Unfortunately, historical personal records from this institution were destroyed at the direction of a former CEO of Presbyterian Support Otago. However, Presbyterian Support Otago still have a register of names which contains some institution.
To request access to information that Presbyterian Support Otago holds about this institution, you can use the form on their website that a Presbyterian Support Otago staff member contact the person, which is then passed onto the CEO.
People/survivors can also call Presbyterian Support Otago on 03 477115 or email enquiries@psotago.org.nz
Referrals through other Presbyterian Support Otago services will be forwarded to CEO.
Children's Home demolished in 1976.
Two Family Home units, receiving home, adolescent Group Home (Nisbet).
Gender and age:
Male till 1964
Female boarding (Cameron from 1967).
According to the DSW directory as at 1979 it took boys and girls aged 0 to 16 years and had a capacity of 24 beds.
1979: Adolescent unit (Nisbet)
Capacity:
Controlling organisation: Presbyterian Social Services Association (Otago)
1986: Somerville controlled by Dunedin Mission of the Methodist Church in NZ. Third-party provider to State, faith-based
Operational period:
Other information:
1985: This agency also operates private foster care services.
From CLAN's website: This home was opened in 1913, in a new building in Andersons Bay donated by Robert Glendining, who had also given the land. The home had a farm, which supplied milk for all the Presbyterian children’s homes. It initially provided a home for girls, and for boys under 10 years. There were about 70 children living there in 1916.
In 1921 the homes were reorganised – the children from Glendining Home moved to Grants Braes and Nisbet homes, and the boys from Grants Braes moved to Glendining.
In 1931 the PSSA officially opened a new complex known as Glendinig Presbyterian Children’s Homes – this was a move away from the large homes to 'cottage homes' with a mixture of boys and girls in smaller groups of about 16. Three cottages were built, named Nisbet, Cameron, and Somerville. A fourth group was located in the original Glendining Home which also accommodated the older working boys.
By 1931 there were about 60 children in the four children’s homes, with 15 working and school boys at Glendining. With increasing moves to place children in smaller family homes, the number of children in the cottage gradually decreased.
From 1964 the older boys previously living in the original Glendining Home were boarded out (the building was demolished in 1976). The cottages were then re-developed into two family home units and an initial receiving home.
In 1967 Cameron Cottage became a hostel for working girls from rural areas. Nisbet Cottage became an Adolescent Group Home for up to 10 children in 1976. Taumata Cottage, originally built in 1950 as a residence for the manager, was established as a cottage home in 1965. It later became an emergency house, and finally a family group home.
After Cameron Cottage was extensively damaged in a 1977 fire, it was redeveloped to provide a more flexible home – in 1981 it housed a family of 15, including staff, residents, and children of staff. While Cameron Cottage provided short term care, Somerville Cottage was upgraded in 1980 to provide longer-term care.
The homes eventually all closed – first Somerville, then Taumata in 1990, and finally Cameron and Nisbet in 1991.
Survivor accounts of abuse at Glendining, including summary of evidence provided by Cooper Legal on behalf of survivor and Presbyterian Support Otago evidence at the Royal Commission (Otago Daily Times 20 October 2022): https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/inquiry-told-dunedin-paedophile-ring
Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry Witness Statements from Day 4 Wednesday 19 October for the Faith-Based institutions response hearing - Jo O'Neill from Presbyterian Support Otago gives a statement from about 2 hours 10 mins into recording which covers part of the above (see from 2 hours 10 mins to 3 hours 3 mins of recording): https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/our-progress/library/v/525/witness-statements-from-day-4-wednesday-19-october-for-the-faith-based-institutions-response-hearing
See also Presbyterian Support Otago's response to NTP 529 for the Faith-Based institutions response hearing (paras 45-46): https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Presbyterian-Support-Otago-Response-to-NTP-529-for-the-Faith-based-institutions-response-hearing.pdf
Article from 27 September 2008 Home kids' celebrate a bond with accounts from Edith and Water Connor about their time at Glendining Homes: https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/home-kids-celebrate-bond
'Directory of residential facilities for disturbed children in New Zealand', Department of Social Welfare, 1979. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/40422924
31 September 2020 Affidavit of Anita Ngaire Easton for Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children to the Abuse in Care Inquiry
Orphanages and Children's Homes in Otago and Southland Reference Guide - Hocken Collections; University of Otago Library - retrieved from https://www.otago.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0031/249682/orphanages-758382.pdf
CLAN website entry on Glendining Home/Glendining Complex: https://clan.org.au/orphanages/glendining-home-glendining-complex/
Information provided by Presbyterian Support Otago to the Crown Response Unit on 27 September 2024.
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