Thank you for joining us on a digital tour of what was the St Vincent de Paul’s Boys’ Orphanage. Today the building is home to MacKillop Family Services.
Before we start I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which I stand – the Wurundjeri and Bunurong people of the Kulin nation – and pay our respect to their elders past and present, and extend that respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people taking this tour.
My name is Jasmine Murphy and I work in the Heritage Centre.
This will be our fifth year of participating in Open House Melbourne. Traditionally we enjoy welcoming people face-to-face, but last year, due to COVID 19 restrictions we introduced a new online format. This year we once again encourage you to explore our tour virtually.
You can do this by simply clicking on the icons on the interactive map. Behind the icons you will find original footage from the 1940s, interviews with past residents, photos of the original features of the building, information about the architecture and information about MacKillop’s current work.
The virtual map focuses on five key areas of the building:
- Original entry hall;
- Original staircase;
- Our Heritage Centre;
- Our Chapel; and
- Our Southern Services area where we continue to deliver support who are unable to live at home.
This building was once home to thousands of children over many decades. The plaque at the front of our building commemorates and honours the lives of the children who lived here and recognises this site as special and significant.
Orphanages and homes for children have been part of the fabric of Australia’s social history since the advent of white settlement. Most of these homes were established by religious orders and charitable organisations across Australia to care for children who were orphaned and destitute.
Which is why this building was originally established by the St Vincent de Paul Society in 1857.
It was Victoria’s first purpose built Catholic orphanage and is today is one of the oldest remaining orphanage buildings in Australia. Find out more about the history of the building by clicking through the interactive map below.
You will also find information on how you can donate to help families to stay together and, where that is not possible, support children and young people to heal from their experiences, embrace new opportunities, and thrive.
Welcome to Open House Melbourne at MacKillop Family Services.