Antonian Institute for Children/Children's Home history in brief
In 1959, an international Italian order of Catholic nuns, called the Daughters of Divine Zeal (Figlie del Divino Zelo), established the Antonian Institute for Children to provide residential care for ‘deprived’ school-age girls and boys of Italian origin, including state wards.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, the home provided care for up to 24 children in a congregate care setting. In 1966, its name changed to the Antonian Children's Home.
It ceased receiving departmental ward placements in the early 1970s. In 2016, it is known as the Madre Nazarena Students' House and provides accommodation for female tertiary students from overseas, interstate, and country Victoria.
Warning about distressing information
This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.
Disclaimer
Please note that the content of this administrative history is provided for general information only and does not purport to be comprehensive. The department does not guarantee the accuracy of this administrative history. For more information on the history of child welfare in Australia, see Find & .
Source
- Guide to out-of-home care services 1940–2000: volume one – agency descriptions, compiled by James Jenkinson Consulting, North Melbourne, November 2001.
- Find &
List of records held by the department
For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide to Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.
Staffing Priorities Committee, homes and hostels files (1976–83)
File; Temporary
Content: This accession comprises files documenting the recommendations for staffing positions for homes and hostels, correspondence between the Minister of Community Welfare Services and senior officers as well as funding information.
The Staffing Priorities Committee made recommendations to the minister regarding priority of staffing positions required.
Individual homes and hostels are listed accompanied by comprehensive material concerning each home, family group home or hostel. There are also minutes from the approved children's homes and hostels meetings from 1978–80.
The specific file relating to Antonian Institute for Children dates from 1976–77.
Staffing Priorities Committee, homes and hostels, correspondence, guidelines for operation and minutes of meetings (1976–80)
File; Unappraised
Content:The material includes ministerial correspondence, and Staffing Priority Committee minutes and list of members. The Staffing Priorities Committee made recommendations to the minister regarding priority of staffing positions required.
Family Welfare Division funding and accounts files (1971–77)
File; Unappraised
Content: Accounts and funding files for individual children’s homes, containing a monthly census giving names and dates of birth to calculate per capita expenses. There are annual reports of homes, income statements, reports on conditions of homes as assessed on visits. The records are arranged in a broad chronological order.
The specific file(s) relating to the Antonian Institute for Children is dated 1971–75.
Voluntary children’s homes files (c.1930–c.85)
File; Permanent VPRS Number 18069 / P0002
Content: The files essentially record interaction between the various voluntary homes and the government. This filing system was created in 1975, combining earlier correspondence and other records to create one system with VH prefixes.
The files relating to this home date from 1959–78, and include the following information:
- establishment of the home and its purpose, 1959–60
- name change of the home, 1966
- names of resident wards, 1960
- various reports, statistics and correspondence, 1961–78
- closure of the home, 1975–78
- operation of a day nursery, 1969
- press clippings and other ephemeral material with contextual information about the home.
Family Welfare Division funding and accounts files (1971–77)
File; Temporary
Content: Accounts and funding files for individual children’s homes, containing a monthly census giving names and dates of birth to calculate per capita expenses. There are annual reports of homes, income statements, reports on conditions of homes as assessed on visits. The records are arranged in a broad chronological order.
The specific file(s) relating to the Antonian Institute for Children is dated 1971–75.
Reviewed 06 October 2016