Finding out the location	very easy
Access	very easy
Safety	very unsafe
Risk of being seen	very high
General condition of the place	very bad
Traces of vandalism	very many
Good place for taking pictures?	?
Did you see other people?	none or very few

Visit date    March 3 2016 at 9 hr
Visit duration    5 hours

Please be aware this building is currently not safe for exploration due to heavy damage from arson. Exploring may cause injury or death! DO NOT ENTER!!!!!


St John’s more commonly known as the Boy’s Orphanage with construction starting in March 1912 and it was opened in late 1913. While it was operational the two story building has had multiple additions added to it. In 1976 St Joseph’s Orphanage for girls closed with the remaining orphans going to St John’s or group homes. The orphanage closed its doors in 1978. A catholic youth mission operated from St. John’s up until 1994 upon their departure the building has been left vacant. The orphanage is now a crumbling ruin since vandals and arsonists have destroyed it.

Accounts of life in the orphanage vary greatly from the nuns being tough but fair to claims of neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse such as beatings and only being given one set of clothes that were rarely washed. Which of these are true? Who knows but prior to the fires making this building unsafe to explore as I myself experienced the feelings of the students who called the large building home almost as if the buildings had absorbed them or perhaps buildings do have feelings and memories and wanted to share.

Strolling up to the building dread and unease wash over and only grow stronger as you climbed onto the rickety front porch the big iron gates seeming so cold almost prison like, in the foyer a cold wind blew and the more I explored I felt sadness the bathrooms elicited fear and the chapel while brightly painted made me feel anything but cheery in fact it made me feel abandoned the halls and rooms like mazes were easy to get lost in often you would question how you got upstairs when you swore you were on the ground floor. Hallways seemed never ending and often you would hear noises that you cannot explain like chairs scraping right behind you or a child’s giggle, a few times I heard what sounded like sobbing from the bathrooms and a large pink room.

This building has been destroyed but due to being heritage listed hopefully she will be restored and given a new lease on life.

All photos are my own and I hold all ownership rights, permission must be obtained before use of these images. E.C.

  Text and photos are by Explorewith_EC. Click here to see Explorewith_EC's profile and other reports.

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