St. John's Orphanage

St. John's Orphanage
St. John's Orphanage in 2015
St. John's Orphanage Location in New South Wales
Alternative names	Goulburn Boys Orphanage
General information
Status	Demolished
Type	Orphanage
Architectural style	Federation
Location	52–56 Mundy Street, Goulburn, New South Wales
Country	Australia
Coordinates	34°45′42″S 149°42′37″E / 34.761641°S 149.710339°E / -34.761641; 149.710339
Opened	1913[a]
Closed	1978
Client	Roman Catholic Diocese of Goulburn
Technical details
Floor count	2
Grounds	2.4 hectares (5.9 acres)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	E. C. Manfred
Main contractor	King and Armstrong

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.

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