1917 - 1986

Scarba House for Children was established by the Benevolent Society in 1917 on Wellington Street, Bondi, and operated until 1986. Initially providing short-term care for babies, it gradually expanded to house children up to five years old. Under Matron Chapman (1920–1963), the home functioned like a hospital, demonstrating the values of its time towards minors; it had strict routines, an emphasis on cleanliness, and little consideration for individual needs. Children wore standardised clothing, ate regimented meals, and were denied toys. Though some former residents recalled acts of kindness from staff, discipline was rigid, reflecting broader societal attitudes toward child welfare at the time.

Many children at Scarba were placed there due to poverty, parental death, or imprisonment. Some were abandoned at the doorstep by mothers unable to provide for them. The home’s early years were shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, while the rise of social work and developmental psychology in the 1960s and 1970s began challenging institutional care. Research emphasised the importance of early emotional bonds, prompting governments to prioritise keeping families together.

In 1968, the Benevolent Society appointed a social worker to review Scarba’s operations. The resulting report criticized outdated staff practices, but little changed. By the late 1970s, public sentiment had shifted towards family-based care. The Society piloted the Maurice O’Sullivan Day Care Centre in 1977, but integration between resident children and day attendees was limited. Institutional issues, such as sibling separation and staff shortages, persisted.

With the Health Commission withdrawing funding, a 1979 review recommended reforms. In 1980, family group care was introduced, allowing siblings to stay together. However, rising costs and shifting welfare policies led to Scarba’s closure in 1986. Following an in-depth review, the Benevolent Society publicly apologised, acknowledging that many children had not received the care they needed.

Today, Scarba House still stands—a reminder of a time when institutional care often prioritised control over compassion, and of the lessons learned in shaping more humane child welfare policies.

Images courtesy the Waverley Library Local Studies Collection