| Lombadina |
| Years of Operation | 1909 to 1975 |
| Role Of Facility | Residential child care for girls from Indigenous backgrounds aged 4 - 18 years of age, with also a medical clinic and school. |
| Sponsoring Agency | Catholic Diocese of Broome |
Other facilities in
Signposts that are
related to the
Sponsoring Agency | See the entries “Catholic Diocese of Broome”, “Pallottines” and “Sisters of St John of God” in the earlier section of Signposts, “Non-Government Agencies and their Subsidiary Institutions” |
| Address(es) | On the Dampier Peninsula, 189 kilometres north of Broome |
| Aliases | One Arm Point, Cygnet Point |
| Brief History | “A Piece of the Story”, the National Directory of Records of Catholic Organisations Caring for Children Separated from Families reports that Lombadina was “administered by the Diocese of Broome and staffed by the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines) and Sisters of St John of God [whose involvement extended from 1913-1969].”
For more information about the Pallottines, see entry for Pallottine Centre, Rossmoyne, in Signposts.
When the Welstat (national welfare statistical collection) definitions were applied in 1979, there were a range of other facilities, operated either by the Department or non-Government agencies, which were defined as “Other Homes for Children”. ‘Lombadina Mission’ was included in this category. Such a definition referred to “a residential child care establishment that is mainly for children aged under 15 and/or still at school, and that consists of either a single dwelling that is not a family group home, or two or more dwellings that share cooking and eating facilities” and which were not (detention) Institutions or Hostels.
The facility was listed as a non-Departmental operation. In the Annual Report of 1981, Departmental staff at Broome were noted as providing “‘welfare services to the communities at One Arm Point, Beagle Bay, Lombardina and La Grange, which are visited regularly.”
Mission Grants in Aid 1973 for a sewing and store room; in 1974 for two generators and a freezer; in 1975 for a kitchen/dining hall complex and upgrade of kitchen furniture; in 1980 for a basketball court and upgrading of the community centre; in 1981 for the completion of the Community Hall. Now an Aboriginal Community, Lombardina is not used by the Department as a placement service, but children may be placed with foster parents who live in that community. |
| Records | “A Piece of the Story”, the National Directory of Records of Catholic Organisations Caring for Children Separated from Families (available at www.catholicsocialservices.org.au/storage/A%20Piece%20of%20the%20Story.pdf ) reports that few records are known to exist.
Some records are held by the Department for Child Protection and can be accessed through them. Additionally, the Department’s guide, “Looking West”, should be consulted for information.
Church related documents and correspondence are held by the Catholic Diocese of Broome.
There may also be some records held by the Sisters of St John of God and/or the Pallottines. |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | For information about personal and administrative records:
Freedom of Information
Department of Communities
Locked Bag 5000, Fremantle WA 6959
Telephone: (08) 6217 6888
Country free call: 1800 176 888
Email: foi@communities.wa.gov.au
Website: www.communities.wa.gov.au
Province Leader, Sisters of St John of God,
Province Centre, PO Box 473 Wembley WA 6014.
Telephone: (08) 9322 1288 Facsimile: (08) 9322 1471
The Archivist, Pallottines Centre
60 Fifth Ave, Rossmoyne WA 6148
Telephone: (08) 9354 0208
Facsimile: (08) 9457 0344
Email: archives@pallottine.org.au
Web: www.pallottine.org.au
For information about church related documents and correspondence:
The Archivist, Diocesan Office,
PO Box 76, Broome WA 6725
Telephone: (08) 9192 1060
Facsimilie: (08) 9192 2136
Email: info@broomediocese.org
For general information relating to missions:
State Records Office, Alexander Library Building
James St West Entrance
Perth WA 6000.
Search Centre: GroundFloor Mon-Fri:9.30am-4.30pm
Telephone: (08) 9427 3360
Facsimile: (08) 9427 3368
Email: sro@sro.wa.gov.au |
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