Abuse in Tasmania’s south: Mt St Canice (Magdalen Home), Wybra Hall, and Wirksworth Camp

Southern Tasmania was home to a number of residential institutions where children and young people in state or church care experienced serious harm. These facilities ranged from religious-run homes for girls to government-operated youth facilities, and the accounts of survivors reflect a common pattern: children who were already vulnerable, placed in environments where abuse could occur largely without accountability.

Mt St Canice / Magdalen Home (Sandy Bay, Hobart)

The Convent of the Good Shepherd at Mt St Canice in Sandy Bay was operated by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and functioned as the Magdalen Home from 1893 to the early 1970s. It housed girls and young women, many of them referred by the courts, other institutions, or their families, who were considered morally at risk or in need of reformation.

Survivors have described a harsh regime of rigid discipline, forced labour, inadequate care, and in some cases physical and sexual abuse. The institution also had connections to the forced adoption system: girls who became pregnant were frequently sent to Elim Maternity Hospital to give birth and surrender their babies. The Magdalen Home was referenced in submissions to the Senate Inquiry into Children in Institutional Care and to the subsequent inquiry into forced adoption practices.

Wybra Hall (Mangalore)

Wybra Hall, a large property near Mangalore in southern Tasmania built in 1860, was purchased by the Tasmanian Government in 1952 to accommodate boys considered ‘juvenile delinquents without criminal tendencies’ – primarily to separate them from more serious offenders at Ashley Home for Boys. It operated until 1988, and from 1979 also accommodated girls following the closure of Weeroona Girls’ Training Centre.

More than 40 former residents made claims to the Ombudsman’s Listen to the Children review. These accounts described physical violence, double punishment for school misdemeanours, dangerous child labour including cleaning out cages of Tasmanian devils, and public humiliation. Claimants also described non-swimmers being pushed into the swimming pool by staff, with several children coming close to drowning. Boys were identifiable in the local community by a distinctive uniform worn year-round.

Wirksworth Camp

Wirksworth Camp was a property owned by the Tasmanian Department of Education and regularly used by schools for camps and outdoor education activities. It was not a residential home or detention facility, but its use as a camp setting created circumstances in which children were away from their families and in the sole care of staff and other adults.

Claims of abuse connected to Wirksworth Camp are being actively investigated by MEJ. If you attended Wirksworth Camp as a student and experienced abuse – whether by a teacher, camp supervisor, or other adult – MEJ wants to hear from you.

Who may be affected

If you or someone you know was a resident at any of these southern Tasmanian facilities as a child, young person, or ward of the state, and experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, you may be entitled to compensation. The removal of historical time limits means that many people who previously felt they had no recourse now have a legal pathway available to them.

How MEJ can help

We have represented many survivors of Tasmanian state care abuse and understand the complex, layered trauma these experiences can produce. We will listen to your story, treat you with dignity, and give you clear, honest advice about your options – at no cost to you.

If you or someone you know has been affected by abuse in any of these settings, MEJ is here to help. Contact us today for a free, confidential conversation with our team, or call 1800 570 778.

If you need immediate support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Sexual Assault Crisis Line on 1800 697 877 (available 24/7).