| Perth Girls’ Orphanage / Swan Girls’ Home (Swanleigh) |
| Years of Operation | 1868 – 1942 as Perth Girls’ Orphanage
From 1943 to 1959 as Swan Girls’ Home
From 1960 to 1972, as Swanleigh [see entry]. |
| Role Of Facility | Residential care for girls. Private admissions as well as wards of the state were accommodated. Following World War II, migrant girls were also accommodated. |
| Sponsoring Agency | Anglican Homes for Children |
Other facilities in
Signposts that are
related to the
Sponsoring Agency | See the entry “Anglican Church” in the earlier section of Signposts, “Non-Government Agencies and their Subsidiary Institutions” |
| Address(es) | Perth Girls’ Orphanage was housed at St George’s Tce, Perth until the facility moved to Middle Swan. |
| Brief History | The Perth Girls’ Orphanage was established in 1868 and moved to Middle Swan in 1942, to become known as the Swan Girls’ Home and subsequently Swanleigh [see the separate entry in Signposts for Swanleigh].
In addition to the entries mentioned above, the Anglican Church has its own entry in Signposts, and this should be consulted as it gives more information about the approach taken.
A more detailed chronology of major events, admissions and discharges is included in Table 37. |
| Records | The extent to which records exist is unknown, but Swanleigh does have an archive on site. See also a book, Noisy Mansions The Story of Swanleigh 1868-1971, by that institution’s long-serving Director, A. Roy Peterkin. Enquiries about Noisy Mansions should be directed to Swanleigh (see contact details below).
As a significant institution in the early history of Perth, the Battye Library may yield some information.
Departmental case records for young people placed in Anglican facilities by the Child Welfare 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 | The Director, Swanleigh
58 Yule Avenue, Middle Swan 6056
Telephone: (08) 9374 5600
Facsimile: (08) 9374 5699
Email: admin@swanleigh.wa.edu.au
Web: www.swanleigh.wa.edu.au
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
For people wishing to access the Battye Library’s collection of historical material:
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 Battye Library at time of publication are:
Monday-Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday 9am-5:30pm;
Saturday/Sunday 10am-5:30pm |
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