Historic Site: St John's Orphanage Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
By Throsbyonchurch on 27-Dec-17. Waypoint GA11269

Grab a photo of St John's Orphanage with you and/or your GPS in it to log this virtual.

St John's Orphanage, Goulburn

St John’s Orphanage was opened in 1905 by the Sisters of Mercy and the Catholic Chruch and operated for 71 years until its closure in 1976. For the first 7 years of operation St John’s housed both boys and girls, and was one of the first to do so. In 1912 St Joesph’s House of Prayer was opened and became the girls' orphanage, and St John’s became an all-boys orphanage. At its peak, St John’s housed 200 boys which was far above the suitable capacity of the building.

According to many records, the orphanage wasn’t the happiest of places and the boys were often subjected to slave-like conditions and barbaric punishment, the kind of treatment young boys should never face. There’s an account from a boy who stayed at the orphanage where he claimed that when you first entered the orphanage you were stripped of all your clothes and then given just one set of clothes (not even any underwear) and this one outfit that you lived in day and night was only allowed to be washed once a week. Having a pair shoes that fit or that even had laces only happened when you left the orphanage, they normally were given shoes too small or far too big. Beatings and other punishments were a common practice in the orphanage. Such punishments as being locked in rooms, canings, beatings and floggings were given out freely and regularly. Cold showers and neglect of proper medical care even when injured or sick were just a couple of the health risks these boys faced in their time there. Meals were sparse and often not appealing. Education was limited and based on religion and Latin. Only the more academically gifted boys were provided education past the 5th grade and these were done off premise.

After the orphanage shut its doors in 1976, it became Youth With A Mission Base Goulburn until the late 1990’s where people of all ages came from all over the world to do discipleship training courses and to serve on staff in this Christian Interdenominational Organisation.

There has been talk of the orphanage being torn down and turned into residential apartments and reports of it being restored but nothing has happened todate.

Photos of the buildings can be seen here:

          http://www.abandonedaustralia.com/2016/02/abandoned-st-johns-orphanage.html

          http://www.stjohnsgoulburn.org/history/

The orphanage sits on a block almost to itself, so you can drive around it and have a good look.

Please don't venture into this property it is PRIVATE PROPERTY, not only that but you could get seriously hurt.