James Burns

Sir James Burns

Burnside was established with a grant of 45 acres in North Parramatta and one thousand pounds from Sir James Burns of Burns Philp & Co in 1910.

Sir James Burns was born on 10th February, 1846 at Polmont, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He came to Australia with his brother in 1862 and, after working in Queensland as a jackeroo, joined the Gympie gold rush in 1867, making large profits. This was followed by business ventures culminating in the Burns Philp & Co business.

Late in 1876, James Burns moved to North Parramatta and built his home ‘Gowan Brae’. In 1891 he joined the Parramatta troop of the 1st Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales Lancers) From September 1897 to June 1903 he commanded the regiment as its Lieutenant-Colonel and was Colonel of the 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade from July 1903 to January 1907.

James Burns was married twice. In 1875 in Brisbane he married Mary Susan Ledingham, who died just over a year later leaving a baby daughter. He married his second wife, Mary Heron Morris, at Elsternwick, Victoria in 1880. She died in 1904 leaving three sons and two daughters.

James Burns lost two of his three sons to the Great War. His youngest son, Robert, was killed on the battlefield at Pozieres, France, in July 1916 aged 28 years. His second son, John, came home, but returned to Palestine where he served until the war ended. He died from injuries received in the war in February 1921, aged 36 years.

James Burns later developed a scheme to insure enlisted men with dependants, and he established soldiers’ homes where injured soldiers and their families could reside after their return from the war.

In 1917 he was given a Knighthood (the Order of St Michael and St George) for his pioneering service to the Empire in the Pacific.

Ronald G Macintyre

Dr Ronald George Macintyre

Instrumental to the success of Burnside Homes was the work of Dr Ronald George Macintyre who was born in Melbourne in 1863.

In 1916 Dr Macintyre was appointed Moderator-General of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and received an O.B.E. (Order of the British Empire) in 1918. This was followed by an honorary degree, the Doctor of Divinity (D.D.), from the University of Edinburgh in 1919. He was also awarded C.M.G. (Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George) in 1926. After 18 years as professor at St. Andrew’s College (1909 and 1927), McIntyre resigned his professoriate to take up the newly created position of Managing Director of the Burnside Homes.

The Story of Burnside

He took up the position at a critical period in the history of Burnside. At the time the development of the Burnside Homes seemed in jeopardy after the death of Sir James in 1923. Dr Macintyre was able to place the Burnside Homes on a sound footing once again. He relinquished this position in 1934, but remained actively associated with the Burnside Homes as a Director and Honorary Treasurer from 1929, and Honorary Advisory Director from 1939 until 1946. Dr Macintyre resigned from the Board of Directors of Burnside Homes in 1947 after 37 years of active service.

One last task Dr Macintyre accomplished was to set down the history of Burnside Homes to that time, and in 1947 The Story of Burnside was published. He dedicated the book to his wife, Mary Macintyre, remembered at Burnside as Sister Parkinson. Dr Macintyre died in June 1954 aged 91.

Burnside Homes

The establishment of Burnside by James Burns was one of the most important acts of this businessman, shipowner and philanthropist. Dr Macintyre estimated that Sir James had spent something in the region of £100,000 on Burnside during his lifetime. When he died he left large bequests to the Homes including Gowan Brae mansion and 200 acres of land, making the total donations nearly £200,000.

The inspiration for Burnside Homes came when Sir James was travelling by train from the Blue Mountains to Sydney and noticed the orphanages and institutions of the Roman Catholic Church. He was prompted to wonder why his own Presbyterian Church had not provided similar facilities for Australian orphans. He approached the Presbyterian Assembly with his idea which was well received as they had similar concerns voiced in their 1906 report on destitute children. As a result a provisional board was established to plan the construction of the orphanage.

Gowan Brae

The Burnside Homes were modelled on the Quarriers Homes in Scotland which used the cottage system. Under this system each matron ordered her own provisions through the homes store. She also did her own cooking so that the children could live, sleep and eat in their own home and play on their own lawn.

Each home had approximately 30 children which was a great improvement on some of the homes in the state, such as Randwick Asylum of Destitute Children, now part of the Prince of Wales Hospital. It had over 800 children at the peak of its operation. This kind of crowding produced a number of health problems.

