May Villa

Location

May Villa was established at Carlingford, or Dundas, by the State Children’s Relief Board in 1919. It was first a home for around 30 girls defined in 1919 as ‘feeble-minded’, but in 1920 it became a home for primary school aged boys who were also defined as ‘feeble-minded’. It had a special school attached to the premises and in its early years the teachers were trained in the Montessori method. May Villa continued to operate until the 1960s and is thought to have closed some time after 1967. The capacity of May Villa was 30 boys. In 1975, the younger boys were transferred to Brush Farm Home, and May Villa began operating as a Residential Care Unit for primary school-age boys, all of whom attended community schools.