| Alexandra Home, North Perth |
| Years of Operation | 1913 - 1959 |
| Role Of Facility | Home for unmarried mothers and temporary shelter for women and young children. |
| Sponsoring Agency | Private committe of management. |
Other facilities in
Signposts that are
related to the
Sponsoring Agency | Ngala.
Ngala has its own entry in Signposts, and this should be consulted as it takes up the story of the institution that started with the Home of Mercy, which then became the Alexandra Home, which in its turn was succeeded by Ngala. |
| Address(es) | 55 Lincoln Street, Perth |
| Aliases | Home of Mercy |
| Brief History | There was a progression from the Home of Mercy to the Alexandra Home as documented in “The Open Door” (this publication available at the Battye Library).
In 1951 it was reported that the Alexandra Home “caters for the unmarried mother and her child and also conducts a Mothercraft training school.” (Annual Report of the Child Welfare Department, June 30th 1951).
“The Alexandra Home for unmarried mothers welcomes and protects many girls who are the concern of the Department. Very many of the babies born to those girls are placed in adoption through the Department. That Home is also the training school for Mothercraft Nurses in this State. In the year here reviewed the Government has assured the Committee of the Home of an amount of £100,000 towards the erection of a new and enlarged Home, in which unmarried mothers and their babies will be cared for and in which both Infant Health as well as Mothercraft nurses will be trained. That new Home will also care for defective infants and children up to 3 years of age, who are in the care of the Child Welfare Department.” (Annual Report of the Child Welfare Department, June 30th 1957
“The Alexandra Home ceased to exist during the year and as from the 1st September, 1959 Ngala Mothercraft Home [see entry] took over the responsibility of accepting children up to three years of age who normally would have been admitted to the Child Welfare Reception Home.” (Annual Report of the Child Welfare Department, June 30th 1960).
A limited chronology of admissions and discharges is included in Table 1. |
| Records | Minutes of meetings the Home of Mercy and Alexandra Home may be held at the Battye Library.
Young women or babies from the Alexandra Home may have records about them held in the Department’s client files but no records from the Alexandra Home are known to exist. |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | 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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