Yarra View Training Farm history in brief
In 1957, the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God established the Yarra View training farm in Lilydale.
According to an article published by Broken Rites, the institution at Lilydale was usually staffed by about seven Brothers and accommodated up to 90 young people, aged over 16.
It is believed to have closed around 1967, but we cannot confirm this.
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. See Find & for more detail on the history of child welfare in Australia.
Sources
- Find & Connect, 26 April 2016, First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011, viewed 21 June 2016.
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 home (c.1930–c.1985)
File; Permanent (VPRS Number 18069/P0002)
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 Yarra View – St John of God Training Farm for Boys dates 1957–86 and includes:
File VH-055-78:
- inspectors and visit reports 1957, 1963, 1966–68
- information regarding a named ward, 1959
- application for declaration and approval of Yarra View Training Farm for Retarded Boys, Lilydale as an approved children’s home, 1963
- list of wards of state to be transferred to the farm, 1963
- correspondence regarding maintenance payments for wards, 1963
- list of wards and correspondence at both Cheltenham and Yarra View, and comments on boarding out payments, school and so on, 1963–64
- report on a ward about to turn 18 years, 1963
- correspondence regarding a 19-year-old who required removal of teeth, 1963
- consents for surgical and other operations on wards, 1963
- correspondence regarding national service and wards, with names, 1965
- state wards in residence, 1966
- press clippings 1977
- St John of God bulletin magazine, 1964
- Rayleen hostel ward List, 1963.
- budget cuts and annual collection of data, 1983
Reviewed 24 April 2019