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Our History

Our History





In 1877, infant mortality was high. Not only were tiny lives lost due to illness and poverty, but unwanted children were often abandoned in public places or died as a result of infanticide. Sometimes these tragedies were the result of families in desperate poverty, many others resulted from young girls bearing children out of wedlock.

The attitude of the public at that time was condemnatory...pregnant girls who were believed to have ‘sinned’ must accept the punishment of pregnancy and should not be helped.

Fortunately in 1877, a group of Melbourne women voiced their concern about the high infant mortality rates and the plight of these disadvantaged pregnant girls and women who had neither homes, hope nor money.

With the assistance of Lady Bowen, the wife of the then-Governor, the women decided to raise money to give shelter to “the unfortunate, the dying babies and the fallen women”. Their fundraising drives resulted in the establishment of the Victorian Infant Asylum, which operating from a house in Fitzroy, took in unwanted or illegitimate babies and their mothers were given shelter and support.

The determination and contribution of these courageous women led to the establishment of what has now become one of Victoria’s largest and most respected child and family welfare organisation - Berry Street.

Changes in the organisation’s name give a fascinating insight into its changing role and changing society attitudes. The word ‘asylum’ came to have negative meanings and was dropped, the word ‘foundling’ came and went too and then in 1881, a site on the corner of Vale and Berry Streets in East Melbourne led to the ‘Berry Street Babies Home and Hospital’.

From early days, the training of mothercraft nurses in the specialised care of babies played an important role at Berry Street. In 1907, Berry Street implemented a formalised training program that later became the Mothercraft Nurses Training Program which continued until 1975.

As times and philosophies of children's welfare changed, so did the services of Berry Street.

The adoption agency was closed in 1975. By 1992 Berry Street had expanded into the youth and family services area and, in 1994, Berry Street amalgamated with Sutherland Homes for Children.

The founder of Sutherland Homes, Selina Sutherland was known as ‘New Zealand's Florence Nightingale’ and in 1888 she became Victoria's first licensed ‘child rescuer'. In 1909 Selina Sutherland founded the Sutherland Homes for Neglected Children.

The following year, her dream of creating a permanent home for children was realised when another generous and compassionate woman, Auguste Meglin donated her 40 acre property in Diamond Creek to Sutherland Homes. For nearly 90 years, Sutherland Homes was home to thousands of children.

The amalgamation of Berry Street and Sutherland Homes in 1994 created an organisation well-equipped to meet the challenges of child and family welfare in the 21st Century and beyond.


If you believe you were placed with Berry Street or Sutherland Homes for Children and would like any information please visit our Past Clients page or contact our Heritage Information Service on telephone 03 9429 9266 or via email (heritage@berrystreet.org.au).