Dame Mary Herring Spastic Children’s Hostel

Dame Mary Ranken Herring history in brief

No history is available for this institution.

In lieu, some general related historical information:

• Dame Mary Ranken Herring (1895–1981) was a medical practitioner and a tireless worker and patron for many charities. She had a particular interest in children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities as well as child-care organisations and amateur sporting organisations for girls and women.
  
  
• Among other organisations she served, she was founding president of the Victorian Council of Social Service (1946-50), deputy-president of the Victorian division of the Australian Red Cross Society (1944-63) and of the Australian council of the Save the Children Fund (1962-67).
  
  
• In 2001, the Spastic Children’s Society of Victoria renamed itself Scope. In 2011, the Spastic Centre renamed itself the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

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 & Connect.

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.

Voluntary children’s homes files (c.1930-c.1985)

File; Permanent VPRS 18069 / P0001

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 specific file relating to this home is dated 1964–86 and includes:

• annual reports, 1973–74, 1976–77
• brochures, c.1970s
• application for declaration as an approved children’s home, 2 Huntingtower Road, Armadale, 1964
• inspectors’ visit reports, 1964, 1978
• requirements for children entering hostel, 1964
• press clippings 1976, 1977
• state ward payments, 1972
• correspondence regarding funding, payment to state ward and facilities not declared as children’s homes, 1986
• applications for and declarations as approved children’s homes, 1986 –
  6 and 8 Huntingtower Road, Armadale
  189 WattleTree Road, Malvern
  12 Almray Place, Glen Waverley.