Abuse Law – Institutions – Brush Farm Home, NSW

State Government-run Institutions

The New South Wales Government established children’s and receiving homes, reformatory schools and detention and remand centres to provide institutional care and/or confinement for young people deemed to be in the need of ‘correction’. The Child Welfare Department were responsible for the management of these government-run institutions.

Brush Farm Home

In 1922, the New South Wales Government established and opened Brush Farm Home, situated at Brush Farm, Brush Road, Eastwood NSW.

Brush Farm Home (also known as “Brush Farm”, “Brush Farm Reform School for Girls”, “Thorbery Lodge”, “Brush Farm Home for Mentally Deficient Children”, “Brush Farm Girls’ Home”, and “Brush Farm Reformatory for Girls”) housed up to 60 girls who were then described as being ‘feeble minded’. Over the next 60 years Brush Farm Home housed many girls with intellectual and other disabilities, and from the 1970s housed boys.

Brush Farm House dates back to 1820 in Eastwood. It was leased then purchased by the New South Wales Government and had been used as a children’s institution since 1894, housing the Carpentarian Reformatory for Boys, Brush Farm and Eastwood Home for Mothers and Babies prior to its conversion to Brush Farm Home.

Brush Farm Home used Montessori and Kindergarten principles to provide some degree of schooling and vocational training. Housed up to 60 girls. In the 1960s cottages were added but the older dormitory-style accommodation was retained, despite its age and unsuitability, due to the increasing rate of intellectually handicapped girls in care. In this period it appears to have included a facility called Brush Farm Reform School for Girls, or Thorbery Lodge. From 1968 Brush Farm Infants’ Home was located on the site, in a separate building. Boys were admitted to Brush Farm Home in 1978.

From August 1980 Brush Farm provided temporary residential care of disabled children, mainly for respite care when parents or foster parents needed a break or a holiday, as a temporary placement centre pending long term care or during family crises, and also for behaviour training.

Brush Farm Home was managed by a Governor or Governess (or alike) who supervised and reported to the New South Wales government (through its agencies).

Brush Farm Home closed in 1988. The estate was purchased by the Department of Corrective Services, who re-opened it as the Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy on 1 May 1989. The property was been sold to Ryde Council, but in 2012 Corrective Services retained use.

History of Abuse and Concerns at Brush Farm Home

Brush Farm Home was notoriously known to have a dark history of abuse of children.

In 2015, a submission was made to the Senate Enquiry regarding “Violence, abuse and neglect against people with disability in institutional and residential settings, including the gender and age related dimensions, and the particular situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability, and culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability” by a survivor of childhood abuse whilst placed at Brush Farm Home. The submissions provide that the survivor was horrifically physically, mentally and “chemically” abuse whilst placed in Brush Farm Home by Departmental workers.

Survivors of abuse at Brush Farm Home have reported that their experiences at the centre have left them traumatised. Survivors have reported significant sexual, physical and emotional abuse perpetrated upon them by staff personnel whilst placed at Brush Farm Home.

We are specialist abuse lawyers and can help you receive acknowledgement, meaningful apology and financial resolution from those institutions and systems of power that failed to protect you from harm. If you would like advice in relation to a childhood or adult sexual, physical and/or psychological/emotional abuse claim in any jurisdiction in Australia, please reach out to Littles Lawyers today. 

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