AGY-400 | Protestant Orphan School

Full description

The Protestant Orphan School was formed when the Male Orphan School and the Female Orphan School amalgamated on 30 April, 1850 on the site of the latter institution Arthur's Hill (later Rydalmere).(1) The School was government-funded. Its Executive-in-Chief was the Matron; the other three officers were a surgeon, clerk and schoolmaster who were appointed by the Governor. The first Matron was Harriett McKenny.(2) On 1 March 1851 she was succeeded by Martha Betts (daughter of Reverend Samuel Marsden). (3) Annie Oakes Pringle followed on 16 March 1875 and remained Matron until the School's closure.(4) The Protestant Orphan School was one of those inspected by The Royal Commission of Public Charities in 1873-1874. The Commissioners observed that the barrack-type system of care was not in the children's best interests believing that they would benefit from the family environment of approved foster homes.(5) The State Children Relief Act of 1881 (Act 44 Vic. No. 24, 1881) authorised the method of boarding-out individual destitute children to approved carers - a system begun in 1879 in Sydney by an honorary body, the Boarding-out Society.(6) From 5 April 1881 the State Children's Relief Board began boarding-out suitable children from the various institutions including the Protestant Orphan School.(7) A total of 182 children had been boarded-out from the Protestant Orphan School when it was closed on 30 September 1886 by the President of the State Children's Relief Board.(8) FOOTNOTES (1) "Concise Guide", 2nd edition, Po-Pu, p. 49 (2) Ramsland, J. "Children of the Backlanes", New South Wales University Press, Sydney, 1986, p. 55 (3) Public Service Lists, 1875, p.54 (4) Ibid, 1885, p. 75 (5) Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council, 1873-74, v. 6, "The Royal Commission of Public Charities, 2nd Report", pp437-494 (6) Gandevia, B. "Tears Often Shed", Pergamon Press, Sydney, 1979, p. 105 (7) 44 Vic. Act no. 24, 1881 (8) Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Council, 1887, 2nd session, v. 2, "State Children's Relief Department Report, 5 April, 1887",p. 756, Appendix D