Salvation Army Child Care Centres

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.

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 Number 18069 / P0001

Content: The files 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 the Salvation Army Child Care Centre is dated from 1971–84 and includes:

file VH 094 78:

• press clipping, 1971
• correspondence regarding liaison with social workers, cooperation between the department and Children’s homes’ social workers, 1972
• placement procedures and discussion points on pilot scheme, ‘operation home release’, 1972
• cooperation and placement of children
• minutes of first Salvation Army childcare conference, 1973
• plans to open ‘Lyndon Lodge’ 27 Auburn Road, Auburn, as an after care hostel for Bayswater, 1973
• correspondence including list of wards regarding transfer of boys from Bayswater boys home, 1973
• correspondence listing wards, 1974
• correspondence regarding Wallara cottage as a reception centre, 1976
• correspondence regarding changes consequent to changes in the department structure and updated guidelines for funding, 1976
• correspondence regarding staff, Salvation Army headquarters, 1979
• Allenby Lodge young women’s hostel (410 Burwood Road Hawthorn), financial statement, 1980
• Allenby Lodge and The Haven pamphlets, c.1982.
• correspondence relating to the need for residential facilities in the Glenelg area, 1982.