Australian Orphanage Museum receives historic candle

GEELONG’S Australian Orphanage Museum has welcomed the mysterious donation of a nearly century-old item to its collection.

The candle is covered in text and is also an invitation to the laying of the foundation stone at St Augustine’s Orphanage in Highton in 1936.

Australian Orphanage Museum head Leonie Sheedy said a man who would only identify himself as Shane visited the Ryrie Street museum to offer the candle.

“Shane found it 20 or 30 years ago in a house in Aberdeen Street in Newtown.

“He said he was moving into Norfolk Island and it was time to give it up so others could take a look at it.

“The candle has details of train and bus links to the event. It also talks about refreshments and picnic facilities and it hits people up for money, for donations, if they can’t attend.”

The orphanage opened three years later, in 1939, and was the largest orphanage at the time, with a capacity for 343 children.

The laying of the foundation stone was officiated by Daniel Mannix, who was Archbishop of Melbourne for nearly 50 years and a highly influential figure on the Catholic faith in Australia throughout his lifetime.

Mannix rarely officiated any church services, making the candle invitation historically significant.

The candle invitation joins a rich collection of orphanage memorabilia from around the country housed at the museum.

The trove includes school bells and books, cots and beds, suitcases, teddy bears, marbles, photos, cradles, dolls, highchairs, stools, religious images, wooden blocks, crockery and kitchenware, school milk bottles, and monogrammed egg cups.

Ms Sheedy – who is also chief executive of the Care Leavers Australasia Network – called on the public to donate any old orphanage items or effects they might have to the museum.

“We’d really like to get people to send them to us before they send them to landfill,” she said.

For more information on the museum, head to aomuseum.com.au