Lyndon House Girls’ Home

Photo courtesy of the Salvation Army Heritage Centre.

Lyndon House was opened in 1942 by the Salvation Army.  It was also known as the Canowindra Girls’ Home.

Its first residents were girls from Arncliffe Girls’ Home (The Nest) and The Fold at Marrickville and two boys and a girl from Bethesda Maternity Hospital who had been moved from Sydney because of World War II.

After World War II Canowindra Girls’ Home continued operating, closing in 1977.

From the Canowindra Historical Society:

The Canowindra Historical Society and Museum (CHSM) holds some items which may be of interest to former residents and their relatives. Although the museum is currently closed because of Covid-19 (Oct 2020) enquiries will be answered and the museum can be opened to one or two people by prior arrangement. Contact the museum via their email address canowindrahistorical@gmail.com or via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canowindrahistory/

The building and extensive grounds were sold by the Salvation Army when they closed the home. It then became a non-government organisation providing alcohol and other drug treatment in residential and nonresidential programs until 2015 when the service was closed and the property sold.

The property is now in private hands and the new owners are endeavouring to restore the house and gardens to their 1920s glory. The name of the house has been reverted to the original, “Lucerne”.

The new owners have plans to allow the public to visit on an open day at some point in the future.