Eden Park Special School, formerly Mount Barker Probationary School (GA639)

In 1900, the Salvation Army leased 'Eden Park', a property at Mount Barker, and established it as a probationary or reformatory home for boys. On December 20 1900 it was gazetted as a "probationary school, and as an institution for the reception, detention, maintenance, education, employment, and training of Protestant boys who are State children." (1). Although the school was intended for Protestant boys the Admission Register indicates it had at least one Jewish boy enrolled (1a). The home was run by the Salvation Army, but was under the control of the Children's Welfare and Public Relief Board.

From (at least) 1911, a school was provided for the boys. The teacher's salary and school equipment was paid by the Salvation Army, but an Education Department admission register was maintained, and the school was subject to inspections similar to government schools (2). From 1923, the school came under the direct jurisdiction of the Education Department, with the teacher's salary paid by the Department (3). At this time, the school was known as the Mount Barker Probationary School.

Early in 1941, the teacher J.D. Dyer suggested to the Children's Welfare Department that the name be changed to Mount Barker Boys School. The Department suggested instead that Eden Park be adopted as the name of the school (4). In the middle of 1941, the home closed as a probationary school for boys committed from the Children's Court and reopened as a home for boys whose parents were not able to care for them. At this time, the school in the home closed and it was proposed that the boys instead attend Wistow School (5). Due to the objections of the Wistow School community, this did not occur, and eventually a teacher was appointed in August 1942 and the school resumed. (6).

The character of the home changed over the years, and whereas from 1941 it housed neglected children, by the 1960s it housed boys with 'severe emotional disturbance'. From this time, the school was denoted a Special School, which indicated that the teachers were equipped to work with emotionally disturbed children.

From its inception, the school only served primary aged children resident in the home, which sometimes included the children of the home's staff. Older boys attended Mount Barker High School.

Eden Park and its school closed in December 1982.


(1) South Australian Government Gazette 20/12/1900, p. 1382
(1a) GRG27/13, Register of admissions to the Salvation Army Probationary School for Boys, Mount Barker
(2) GRG18/2 file ED 2631/1922
(3) GRG18/2 file ED 1235/1923 and GRG18/1 file ME 337/1922
(4) GRG18/2 file ED 61/1941
(5) GRG18/2 file ED 693/1942
(6) GRG18/2 file ED 693/1942