| Hamilton Hill Hostel |
| Years of Operation | From around 1971 to at least 1991 |
| Role Of Facility | Residential child care for school children in a hostel setting. |
| Sponsoring Agency | Departmental - predessors to the current Department for Child Protection and Family Support / Uniting Church |
Other facilities in
Signposts that are
related to the
Sponsoring Agency | See the entry “Uniting Church” in the earlier section of Signposts, “Non-Government Agencies and their Subsidiary Institutions” |
| Address(es) | Frederick Street Hostel |
| Brief History | “Frederick Street” hostel is noted in Wilson and Robinson (1971) Aboriginal Hostels in Perth: A Comparative Survey as one of the Department of Native Welfare properties but it is possible that, while the building had been acquired in 1971, it was not yet operational as a hostel.
Education and employment hostels were operated by or in association with the Native Welfare Department mostly from the mid to late 1960s and early 1970s but came under the administration of the Community Welfare Department from 1972. For notes on a general history of these facilities, see the section on Hostels at the beginning of Signposts.
The WELSTAT (welfare statistics) Collection of 1979 notes the Hamilton Hill Hostel as a ‘scattered group home’ (ie. “a family group home whose grounds do not adjoin those of another family group home, or other residential child care establishment, operated by the same enterprise.”) operated by the Department.
The Hamilton Hill Hostel was also operated by the Uniting Church under a formal agreement with the Department for Community Welfare. It is likely that Mofflyn and then Sister Kate’s (later “Manguri”, see entry) took over management of the facility as the Uniting Church’s family services structures changed. It is also likely that Hamilton Hill Hostel is one of the hostels that the Department took responsibility for from 1987/88.
“Aboriginal students from remote country areas may have the opportunity to obtain primary or secondary education at metropolitan or regional schools. This enables them to obtain a level of education not otherwise available. Some of these students board out at aboriginal educational hostels. They live as close to their own communities as practical, and return to their community at the end of term. In the metropolitan areas numbers are limited to approximately ten to twelve secondary students per hostel, with no primary aged students. Care in aboriginal educational hostels is provided by couples who live-in fulltime. In the metropolitan area the married couple receive an honorarium and the hostel father maintains outside employment.” (Submission of the Department for Community Services to the Residential Planning Review Taskforce, March 31st 1987).
It was deemed necessary to continue to provide hostel services in Perth as there was “still a demand from country Aboriginal students at the senior secondary school level to find accommodation in Perth.” The emphasis in the Perth hostels was on “assisting students to reach their academic potential. They are helped to move on to tertiary courses and independent living situations. Six of these seven facilities are staff with Aboriginal house parents. Close contact with students’ parents enables them to be involved in decision making regarding choice of schools and hostels. A major issue is still that of student adjustment from country to urban school and living situations.” (Annual Report of the Department for Community Services, June 30th 1988).
In the early 1990s, Hamilton Hill became part of the McCall System of Hostels (though it was not listed among these in the 1995 review of Out of Home and Alternative Care services). |
| Records | Departmental records for children placed by the Department of Community Welfare or the Department of Native Welfare may exist. Of particular interest, if able to be located, are the Department of Native Welfare “Resident Details Information Sheet (1) Hostel and Private Board Placement ” and “Resident Details Information Sheet (2) Hostel and Private Board Placement”.
Additionally, the Department for Child Protection and Family Support’s Aboriginal Index and the guide, “Looking West”, should be consulted for information. |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | Freedom of Information
Department of Communities
Locked Bag 5000, Fremantle WA 6959
Telephone: (08) 6414 3344
Country free call: 1800 176 888
Email: foi@communities.wa.gov.au
Website: www.communities.wa.gov.au |
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