Western Australia 1920s to 1980s: In the Christian Brothers' homes boys had to do hard labour instead of learning; the order's leadership knew of abuse from 1919 and moved offenders

In Case Study 11 the Australian Royal Commission examined the four children's homes of the Christian Brothers in Western Australia: Castledare, Clontarf, Tardun and Bindoon. They operated from the late 1920s; many boys were child migrants or orphans without family. The boys were given no shoes or underwear, many no real education, and had to do building work, for example constructing a railway, and farm work. Eleven men accused 16 named Brothers of sexual abuse. According to the commission, the order's leadership knew of allegations in every decade from 1919 to the 1960s, called abuse a "moral lapse" or "weakness" and transferred at least one accused Brother to another institution with children. In the 1996 settlement 127 men received between 2,000 and 25,000 dollars.

Period

1928-1983 (55 years)

Country

Australia

Institutions

Christian Brothers Holy Spirit Province
Castledare
Clontarf
Tardun
Bindoon

Category

Sexual abuse, Cover-up, Forced labour

Level of evidence

A Primary source · what does this mean?

Background

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. In 1993 about 240 survivors sued. In 1996 the proceedings ended with a trust fund of 3.5 million dollars; 127 men received lump-sum payments for sexual abuse of between 2,000 and 25,000 dollars. The order's legal costs were about 1.1 million dollars. According to the commission, a meeting of the provincials with their lawyers in December 1993 was concerned with the cost to the order rather than with settlement, and showed no sentiment of recognising the survivors' suffering. The order apologised to former residents in 1993.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „In August 1993, law firm Slater & Gordon commenced proceedings in New South Wales for some 240 claimants“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „the proceedings were settled by the establishment of a trust fund of $3.5 million for payments to claimants“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 8

   „Payments to individual men ranged from $2,000 to $25,000 depending on the severity of the abuse or its impact.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 7

   „The Christian Brothers’ legal costs and disbursements totalled about another $1.1 million.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 8, Feststellung 11

   „the concern was the cost of the proceedings to the Christian Brothers“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 8, Feststellung 11

   „there was no sentiment of recognising the suffering of the survivors“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 6, Feststellung 10

   „issuing an apology to ex-residents of the institutions in 1993“

Response of the Church

1. According to the commission, the relevant Christian Brothers Provincial Council knew in every decade from 1919 to the 1960s of allegations of sexual abuse against Brothers in institutions throughout Australia, and from the 1930s to the 1950s new allegations were raised against Brothers who had already been accused. In correspondence between the Superior General and the Provincial, abuse was referred to as a "moral lapse" or "weakness". At least one accused Brother was transferred to another institution with children. The visitation reports dealt with the finances and religious observance of the Brothers, not with the welfare of the children. The order's leadership from 1947 to 1968, according to the commission, failed to run the homes so as to prevent abuse.
   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 5, Feststellung 8

   „In each of the decades from 1919 to the 1960s, the relevant Christian Brothers Provincial Council knew of allegations of sexual abuse against some Brothers in Christian Brothers institutions around Australia“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 5, Feststellung 8

   „that sexual abuse of children was viewed as and referred to as a ‘moral lapse’ or ‘weakness’“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 6, Feststellung 8

   „that at least one Brother was transferred to another Christian Brothers institution where he had contact with children after being the subject of an allegation that concerned children“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 4, Feststellung 2

   „The visitation reports focused on the community of the Brothers and the finances and religious observance of each Brother, not on the welfare of the children.“

   Evidence: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien, S. 6, Feststellung 9

   „The leadership of the Christian Brothers during the period 1947 to 1968 failed to manage each of the institutions so as to prevent the sexual abuse of children living in those institutions.“

See also

• 1945-1956 · 11 years

  Child migration to Australia: Catholic agencies sent children from England to institutions of the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Nazareth (IICSA 2018)

  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
  • Violence
  • Sexual abuse
• 1950-1989 · 39 years

  Sexual abuse in Catholic institutions in Australia (Royal Commission)

  • Australia
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up
• 1960-2017 · 57 years

  Ballarat 1960 to 2017: Royal Commission found a "catastrophic failure" of diocesan leadership; Bishop Mulkearns kept moving offenders, destroyed a report and put the Church's reputation above children

  • Australia
  • Sexual abuse
  • Cover-up

Original documents to read

1. Government report
   Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Australien: Report of Case Study No. 11: Congregation of Christian Brothers in Western Australia (Castledare, Clontarf, Tardun, Bindoon). Original · Archive copy (retrieved 30 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 30 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.