| Pallottine Mission, Tardun |
| Years of Operation | From 1948 - December 2004 |
| Role Of Facility | Residential care and schooling of children from an Indigenous background aged from 5 to 17 years. |
| Sponsoring Agency | Society of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines). |
| Address(es) | Tardun, via Mullewa, approximately 200 kilometres east of Geraldton. |
| Aliases | Wandaglu Hostel |
| Brief History | “The Pallottine Order…[is] exlusively concerned with Aboriginal welfare” Wilson and Robinson (1971) Aboriginal Hostels in Perth: A Comparative Survey.
The Pallottine’s main centre was at Rossmoyne in the metropolitan area. The Pallottine Centre, Rossmoyne has its own entry in Signposts, and this should be consulted as it gives more information about the history of the Pallottine involvement in residential child care.
“A Piece of the Story”, the National Directory of Records of Catholic Organisations Caring for Children Separated from Families ( www.catholicsocialservices.org.au/publications ) records that the “Home at Tardun commenced operation in 1948 when disused RAAF buildings utilised during WWII were purchased by the Catholic Church and transported from Moonyounooka (near Geraldton) to the mission. The facility is still operational today and goes by the name of Wandaglu Hostel.”
When surveyed in 1971, it was noted that “the mission caters for 79 primary school students, 8 secondary level students and 20 Agricultural School students. Scholars proceeding to secondary level education are often placed at the Pallottine Training Centre, Riverton [see entry]”. (Wilson and Robinson (1971) Aboriginal Hostels in Perth: A Comparative Survey).
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”. The Pallottine facility at Tardun was defined by 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.
A limited chronology of admissions and discharges is included in Table 35. |
| Records | Records may be held by the Pallottine Order.
Departmental records for children placed by the Department of Community Welfare or the Department of Native Welfare may exist.
Additionally, the Department for Community Development’s Aboriginal Index and the guide, “Looking West”, should be consulted for information.
According to the The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies website www.aiatsis.gov.au , the State Records Office in Western Australia “holds extensive records relating to missions.” Contact details are below. |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | 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
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
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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