The first Burnside Home, Blairgowrie, was opened in June 1911 by Lady Dudley, wife of the third Governor General of Australia. In 1912, the second Home, Cumbrae, was opened by Lady Denman, wife of Australia’s fourth Governor-General. These were followed by Dunkeld, Airlie (the administrative block), Eskdale, Novar, Glencoe, Robertson, Ivanhoe, Blackwood, Son of the Rock and The Murdoch School.

The first hospital, opened in 1917, was The Margaret Harris Hospital. Sargood Hall was opened in 1919 on the north side of Pennant Hills Road. It served as a Sunday School and later as a cinema (first with silent movies and later with ‘talkies’) and was also used for concerts and speech nights.

War Memorial Home

In 1922 both the War Memorial Home and the Murdoch School and Reid Home were opened. The War Memorial Home enabled Burnside Homes to respond to the special needs of soldiers’ dependents and could accommodate 70 children and staff.

All together 15 homes were opened. The school began in 1922 and by 1923 there were 500 children in residence.

Burnside Homes were self sufficient. They grew all their own food, and had their own dairy. The boys worked on the farm and the girls helped out with the domestic duties. The Burnside children were in great demand for employment particularly on the farms and in domestic service.

The Depression, which had begun in 1929, took its toll on the working men and women of Australia. Each year, as social conditions worsened, the numbers of children in the Homes increased until, in 1934, the Homes were operating to full capacity with 540 children resident. Burnside Homes did not suffer terribly from shortage of food as many of their needs were met by produce from their own grounds.

Glencoe Home

Burnside Homes always endeavoured to find places for all children who reached 16 years of age. Even in the Depression the children were found jobs. When children were learning business in a workshop or office and the proper wage was not sufficient to maintain them in the community, Burnside would subsidise their wages until they received enough money to keep themselves. It was considered unwise to deprive the child of a chance to learn a trade.

Even in the '30s thought was given to the aftercare of the Burnside children, with letters of greeting being sent each Christmas to all children whose addresses were held at Burnside Homes and reunions were held to encourage old friends to meet again.

During World War II the homes were relocated to the Blue Mountains. This move was thought to be safer for the 500 children and staff. After relocation the army took over the Burnside Buildings at Parramatta and were used by them as the Eastern Command Base.

Some of the boys stayed in the farm home on the property and every day food and milk were sent up on the train, morning and night. The teachers also travelled to the mountains every day to teach the children.

Ivanhoe Home

In 1941 the Christina Campbell Farm Home was officially opened and accommodated 25 older boys who had left school. The Robertson Pavilion and a new swimming pool were also completed early this year.

When the war ended a smaller number of children returned to Burnside Homes. 500 children went up and only 355 returned. This was because no new children were accepted while they were in the mountains, along with the effects of a chronic staff shortage. Changes in the social security provisions began during the war also affected the number of children entering care after the war.

Child endowment began in 1941. Widows’ pensions were introduced and unemployment and sickness benefits were also available.

After the war changes were beginning to take place in the Burnside Homes. Professor Brennan undertook a study into child care and this heralded a new direction.

Burnside Homes were remodelled, the dormitories transformed into smaller rooms to take no more than 5 children. Eleven homes were refurbished and the number of children reduced from 307 to 184.

The dairy was closed in 1978. The production of vegetables on the grounds also ceased to be an economic proposition. The farmlands were sold and the new housing estate was named Burnside Gardens Estate. The buildings were classified by the National Trust of Australia and are included in the Trust Register.

In 1981 Burnside Homes commissioned the King Report. The main thrust of the recommendations was to solve the problems of the family rather than taking the children into care. Five major programs came out of the recommendations: Family Work, Residential Care, Foster Care, Education and the Khmer Refugee Minors Resettlement Program. These programs have grown and adapted to different needs over subsequent decades.

Now prevention is as important as the provision of out of home care for children who can no longer live with their birth families. Services now stretch across NSW and provide services ranging from supported playgroups for Aboriginal families in Dubbo, programs for new fathers in Coffs Harbour, or life skills programs for young people who have left care and need to learn skills, usually learned in families, before leaving home in the south-west of the State.

Now called UnitingCare Burnside the agency has grown and changed to meet the needs of families, children and young people and proudly represents the work of the NSW Uniting Church Synod in this area. http://www.burnside.org.au/

The historic buildings on the northern side of Pennant Hills Road are now the home of the Redeemer Baptist School. http://www.redeemer.nsw.edu.au/