Warangesda Mission

Warangesda Mission was established at Darlington Point, in the Riverena district near the town of Griffith, by the Reverend JB Gribble in 1880 as a refuge for Aboriginal people.  The mission was originally called the ‘Camp of Mercy’ by its founder,

It trained Aboriginal girls for domestic service and served as a welfare depot for younger children from other reserves and stations. In 1897 the Aborigines Protection Board took over managing Warangesda Mission and the Dormitory.  At its peak, Warangesda was home to as many as 200 Aboriginal residents.

Girls from Warangesda were sent into domestic service ‘apprenticeship’ by the Board.

Warangesda Mission closed in 1912 and girls were transferred to Cootamundra Training Home. The Mission was sold in 1926. The site and surviving buildings were listed on the State Heritage Register in 2013. The Dormitory ruins were still visible in March 2014.