Lady Dugan Children's Home history in brief
In 1970, the Social Welfare Department leased the Lady Dugan Home in Malvern from the Australian Red Cross, initially for a period of three years.
Lady Dugan accommodated about 34 children, all wards of the state. They ranged in ages but most were pre-school children between two to five years, and their school age siblings. They had been transferred from Allambie and regional reception centres, Mirallee and Warrawee.
Insufficient family group home options meant Lady Dugan’s lease was extended. Once children and were transferred to family group homes and other placements, Lady Dugan closed in 1976.
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.
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.
Departmental children’s homes (1971-76)
File ; Unappraised
Content: The files record interaction between the various departmental homes and the department. This filing system was created in 1975, combining earlier correspondence and other records to create one system with DH prefixes.
The specific file(s) relating to this home date from 1971–76 and include:
- declaration of Institution as an approved children’s home on 26 January 1971
- ward names, numbers, admissions, discharges 1971
- report of visit, 4 November 1971
- list of children, 17 February 1972
- assessment of children as at 20 May 1975
- staff file, rosters, comments, 1973–76.
Community Services Victoria (and predecessor departments) personnel files (c.1950s-88)
File ; Unappraised
Content: This series comprises the central employee filing system for the department.
These files chart each employee’s history including the following contents: employee's name, date commenced, positions held, leave details, position changes and promotions, salary increases, and termination details. Some files include the employee's leave card as well as various employment history details. These records are arranged in alphabetical order by surname.
The files include staff working at the reception centres, training centres and children’s homes.
Reviewed 10 August 2016