Roelands Aboriginal Mission facts for kids

Roelands Aboriginal Mission, also known as Roelands Native Mission or simply Roelands Mission, was a special farm property. It was used to house Aboriginal children from a group known as the Stolen Generations.

How Roelands Mission Started

The story of Roelands Mission begins with a man named Peter Albany Bell. After he stopped working in 1928, Mr. Bell bought a large piece of land. It was about 3,750 acres near Roelands, not far from Bunbury.

Mr. Bell first used this land to create something called the Chandler Home for Unemployed Boys. He was a kind person who wanted to help young people. He had worked as a Justice of the Peace in the Children's Court. This means he helped make decisions in legal cases involving children. He also saw how young people were treated in other countries during a business trip in 1915. These experiences made him want to help.

Later, Mr. Bell used the same land to start the Roelands Native Mission Farm. His idea was for it to be a farm that could support itself. It was meant to be a place for Aboriginal families to live and work.

Life at the Mission Farm

By 1941, the farm was used only for Aboriginal children. Over the next 34 years, more than 500 children lived there. These children were part of the Stolen Generations. They came from many places, some from as far away as the Pilbara region in Western Australia.

In 1946, the Roelands Native Mission Farm became connected with the United Aborigines Mission. This was a group that worked with Aboriginal people.

Changes Over Time

On July 1, 1973, the name of the mission changed to Roelands Homes Incorporated. It became part of a larger group called the Missionary Fellowship. This group included other organizations that ran similar missions. During this time, Roelands also had other smaller properties. These included Wollaston in Bunbury and the Valima Girls' Hostel in Perth.

In 1975, a group called the Churches of Christ Federal Aborigines Mission Board bought the property. They decided to close the mission as it was. Instead, they changed it into Roelands Village.

Roelands Today

In 2013, the Roelands Village property was updated. The goal was to turn it into a "place of healing" and education. This means it became a place where people could find support and learn.