The material they hold includes admission and discharge registers, admission files (which sometimes include correspondence about each family or child), financial records relating to the operation of the Home, Home Committee Minute Books, and Management Committee Minute Books.
Gender: Mixed1936: Boys (girls and young boys moved to Epsom Home)
Capacity:
Operational period: Registered on 7/9/1929. Closed due to Wesleydale Children's Home opening.
The building was a joint gift to the Auckland Children’s Home Board from Mr A C Caughey and his sister Mrs W H Smith. It was 2 ½ acres of land and a house of 18 rooms. It was opened in 1913, closed in 1955.
When the Wesley Children’s Home was opened, the NZ Government was also running an industrial home in Mt Albert called the Children’s Home. To avoid confusion, the Methodist Home was called “The Methodist Orphanage, Mt Albert”. Six children were in residence on opening day 20 December 1913.
A further two acres of land was donated by Mr Caughey in 1918. In 1929 the name was changed to the Auckland Methodist Children’s Homes and Orphanage, Mt Albert and Epsom. The name change reflected the need to care for more than orphans.In 1936 the Board decided to close Epworth Home at Mt Albert. All boys were centralised at Wesley. All girls and young boys were moved to Epsom. 44 boys were in residence at Wesley, Epsom Home had 29 girls and 12 young boys – 85 children in total.
Foundation stone laid for new building 14 April 1954. Wesleydale was chosen as the name for the new Home. In 1956 all the children were moved to Wesleydale Home, Mt Roskill which was divided into boys and girls sections.
Main appointments (Board minutes do not always record appointment and leaving dates):
Controlling organisation: Auckland Children’s Home Board (Methodist)
John Kinder Library
Methodist newspapers to 1948 included an Orphanage Supplement printed each year from about the 1920s for all Methodist children’s homes in Auckland, Masterton and Christchurch. They can be searched in digital format, on the John Kinder Library website.
Search the John Kinder Library catalogue
National Library of New Zealand
The National Library of New Zealand has some issues of Methodist newspapers that have not been digitised from 1948 to the present day.
PapersPast:
Sometimes reports of children’s activities were printed in local papers.
Search PapersPast
University libraries:
Some university libraries hold:
The Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives
The Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives holds:
Search the Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives
Kei Muri Māpara
The Methodist Church holds digitised records on their Kei Muri Māpara website.
Yearly reports were presented to Conference and detail general activities within the Home. Individuals are not mentioned by name, other than some staff. 1900-2023 which include reports from the Children’s Home have been digitised and are available on the Methodist Church website.
Search the Kei Mura Māpara catalogue
Downloadable documents
The Auckland Methodist Children's Home Board Historical Summary 1913-1977 Rev G I Laurenson
Download the historical summary (PDF, 2.2MB)
The Auckland Methodist Children's Homes Ladies' Committee 1913-1983
Download the booklet (PDF, 661KB)
Account from former resident, Reverend Doctor Keith Rowe, of time at Wesley Home from 1947-1955 - from Mount Albert Historical Society Inc Newsletter July 2013
Download the newsletter (PDF, 1.9MB)
31 September 2020 Affidavit of Anita Ngaire Easton for Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children to the Abuse in Care Inquiry Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives.
Fact Sheet from the Methodist Church of New Zealand Archives: Methodist Children's Homes in New Zealand (2021)(PDF, 488KB)
Information provided by the Methodist Church Archives NZ to the Crown Response Unit on 22 May 2024
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