| Salvation Army Boys’ Home (later, Hollywood Children’s Village) |
| Years of Operation | 1918 - 1992 |
| Role Of Facility | Residential care originally for boys, but later girls, with private admissions as well as Wards of the state being admitted.
By 1989, the Hollywood Children’s Village offered medium to long-term care and a planned respite program, with the principal placement aim being to “maintain family links as closely as possible with family restoration as an end goal.” In addition, the programs at Hollywood aimed to encourage the “spiritual growth of children in care.” (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care in 1988/89, February 1990). |
| Sponsoring Agency | Salvation Army |
| Address(es) | Karakatta, West Subiaco and Nedlands. It is likely that the facility did not move location, but that suburb names changed over time. Children who were resident at Hollywood Children’s Village in the 1960’s and thereafter would have known the address as Karella Street Nedlands (or Karakatta). |
| Aliases | Hollywood Children’s Village. |
| Brief History | Established in 1918 as the Salvation Army Boy’s Home, Hollywood Children’s Village became coeducational in 1969. The facility progressed from dormitory-style accommodation to a cottage campus model during its operational lifetime.
The WELSTAT (welfare statistics) Collection of 1979 notes “Salvation Army (Hollywood Child) Cottage 1-5” as a ‘clustered group home’ (ie. “a family group home whose grounds adjoin those of another family group home, or other residential child care establishment, operated by the same enterprise”) that was operated by an agency other than the Department.
By 1984, there were three cottages on the Hollywood campus and the Salvation Army also ran Withnell House for “youth in transition to independent living” in Guildford Rd, Mt Lawley [see separate entry in Signposts for Withnell House]. The program was a busy one: “Referrals to both arms of the agency programme continue at a steady and near capacity level. The resources of the one social worker, and a newly appointed administrator are considerably stretched to supply the support and casework requirements of this group. In addition to this the agency has accepted a preventive role and a number of referrals are coped with on a non-residential support / counselling basis.” (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee in 1983/84, Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care November 1984).
In 1985, the Hollywood Children’s Village comprised three cottages supervised by cottage parents and a relief worker. One other cottage was available if necessary. Most children were aged 12-15 years.
The National Conference of the Salvation Army in 1985 confirmed the agency’s movement “away from village-based services to a priority for family-based interventions” and a review of child care activities conducted by the Army nationally was underway. The Hollywood Children’s Village was, by this time, beginning to broaden its residential services to encompass family support. (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee in 1984/85, Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care November 1985).
The national review endorsed the continuation of the residential program offered by Hollywood Children’s Village “on the basis that it is placing high priority on parental involvement and family reunion, also that it is active in its efforts to professionalise its service, train staff and evolve in the direction of a system of family support services.” The future of the Hollywood campus, though, would continue to be reviewed as it was seen as more desirable to have children accommodated in houses in the community rather than within campus grounds. (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee in 1985/86, Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care October 1986).
In 1986, an additional cottage, Alinjarra, opened in the Hollywood Children’s Village to cater for children needing short-term and emergency care. [See separate entry in Signposts for Alinjarra].
In 1987 the CCRCC mapped the developments in residential services at the type of programs that were provided for children in the care ofthe agency:
1. Major Developments in the Residential Models of Care
- In-service training for Cottage Parents
- Professional staff development
- Youth care model
- Short term care
2. Range of Programs Provided
- Educational support
- Life skills and employment program
- Tutoring program
(Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee in 1986/87, Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care November 1987).
In 1990, the CCRCC reported that “following discussion within the Salvation Army and other agencies, the decision was taken to phase out Hollywood’s residential programme, with a view to establishing a broadly integrated range of services, both residential and non-residential which would be developed over time. A decision was taken to focus new residential services on young adolescents and youths, a high need group currently under serviced; to meet their particular needs a rostered-worker model of care would be employed.” (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care in 1989/90, February 1991).
Departmental files indicate the four remaining group care units at Hollywood were phased out from June 1990, with the final cottage closing on January 25, 1991.
Residential programs continued under the auspices of the Salvation Army’s Youth and Children’s Services, which was subsequently known as Salvation Army Crossroads West [see separate entry].
A limited chronology of the major events at the Salvation Army Boys’ Home / Hollywood Children’s Village, including admissions and discharges, is included in Table 45. |
| Records | The Heritage Museum at the Salvation Army’s Divisional Headquarters has a range of information about Army practices and facilities and holds some photographs and various other pieces of information, including some files from the years 1922-23 (for the Salvation Army Home, Karrakatta); 1924-48 (for the Salvation Army Subiaco); 1949-57 (for the Salvation Army Boys Home Nedlands); 1950-65 (for the Salvation Army Boys Home Hollywood).
In its Melbourne office, the Salvation Army has a searchable database of “The War Cry” for the years 1889-1896; 1896-1907; and 1910 forward. The War Cry edition for the Southern Territories includes information about Western Australia.
Departmental case records for young people placed in Salvation Army programs by the Department may reside with the Department for Child Protection. |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | Departmental 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
Salvation Army Museum:
The Salvation Army Historical Society,
333 William Street, Northbridge WA 6003
Telephone: (08) 9227 7010
Facsimilie: (08) 9227 7134
Salvation Army Records:
The Salvation Army
Territorial Headquarters, Southern Territory
(95 Railway Road, Blackburn)
PO Box 479, Blackburn VIC 3130
Web: www.salvationarmy.org.au
For people wishing to access information about the Salvation Army and particular residential facilities:
The State Library of Western Australia,
Alexander Library Building, State Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000.
Telephone: (08) 9427 3111 (local) or 1800 198 107 (WA country callers)
Facsimilie: (08) 9427 3256 Email: info@liswa.wa.gov.au
Opening hours for the Library at time of publication are:
Monday-Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday 9am-5:30pm;
Saturday/Sunday 10am-5:30pm |
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