HENRY BRETT HOME.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 242, 12 October 1929, Page 21

HENRY BRETT HOME.

CONTROL BY SYNOD. RICHMOND ROAD INSTITUTION SYNOD DECIDES TO SELL. A bill was passed through the Anglican Synod last evening making provision for the disposal of the Richmond Road Children's Home. The moneys from the sale will be added to the Sir Henry Brett bequest for the Henry Brett Memorial Home at Takapuna. The new home will be opened under the management of the Order of the Good Shepherd, and the whole of the negotiations are expected to be complete by the end of the year. Synod agreed to the control of the home by a trust board of nine, members, presided over by the biehop of the diocese. At present the Richmond Road Home is under the control of a board, but in future the home at Takapuna, will be under the direct jurisdiction of Synod. Tracing the history of the Richmond Road Home, Archdeacon Simkin said it had a very small beginning 30 years ago in a house in Brighton Road, under Sister Cecile. Later the management was assumed by the Order of the Good Shepherd. In 1910 it was decided to create a trust to govern the home, and were appointed. The Richmond Road property was then purchased, and the management was taken over by a committee. The new home at Takapuna would be governed by nine trustees, including the bishop of the dioceee, as chairman, the archdeacon of Auckland, the vicar of the cathedral parish, and six others to be appointed by the standing committee. Although the Children'.. Home Board had always reported to Synod, it had been in no way under its control. The board was willing that funds at present in its possession should be handed to the new trustees as an endowment. The Rev. W. E. Lush said the first children's home was started by Mrs. Cowie, wife of Bishop Cowie, at her own expense, at a house in Brighton Road. For some time suggestions had been made that the control of homes in the diocese should be co-ordinated. He was anxious that this should not be lost eight of in transferring the control of the Richmond Road Home. The Papatoetoe institution was still controlled by a separate body. Archdeacon Simkin said the machinery existed for the co-ordination of control if this were desired in the future.