Bayswater Salvation Army Boys Home

Full description

The Bayswater Boys' Home was established by the Salvation Army in 1897 at Liverpool Street, The Basin, east of Melbourne. It accommodated boys who had been placed in legal custody, on behalf of the Social Welfare Branch of the Government of Victoria. The campus included three Bayswater Boys' Homes. These Homes closed progressively from 1980. The Bayswater Youth Training Centre closed in 1987.

Initially, there were two Homes in the complex, Bayswater No. 1 and 2 Homes. In 1930, some buildings were transferred from Coode Island and set up as a third home at Bayswater to accommodate boys who had not offended, or who were not suited to the environment of No.1 Home. In 1947, Bayswater No. 3 Home closed and the boys were transferred to a rebuilt and expanded No. 1 Home.

From the 1950s, Bayswater No. 1 Home accommodated up to 48 boys on referral from Turana with fixed sentences from the Children's Court. The No. 1 Home always catered for older and more serious offenders in a minimum-security setting. Other homes in the complex dealt with younger people, less serious offenders, non-offenders, and those in need of special supervision and support.

The No. 1 Home was known as the Bayswater Farm and Vocational Training Centre as farming was its original focus. Training in vocational trades was later introduced. In 1960 it was known as the Bayswater Youth Training Centre and in the mid-1960s it introduced an apprentices' preparatory course.

Bayswater No. 2 Home was a separate junior section housing approximately 50 boys. In 1962, a cottage established for 12 boys acted as a halfway house between institutional care and return to the community, increasing No. 2 Home's capacity to 60- 65 boys.

In 1973, the Salvation Army opened Lyndon Lodge in Auburn as an aftercare hostel for boys from both Bayswater Boys' Home and Hayville Child Care Centre in Box Hill. Administration of the Bayswater Youth Training Centre and No. 2 Home was combined.

Bayswater Youth Training Centre ceased operations in 1987. Bayswater Boys Home became the Mountain Valley Youth Camp and Conference Centre, and the youth training centre became The Basin Farm, part of the Salvation Army's Bridge and Employment Programs.