| St Vincent’s Foundling Home |
| Years of Operation | 1914 - 1972 |
| Role Of Facility | Residential care and pre-school education of young girls and boys up to 6 years, including Wards of the state, child migrants and private admissions. |
| Sponsoring Agency | Sisters of Mercy |
Other facilities in
Signposts that are
related to the
Sponsoring Agency | See the entry “Sisters of Mercy” in the earlier section of Signposts, “Non-Government Agencies and their Subsidiary Institutions” |
| Address(es) | 18 Barrett St, Wembley |
| Brief History | Originally a home for infants, St Vincent’s changed over time to provide Hostel and family cottage accommodation and support for children 16 years and under, including short and long-term care with cottage parents. This service was provided by the Sisters of Mercy subsequent to the St Joseph’s Orphanage and St Vincent’s Foundling Home facilities. Now known as Mercy Community Services and no longer under the administration of the Sisters. Known in 1985 as the Catherine McAuley Residential Child Care Centre. In 1985, the Centre administered 9 scatter cottages (with a maximum of 6 children in each) and 2 satellite houses (for a maximum of 8 teenagers in each).
Related facilities, “St Joseph’s Girls’ Orphanage” and the “Catherine McAuley Centre” have separate entries in Signposts and these should be consulted for further information.
A limited chronology of the main events, including admissions and discharges, is included in Table 44. |
| Records | Admission registers are available for 1868-1928.
Case records post-1979.
Maintenance registers 1901-1948 and 1958-1972
Committal warrants to 1951
Baptism Certificates to 1972 (those for the 1950’s are missing)
Social security payments records 1960’s (those for the 1970’s are missing)
Ailments register 1915
Former child migrants can also access information held on the Personal History Index (PHIND) |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | MercyCare Heritage & Information Service
PO Box 202, Wembley WA 6913
Telephone: (08) 9442 3444
Email: recordinfo@mercycare.com.au
Web: www.mercycare.com.au
For information about children placed by the Child Welfare Department:
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 |
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