Benevolent asylums were places that housed anyone who could not support themselves; these were usually the aged, infirm, disabled and destitute. Benevolent Asylums also served as immigrants' homes, blind asylums, orphanages, lying-in hospitals and lunatic asylums. Benevolent asylums were often associated with hospitals in rural towns; they have evolved into aged care homes and hospitals in larger towns. Portland Benevolent Asylum and Hospital was founded in 1849.Pale blue card ticket, rounded corners, gold edge, black print and script Charity ball in aid of the Bazaar fund on behalf of the Portland Benevolent Asylum and hospital. Double ticket 7s. 6dBack: '75' - black penportland benevolent asylum and hospital, social care, welfare

Benevolent asylums were places that housed anyone who could not support themselves; these were usually the aged, infirm, disabled and destitute. Benevolent Asylums also served as immigrants' homes, blind asylums, orphanages, lying-in hospitals and lunatic asylums. Benevolent asylums were often associated with hospitals in rural towns; they have evolved into aged care homes and hospitals in larger towns. Portland Benevolent Asylum and Hospital was founded in 1849.Pale blue card ticket, rounded corners, gold edge, black print, and script Charity Ball in aid of the Bazaar Fund on behalf of the Portland benevolent Asylum and hospital Double 7s6dBack: '80' black penasylum, social care, benevolent, charity, fundraising

Portland Benevolent Asylum and Hospital was founded in 1849. Benevolent asylums were places that housed anyone who could not support themselves; these were usually the aged, infirm, disabled and destitute. Benevolent Asylums also served as immigrants' homes, blind asylums, orphanages, lying-in hospitals and lunatic asylums. Benevolent asylums were often associated with hospitals in rural towns; they have evolved into aged care homes and hospitals in larger towns.Variegated card (orange, yellow, green) ticket, gold edge, black print and text. Charity ball in aid of the Bazaar Fund, on behalf of the Portland Benevolent Asylum and hospitalBack: '98' black pen

Benevolent asylums were places that housed anyone who could not support themselves; these were usually the aged, infirm, disabled and destitute. Benevolent Asylums also served as immigrants' homes, blind asylums, orphanages, lying-in hospitals and lunatic asylums. Benevolent asylums were often associated with hospitals in rural towns; they have evolved into aged care homes and hospitals in larger towns. Portland Benevolent Asylum and Hospital was founded in 1849Cream card ticket, gold edge, two red and blue stripes diagonally, across ticket, black print and script. Charity Ball in aid of the Bazaar Fund on behalf of the Portland Benevolent Asylum and hospital. Single ticket 55.Back: '67' Black ink

These items come from the estates of Dorothy and Agnes Ardlie of Warrnambool. Dorothy Ardlie (1910-1993) and her sister Agnes (1915-1993) were the daughters of law clerk Arthur Ardlie and his wife Ethel, the granddaughters of the prominent Warrnambool lawyer, William Ardlie and his wife Mary and the great granddaughters of John and Mary Ardlie, pioneer settlers in Warrnambool. All of the documents relate to St. Ann’s Convent/School in Warrnambool. The Sisters of Mercy established St Mary’s Wyton school in 1872 and the name was changed to St.Ann’s in 1888. Dorothy and Agnes Ardlie would have been particularly interested in the convent building established around the original building of Wyton as this building had been the home of John Ardlie and had been sold to the Sisters of Mercy by their grandfather, William Ardlie. Dorothy and Agnes Ardlie had been pupils at St. Ann’s School. Some of the documents relate to the orphanage established at St. Ann’s in 1881 when an extension was added to the convent for that purpose. The orphanage was closed when a similar institution, Nazareth House, was opened in Ballarat. Thes items are of minor interest as material compiled by the Ardlie sisters, Dorothy and Agnes, residents of Warrnambool in the 20th century. .1 A sheet of paper containing a letter handwritten in black ink and an envelope with the address handwritten in black ink .2 A sheet of paper containing a letter handwritten in blue ink .3 A black and white photograph of St. Ann’s Convent .4 Two sheets of blue paper with rough plans of St. Ann’s building interior .5 A sheet of paper with a black and white sketch of St. Ann’s Convent .6 A sheet of white paper with photocopies of two newspaper cuttingsardlie family, warrnambool, st. ann’s convent

From an ABC article about and exhibition containing the letter from Patience Whitmore: The hardships and tragedies often faced by new arrivals are also detailed in this exhibition, especially in a letter written by Patience Whitmore who arrived in 1853... Widowed before she left Britain, she made the trip to Australia with her second husband and children, although two of those children and her second husband died on the way out. She married for a third time after arriving, and that husband also passed away fairly early on, with Patience following not long after. The remaining children were sent off to an orphanage. Even though that sounds like a terrible life, apparently, compared with the life she might've had back in Britain, Patience considered herself to be very lucky, which gives you some insight into what life in Britain must've been like at the time.Letter written by Patience Whitmore in 1853.emigration, 1853, patience whitmore, letter