St. John's Orphanage, sometimes referred to as the Goulburn Boys Orphanage, was an orphanage located on Mundy Street in Goulburn, a town located in New South Wales, Australia. The architect of the building was EC Manfred. The foundation stone was laid and blessed on 17 March 1912 by Bishop John Gallagher of Goulburn, who also blessed the building during its opening ceremony in late 1913. It was two storeys high, and several extensions were added to the building throughout its early history. The orphanage amalgamated with St. Joseph's Orphanage for girls in 1976, and the remaining orphans were placed into group homes. As a result, the orphanage was closed in 1978 and rented out to the Youth with a Mission Base until they left in 1994. Since then, the orphanage remained abandoned, until its demolition in 2023.
Run by the Sisters of Mercy and the Catholic Church until its closure, the orphanage housed males from the ages of 5 to 16 initially. Its capacity was intended to be 100 children, but this peaked to more than 200 during the Second World War. By the 1970s, the orphanage began taking in female orphans from St. Joseph's because of declining numbers of males. Until its closure, the orphanage took in more than 2,500 individuals for various reasons. Only four per cent of those who stayed there were actually orphans. The orphanage's residents were given a religious education, and were trained in agriculture. Accounts by former residents state that they suffered severe beatings and punishments, and that they were issued a single set of clothing that was rarely washed. Another claims that some residents endured sexual abuse and rape, not only by the staff, but by older boys, and the caretaker. However, others state that the nuns were tough but fair and remained in contact with them.
The orphanage is currently owned by businessman John Ferrara who has proposed a number of redevelopments on the site, including the building's restoration. The building has been heavily vandalised, and a series of fires have destroyed much of its infrastructure. Ghost tours have been conducted in the building. It has been heritage listed by the Goulburn Mulwaree Council.
Location
St. John's Orphanage was located in the southern suburbs of Goulburn, a town in New South Wales. According to the Goulburn Evening Penny Post, the orphanage looks over one of the finest views of the town. The main front part of the building faces north, and the entrance gates are located on Mundy Street. The southern side of the lot connects off Combermere Street. The total size of the lot is 24,000 square metres (2.4 hectares or 5.9 acres).
Architecture
Exterior, interior and surroundings
The building was two storeys high and includes an attic and basement. All walls are made of brick, some of which are hollow (mainly the external ones). The roof tiles were red, and the balconies have iron railings. The exterior design was plain struck brickwork, reassured by red bricks and cut stone. The entrance block was located on the westerly end of the front. Because of a sudden fall in the land, the pavement is several feet above the natural surface which necessitated a flight of stone steps towards the entrance. The main doors to the building had two windows alongside them and form a porch. The easterly end of the building had a balcony and a verandah, which were both . Away from the building, a milking shed existed. In addition, of land was purchased, which contained an ample field suitable enough for all types of gardening.
Interior
The entrance hall was with a tiled floor. The reception room was located on the right-hand side of the entrance hall. A moulded archway led to the staircase hall, with the stairs being at right angles to the entrance doors. Rooms formerly accessed from this hallway include the cellar, a sitting room which is in size, a children's study room that is by 6 metres and a children's refectory that was by 6 metres. A back door led to verandahs that were found at the back of the building that allowed access to various other rooms. A second staircase, surrounded by brick walls, acted as an escape route in case of a fire. The staircase floor was the colour of cement and is made out of hardwood with iron risers. The staircase also provided access to the chapel room, which was by 6 metres.