An art deco building on Whatley Crescent created to house the West Australian Institute and industrial School for the Blind was opened on 28 July 1937 by the Premier of Western Australia, the Hon. J.C. Willcocks, M.L.A. The site had been donated specifically to house and train blind people.
Blind workers produced cane items and brushware for wholesale and retail sale and our Association holds some of the hand tools they used.
In 2001, the Royal Western Australian Institute for the Blind changed its name to Senses Foundation (inc) and registered its new name in August.
The Blind Institute’s buildings and site on Whatley Crescent were sold in 2005 and completely vacated in 2006.
The Maylands School for the Blind building is now known as WA Ballet Centre building and is home to the WA Ballet.
See our Maylands School for the Blind Flickr Album for digitised images and other digitised information.
Maylands Historical and Peninsula Association acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, live, and learn. We acknowledge that we tell the stories of Noongar Country and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website may contain images or names of people who have passed away.