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Dictionary of Sydney

The Dictionary of Sydney
Subjects
Health and Welfare
Health and Welfare Institutions
Benevolent asylums

The Dictionary of Sydney was archived in 2021.

Benevolent asylums

Subject

Benevolent Society and Asylum

The Parramatta Girls Home

Benevolent Asylum

Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children

Government Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Women

House of the Good Shepherd Pitt Street

Newington Asylum

Royal Institute for the Deaf and Blind Children

Society for the Relief of Destitute Children

Thomas Street Asylum

Dalton, Richard

Dalton, Sarah

Elric, Elizabeth

Hicks, Lucy Applewhaite

Benevolent Asylum 1872

Benevolent Asylum c1840-50

Central Square before building of railway with Benevolent Hospital in background

Deaf, Dumb and Blind Institute, Darlington c1873

Destitute Children's Asylum Randwick 1866

Feast Day at Liverpool Asylum 24 July 1886

Joseph Coulter, Superintendent of the Randwick Asylum 1890

Lucy Applewaite Hicks at work at the Immigration Barracks, July 1879

Miss Wardle, Matron of the Randwick Asylum 1890

Ormonde House, residence of Robert Cooper, now occupied as an asylum for destitute children, Paddington 1853

Page from illuminated address to Simon Pearce from the Randwick Asylum for the Relief of Destitute Children 1881

Randwick Asylum 1890

The Orphan Asylum, Randwick c1875

The Randwick Asylum: How the Destitute Children are Cared For, April 1890

The dining hall, Randwick Asylum 1890

The quadrangle, Randwick Asylum 1890

Till Charity Do Us Part 1900

Toll gate and Benevolent Asylum 1836

Toll gate and the new poor house on the Parramatta Road c1821-3

Bonney Djuric on Parramatta Girls' Home 2009

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Benevolent asylums

Benevolent Society and Asylum

The Benevolent Society, and the asylum (and later hospitals, clinics and aged care centres) it ran, provided care and sustenance to Sydney's poorest from the 1820s. Although it was founded under the auspices of the Colonial Auxiliary Bible Society, it gradually became a secular, independent non-profit organisation.

The Parramatta Girls Home

As early as 1889 girls began rioting to express their anger at the conditions of the Parramatta Girls Home, an industrial school and reformatory run by the New South Wales Government from 1887 until 1975. Some 30,000 girls passed through the doors of what is now regarded as one of the most notorious institutions of its kind in Australia. Plays, documentaries and books have been produced about the lives of former inmates, greatly increasing community awareness about their experiences. The Parramatta Industrial School site is listed on the State Heritage Register and the Register of the National Estate. Parragirls, an organisation of former inmates, is lobbying for the preservation of the site as an International Site of Conscience.

Benevolent Asylum

Asylum constructed by the Benevolent Society in 1821 to provide shelter and care to the poor, aged and infirm. Adjacent to the Old Sydney Burial Ground (Devonshire Street Cemetery), it was demolished to make way for the current Central Railway Station in 1901.

full record »

Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children

Large sandstone asylum for 400 children built on 60 acres at High Cross Randwick by the Society for the Relief of Destitute Children. A new wing built in 1863 housed a further 400 children. During World War I it was used as a military hospital for wounded and disabled returned servicemen.

full record »

Government Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Women

Established in part of Hyde Park Barracks in 1862. Closed in 1886 and the patients were removed to Newington Asylum on the Parramatta River.

full record »

House of the Good Shepherd Pitt Street

Refuge for destitute women which operated in part of the old Carter's Barracks in Pitt Street before the building was demolished for the new Central railway station. The refuge's work was continued at St Magdalene's Retreat House in Tempe.

full record »

Newington Asylum

Asylum for infirm and destitute women established on the former estate of John Blaxland.

full record »

Royal Institute for the Deaf and Blind Children

full record »

Charitable organisation that educated deaf, dumb and blind children, and became one of Sydney's large charities. It moved to North Rocks in 1961, leaving its grand building to become part of the University of Sydney.

Society for the Relief of Destitute Children

full record »

Society formed by members of the Benevolent Society to raise funds for and manage an asylum for destitute children who were not eligible for the orphan schools. It aimed to be self-sufficient when it moved to Randwick and the site included a farm where the boys learnt farming skills. The children received a basic education andmany of the boys and girls became apprenticed to the Institution when they reached 12.

Thomas Street Asylum

Asylum established by the Benevolent Society to resume the duties of care conducted by Benevolent Asylum which had been resumed for railway expansion. It took in destitute women and children until the 1920s, and provided handouts to struggling families for much longer. Its forbidding façade has been incorporated into a hotel.

full record »

Dalton, Richard

Constable, deputy gaoler and master of the Benevolent Asylum.

full record »

Dalton, Sarah

Matron of the Benevolent Asylum.

full record »

Elric, Elizabeth

Matron at the Benevolent Asylum for over 24 years.

full record »

Hicks, Lucy Applewhaite

full record »

Matron of the Immigration Depot and Destitute Asylum at Hyde Park Barracks for over two decades.

Benevolent Asylum 1872

full record »

By

Charles Percy Pickering

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1107160 / PXD 524/58]

Benevolent Asylum c1840-50

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a623005 / PX*D 123, 1b]

Central Square before building of railway with Benevolent Hospital in background

full record »

Contributed By

National Archives of Australia

[C4076, HN107]

Deaf, Dumb and Blind Institute, Darlington c1873

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[on4_40169 / Home and Away 40169]

Destitute Children's Asylum Randwick 1866

full record »

By

Freeman Bros & Prout

Image courtesy of the

State Library of Victoria

Feast Day at Liverpool Asylum 24 July 1886

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, 14 August 1886, p16)

Joseph Coulter, Superintendent of the Randwick Asylum 1890

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, 17 April 1890, p 17)

Lucy Applewaite Hicks at work at the Immigration Barracks, July 1879

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Australian Town and Country Journal, 19 July 1879, p 120, detail)

Miss Wardle, Matron of the Randwick Asylum 1890

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, 17 April 1890, p 17)

Ormonde House, residence of Robert Cooper, now occupied as an asylum for destitute children, Paddington 1853

full record »

By

John W Hardwick

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1210003 / PXA 6925, 15]

(Mitchell Library)

Page from illuminated address to Simon Pearce from the Randwick Asylum for the Relief of Destitute Children 1881

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a2733005 /MLMSS 6395]

(Mitchell Library)

Randwick Asylum 1890

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, 17 April 1890, p 17)

The Orphan Asylum, Randwick c1875

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[DL PX 149, 36]

(Dixson Library)

The Randwick Asylum: How the Destitute Children are Cared For, April 1890

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, 17 April 1890, p 17)

The dining hall, Randwick Asylum 1890

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, 17 April 1890, p 17)

The quadrangle, Randwick Asylum 1890

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

(Illustrated Sydney News, 17 April 1890, p 17)

Till Charity Do Us Part 1900

full record »

The separation of Darby and Joan, as practised at present by Mr Bumble of NSW alleged Charities Department

Contributed By

National Library of Australia

[The Bulletin, 28 July 1900 p16 via Trove]

Toll gate and Benevolent Asylum 1836

full record »

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1528153 / DL Pd 7]

Toll gate and the new poor house on the Parramatta Road c1821-3

full record »

By

From the collections of the

State Library of New South Wales

[a1080017 / PXC 459/7]

Bonney Djuric on Parramatta Girls' Home 2009

full record »

By

Courtesy:

City of Sydney Council

Health and Welfare Institutions