Summary

Badge from "WILTJA" Girls' Hostel which was run by the Aborigines Advancement League. The hostel was also known as Aborigines Advancement League Hostel and Millswood Girls Home.

Physical Description

Yellow cardboard rectangular badge with a smiling Aboriginal girl's face in the centre.

Significance

These badges are significant because they are a tangible reminder of the way that Aboriginal organisations created hostels to assist young Aboriginal children in their education - in this case in South Australia. The Wiltja Girls Hostel operated from 1956 to 1982 at 17 East Avenue, Millswood, South Australia. It provided accommodation for girls attending secondary school in Adelaide and many girls remained there in the first year after finishing school. The hostel became a boarding home for Aboriginal people visiting the city in 1978 and in 1980 the Aborigines Advancement League lease the property to the Education Department who purchased the hostel in 1982.

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