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Are you trying to piece together your care story?
For the many people that CatholicCare has supported both in foster care and residential care, their history during care can be lost and they may seek information to piece together their story during this formative time. CatholicCare is committing to assisting and supporting people as far as possible to navigate the complex system which may have become fragmented due to changes over time.
As a current Catholic provider of services for children, young people and their families, CatholicCare is committed to assisting people who lived in Catholic children’s homes, orphanages, residential care, foster care and other care institutions to search for their personal records.
CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay was established in 1986. Prior to this a number of independent religious organisations provided residential care for children in our current geographical area, which was then part of the Archdiocese of Sydney. In the interests of assisting former residents to access these records, the institutions known to have been run by Catholic organisations in the Diocese are listed below. If you resided at any of the homes listed, please contact the person or organisation indicated. The number and quality of records available will depend on the institution concerned and may reflect the record keeping of the time.
| INSTITUTION DETAILS | CONTACT |
|---|---|
| Manly Industrial School and Orphanage Years operational: 1881-1910 Location: Manly |
Good Samaritan Archives Postal Address: PO Box 1076 GLEBE POINT NSW 2037 Street Address: 2 Avenue Road GLEBE POINT NSW 2037 P: (02) 8586 6906 F: (02) 9692 8701 E: archives@goodsams.org.au |
| Our Lady of Mercy Home (originally Waitara Foundling Home) Years operational: 1898-1997 Location: Waitara |
Administration Officer CatholicCare Sydney Postal Address: PO Box 3127 BANKSTOWN CENTRO NSW 2200 P: (02) 8709 9333 E: adoptions@catholiccare.org |
| St Catherine’s Home Years operational: 1931-1990 Location: Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River |
Administration Officer CatholicCare Sydney Postal Address: PO Box 3127 BANKSTOWN CENTRO NSW 2200 P: (02) 8709 9333 E: adoptions@catholiccare.org |
| St Edmunds Years operational: 1951-1980 Location: Wahroonga |
The Principal St Edmund’s School Street Address: 60 Burns Rd WAHROONGA NSW 2076 P: (02) 9487 1044 |
| St Joseph’s Girls’ Home Years operational: 1900-1979 Location: Gore Hill (also known as Lane Cove) |
The Archivist-in-Charge Sisters of St Joseph Congregational Administration Centre Postal Address: PO Box 1508 NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2059 P: (02) 8912 4876 F: (02) 8912 4849 |
| St Joseph’s Home Years operational: 1887-1979 Location: Kincumber |
The Archivist-in-Charge Sisters of St Joseph Congregational Administration Centre Postal Address: PO Box 1508 NORTH SYDNEY NSW 2059 P: (02) 8912 4876 F: (02) 8912 4849 |
Some people’s records are held by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
We recognise that the important task of searching for information about your personal history, or that of a family member, can be challenging. Below are links to a range of resources which may assist and support you.
- More support for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants
- Find and Connect Australia
- Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN)
- CatholicCare Sydney Adoption Services
