St John of God Primary School

Here is a virtual tour of the abandoned St John of God Primary School in Australia where you can explore the abandoned school safely from your home or anywhere in the world. There are twenty-seven panoramic images in the virtual tour below. Make sure to click through and explore the whole abandoned location. Do you like urban exploring? Here is a map with tons of GPS locations for you to get out and explore.

Click here to view it in fullscreen. This virtual tour was captured by our friends at Hidden Melbourne, go check out their website for some cool abandoned locations throughout Melbourne, Australia.

St John of God Primary School in Australia

The St. John of God Primary School, also known as the Churinga Special Residential School, was established by the Brothers of St John of God in 1967 and has long been abandoned for over 30 years. The school was established as an expansion to their existing schools throughout Australia. It was built to serve and house young boys ages seven to sixteen who struggled with learning and developmental disabilities. The St John of God Primary School was closed in 1990 and has remained abandoned over the years, left to vandals and nature. The history of the primary school ruins holds a dark and challenging history of abuse and neglect.

The Brothers of St John of God were a Catholic order that first arrived in Australia in 1947, establishing their first school for boys with learning difficulties. They soon acquired 20 acres in Cheltenham in 1953, which became home to 100 boys and young men who could no longer live with their families. The Brothers sold the site in 1966 and moved the school to a facility built in Greensborough. They officially reopened the school in 1967 to continue their mission.

The Churinga Special Residential School resumed providing housing to Catholic and Protestant boys with developmental and learning disabilities. The school in the new location could accommodate 60 to 70 residents and provided a wide array of care. The boys received residential assistance, training, treatment, and special accommodations for their developmental disabilities, including wards for mental health care.

Close to the end of the St John of Primary School service, the Brothers began admitting girls. They also began a small daycare center program until 1987, when they were officially registered as a Special School. Churinga officially closed its doors in 1990.

In the years that followed, many former residents came forward alleging abuse and neglect. Although the Brothers built the school to help those with learning and developmental disabilities, it is believed that not all were born with disabilities. Many of the boys and young men were disadvantaged due to the care of the Brothers of St John of God.

Today, the St John of God Primary School continues to lie in ruins. Trash litters the grounds, windows are broken, doors hang off hinges, and bricks lay scattered from the remains of the walls, breaking away due to the elements and vandalism. While the dilapidated looks of the abandoned St. John of God Primary school may scare off most, the grounds are a frequent stop for urban explorers that can appreciate the buildings and the history of the locations and document them as they are today as a reminder of the past.

Screenshot from the 360-degree virtual tour of the St John Of God School by Hidden Melbourne.

Here is another abandoned location photographed by Hidden Melbourne, the Larundel Mental Asylum, you might also enjoy viewing the abandoned Hampton Springs Hotel.

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