Max's story

Melbourne Orphanage resident number 53

Dr Max Kirwin thought you may be interested to hear that in the year 2008 he had been practising as a doctor for 53 years. The number 53 is very significant to him, as this was his Melbourne Orphanage number. All children accepted by the Orphanage were allotted a number and their details were carefully recorded in a book which is retained by OzChild to this day. For safe keeping the records have also been duplicated and are also retained by the Victorian State Library in Melbourne.

Max's mother and father separated before Max was born, having had an unsettling "on and off" relationship. Max and his older brother, Ian, lived with his mother. When Max was just six weeks old, the family started on a journey by ship to move from Fremantle in Western Australia, back to Melbourne. Max's grandmother wanted the family to return to Melbourne.

Max's father was working in Whyalla. When the ship stopped at Port Pirie, Max's mother jumped ship with Max and Ian to be with her husband once more. They lived in Whyalla for a couple of years. Sadly, Max's father was abusing the children and so the family moved back to Melbourne. Max was sent to the Salvation Army crèche in North Carlton. Ian became too old for this accommodation and Melbourne Orphanage took the children in. Max has fond memories of the orphanage as it helped to form his life and become a successful, caring doctor - as he says, "a good person who his patients seek out". He lived in the Melbourne Orphanage from 9 March 1933 until the end of 1941.

Max has been in contact with OzChild for many years now. He calls from Western Australia a few times a year "to see how things are going and what's happening" and often makes a donation to support OzChild's continuing work.