Kew Cottages
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It has been suggested that Royal Commission into the Hospital for Insane, Kew (1924) be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2026. |
| Australian Asylums | |
| Kew | |
| Location: | Kew, Victoria |
| Status: | Redeveloped |
| Classification: | Idiot/Imbecile Asylum |
| Capacity: | |
| Opened: | 1887 |
| Closed: | 2008 |
Kew Cottages also known as Kew Children's Cottages and finally as Kew Residential Services is a decommissioned special development school and residential service located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
History
The Children's Cottages at Kew were first opened in 1887 as the "Idiot Ward" of Kew Asylum. Located on the asylum's grounds, the children's cottages were established to provide separate accommodation for child inmates who had previously been housed with adult patients. Although the Cottages only admitted children as patients, many of them remained in residence at the Cottages as adults.
The function of the institution was to provide accommodation and educational instruction for intellectually disabled children. Some Wards of the State and other various "difficult" children were also admitted.
Shortly after opening, the Idiot Ward began functioning separately from the Kew Lunatic Asylum, and became known as the Kew Idiot Asylum from 1887 until c.1929. From 1929 they became known as the "Children's Cottages, Kew" or alternatively "Kew Cottages Training Centre".[1]
In April 1996, nine residents, all men and aged from 30 to 40, died in a fire.[2] The two cottages, with a shared roof, had been housing 25 people at the time.
The institution was finally closed in July 2008,[3] after the grounds were redeveloped from 2001 to October 2006.[4]
See also
References
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- ^ Public Records Office of Victoria Agency VA 2852 Script error: No such module "webarchive". Accessed 19/9/08.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Nine Australians died in fire". UPI. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Maher, Cassie (2 September 2008). "Book reveals Kew's secrets". Fairfax Community Newspapers. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Maher, Cassie (16 September 2008). "Calls for ombudsman to investigate sale of Kew Cottages". Fairfax Community Newspapers. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
Further reading
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Manning, Corinne (August 2008). Bye Bye Charlie: Stories from the Vanishing World of Kew Cottages. UNSW Press. ISBN 978-1-921410-10-9.
External links
- Kew Cottages History website Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- Capturing Kew Cottages
- La Trobe University Kew Cottages history project
- Kew News (DHS) (PDF)
- Astrid Judge - Growing up at Kew Cottages Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- Kew Cottages Coalition
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