The original Kindergarten and Pre-Primary classes were held in the classroom below and other buildings around the home that sadly don't longer exist anymore.
History of PCH...
In the winter of 1903, the Parkerville Children's Home, originally known as the "Emily Ayckbowm Home for Waifs & Stray Babies", or "Waifs Home", was established on part of the present site, by the Anglican Order of the Sisters of the Church. One of the original Sisters, Sister Kate (Katharine Mary Clutterbuck), was in charge of the Home from its inception until her "retirement" in 1933, when she founded Sister Kate's Children's Home in Queens Park. The site of the Parkerville Children's Home had previously been the location of a sawmill belonging to the Sexton brothers (Site 153). The Sister's first accommodation, an old slab-sided barn, no longer exists. By early 1906, a brick cottage, financed by Guildford resident, Walter Padbury, and said to be one of the first brick buildings in the Parkerville area, was officially opened. The timber cottage "St. Nicholas", donated by Sister Kate's father, was opened on the same day. Other timber cottages at the time were "The Lodge" ( the first nursery built in 1903), "Noah's Ark" (1904), "Guildford" (1905) and "Beaconsfield". A brick school house, and dining room and kitchen were erected and a steam engine was put in to supply the Home with water. In September 1909, the original timber chapel of St Michael and All Angels was consecrated and the Home was added to the list of State orphanages.
Initially, the home survived primarily on philanthropic donations, and voluntary efforts from people such as Walter Padbury, Charles Harper, Sister Kate's father, the Guildford Anglican Minister's wife Mrs. W. Everingham, and funds from the Sisters' Anglican High School, now Perth College. Later, the efforts of J.H. Worthington, Company Secretary of Wesfarmers, were recognised when the dining hall, originally built in 1936, was refurbished in 1967 and renamed in his honour. Although modified in later years, the cottage care system instituted by the Sisters was in marked contrast to the large two storey buildings operating for the care of children elsewhere. This deliberate decision by the Sisters to raise the children in as homelike an atmosphere as possible, surrounded by an attractive, natural environment, was unusual for the time and is similar to current childcare philosophy. The numbers of children at Parkerville Children's Home increased from 22 in 1903, to approximately 109 in 1914.
A kindergarten commenced in the Easter term of 1912, in a room in "St Gabriel's " cottage. This was the same year as the first kindergarten in WA, and was claimed to be the first kindergarten in an institution in Australia. In 1913, a large room was added to "The Lodge", to make a new school with two classrooms. This school, with further additions, operated until 1949, when the children attended the separate Parkerville Village School (Site 72). When Sister Kate left Parkerville in 1933, she was replaced by two Sisters from the Anglican Community of the Sacred Advent in Brisbane. The laundry, dining hall and kitchen, were built in 1936. In 1940, control returned to the Sisters of the Church. Their residence was built in 1941.
After the Second World War, the Home operated with a Board, and a series of managers including Major Owens, Jack Wales, Bill Couche, Jim Semple and in 1978, the present Director, David Roberts. In the early 1970s, the re-introduction of the Sister's philosophies and objectives reduced the number of children in each cottage and saw the introduction of the first qualified social worker and education officer. In 1976, four brick cottages (Narbethong, Ural la, Waminda and Barooga) were built. In 1979 and 1981, two associated cottages were built in Belmont and Fremantle.
At the present, the site's most significant remaining buildings include; Padbury House (1906), St. Gabriels (c. 1910), timber cottages from the 1920's and 30's, George Turner Cottage (1929) which was donated by the Theatrical Employees Association and designed by architect Ednie-Brown, the school buildings (c. 1914), the Chapel (1909, 1922 and 1959), the dining room (1936 & 1967), Sisters Residence (1941), and trees such as large pines, marri and jarrah.
Parkerville Children's Home (Inc) operates under the auspices of the Anglican Church. It is a residential child care facility using the cottage system with appropriate social work and education support services, thereby maintaining the ideals of the founding Sisters.
Thank you to Parkerville Primary School for the great photo!
Information courtesy of State Heritage Council
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