherton Sanitorium (1913–76) - In 1913, the Victorian Public Health Department opened the Heatherton Sanatorium for the treatment of people with tuberculos...
Heidelberg Community Mental Health Clinic (c.1970–c.90)...
Glenhuntly Rehabilitation Centre (1960–c95)...
Gippsland Family Services...
Glendonald School for Deaf Children (1951–91)...
Mater Dei Hostel (c.1977–97)...
Lyndon Lodge (1946-1987)...
Maryville Hostel...
Legacy hostels and homes...
Forest Hill Kindergarten...
Geelong Hostel...
Forsythe House was a home for young offenders run by St Vincent de Paul. It was located at 356 Springvale Road and 13 Charlton Street, Springvale, Victoria, Australia...
Grassmere Youth Services (1973–98) - In 1973, Grassmere Youth Services was established by a small group of welfare professionals to provide non-residential supervision and support for young offenders...
Four Flats Hostel (1977 - 81) was established by Four Flats Youth Services Limited in Hawthorn, to cater for young, homeless offenders released from Victoria's correctional institutions...
Echuca District Hospital is a public hospital, located at 226 Service Street, Echuca. It was established in 1882...
In 1921, a site in Gordon Street, Footscray, was bought with community funds raised to establish a hospital. In 1938, the Footscray Outpatients and Welfare Centre opened...
Emmaus Hostel (1975-c.78)...
Ernest Jones Clinic...
Donald Hossack Unit...
Dandenong Valley Family Care...
Records of mental health and disability services: central department records...
- originally accommodated homeless and destitute boys and later helped settle child migrants from the UK...
Colanda Training Centre...
- a peak body that aimed to promote the work of child welfare organisations and facilitate inter-agency communication. In 2003, it became the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare...
Carlton Emergency Accommodation Hostel (1977)...
- for psychiatric outpatients of Mont Park Hospital...
Pallotti College...
Pirra Girls' Home (1961– around 1980)...
Tweddle Child and Family Health Service (1923) was a children's home and hospital, established and managed by a Voluntary Governing Council, located in Adelaide Street, Footscray, Victoria...
Raelene Hostel...
Resurrection House was established in 1952 and run by a Polish order of Roman Catholic nuns in Essendon, Victoria. The facility was run as a day and boarding school for boys and girls...
Salem Home for Spastic Children (1956–c.77)...
Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (RVIB) (1866–2004)...
Salvation Army Child Care Centres...
Collins Street Clinic (1952–56) In 1952, Melbourne had two children’s mental health clinics: the Collins Street Clinic and the Children's Court Clinic. The Collins Street Clinic was a small unit in...
Pentridge Prison, G Division...
In 1926, St Nicholas Home was established by the Church of England Mission of St James and St John to accommodate 50 Protestant boys, including wards of the state, aged six to 14 years...
Methodist Babies Home...
Nathalia Student Hostel (1963–68) was established by the Aboriginal Advancement League (Vic) and the Australian Aboriginal Girls’ Hostel Committee at Nathalia (about 60 kilometres east of Echuca)...
Melrose Training Farm for Boys...
Nazareth House (1888–1976) was established by the Poor Sisters of Nazareth for aged people and children in the Ballarat district. Nazareth House cared for Catholic girls at six years...
Childrens Court Advisory Unit...
Norwood Outpatient Clinic (1956–c.85)...
- initially an outpatients, psychotherapy and treatment unit for adults and some children, later (1975) provided out-patient treatment for children and youths of all ages...
Moira Private Hospital...
Melville Clinic...
Mitcham Clinic...
- in the late 1970s, provided 'outreach' for metropolitan Aboriginal youth aged 14 to 18 years...
Lady Dugan Children’s Home (1970–76)...
St Catherine’s Orphanage...
South West Area Mental Health Service (1983–96)...
Koonung Clinic (1983–95)...
The hospital in Wangaratta was established in 1872 on the current site at 35–47 Green Street, Wangaratta. In the beginning, the hospital had 30 beds for the poor and destitute...
St Paul's Training School for Boys (1928-79) was established at Newhaven in 1928 by the Mission of St James and St John. It was located at Boys Home Road, Newhaven, Phillip Island...
In 1974, the Kingsbury Training Centre commenced as a residential institution catering for patients with an intellectual disability, located in the large Mont Park site in Bundoora (along with a...
The Melbourne Stake Relief Society is another name for the Adoption Agency run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (previously the Mormons)...
According to Find and Connect, the Seventh Day Adventist Adoption Agency only operated in New South Wales, however, there are a few files in the Department’s collection...
St John's, John, Sisters of mercy, Orphanage, Thurgoona...
Melbourne Juvenile Justice Centre (1993 - 2007) - located on the former site of the Turana Youth Training Centre, the Melbourne Juvenile Justice Centre (MJJC) was built in late 1993 at 900 Park Street...
St Faith's (1973 -84) was established by the Mission to the Streets and Lanes at 62 Wilson Street, Brighton. It provided temporary and residential care to children and adolescents...