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War, Grief and Experiences of the Asylum, 1915 - 1935

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War, Grief and Experiences of the Asylum, 1915 - 1935 University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2013 Bereft: War, grief and experiences of the asylum, 1915 - 1935 Jennifer Roberts University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong. Recommended Citation Roberts, Jennifer, Bereft: War, grief and experiences of the asylum, 1915 - 1935, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of History and Politics, University of Wollongong, 2013. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/3946 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Bereft: War, grief and experiences of the asylum, 1915 - 1935 A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG Jennifer Roberts BA (Hons) School of History and Politics March 2013 My Boy Jack ‘Have you news of my boy Jack?' Not this tide. 'When d'you think that he'll come back?' Not with this wind blowing, and this tide. 'Has any one else had word of him?' Not this tide. For what is sunk will hardly swim, Not with this wind blowing, and this tide. 'Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?' None this tide, Nor any tide, Except he did not shame his kind - Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide. Then hold your head up all the more, This tide, And every tide; Because he was the son you bore, And gave to that wind blowing and that tide! - Rudyard Kipling Written after his only son was reported missing, presumed killed, at Loos, France, on 27 September 1915, aged eighteen This thesis is dedicated to my children Declan & Charlotte And my parents Paul Roberts (1927-1996) & Beverley Roberts Thesis Certification I, Jennifer Roberts, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the School of History and Politics, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Jennifer Roberts March 2013 Abstract This thesis is an empirical social history of grief and mental illness among Australian parents who suffered bereavement within the context of one of the greatest tragedies in modern history, the Great War of 1914-1918, and its aftermath. It locates the extremities of the wartime loss within the public mental asylum, and uses a fluid definition of bereavement to demonstrate its complexity. It addresses ways in which the public and private domains intersected in the inter-war years, as both medical professionals and individual families attempted to provide care for those psychologically traumatised by the war, and the factors that could either mitigate, or exacerbate, the mental distress of bereaved parents. It also examines ways in which society distinguished between war-related and ‘ordinary’ insanity and ways in which the public responded to mental illness and perceptions of the asylum itself. Using ninety-one case studies from the closed patient medical files from two of the largest psychiatric institutions in New South Wales – Callan Park Mental Hospital and the Parramatta Psychiatric Centre – from 1915 until 1935, this study examines the multi-faceted and pervasive ways in which wartime bereavement manifested itself as mental illness among ordinary men and women and demonstrates that in many cases, the war was a direct cause of madness and permanent disability among those who had never enlisted nor left Australian shores. Unlike other epidemiological, medical or theoretical studies of bereavement, this thesis examines individual grief, disease and treatment at the micro-level from the perspective of the patient, their families and the doctors, police and judges who would all act as guardians of those thought to have gone insane. This thesis questions some of the assumptions, implicit in the existing literature, regarding class-based and gendered mourning, and argues that an acceptance of ‘the war’ as a distinct cause of mental illness was one of the realities of life within the walls of the public asylum. Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Conventions iv Abbreviations v Illustrations vi Introduction and Literature Review Extremities of Bereavement 1 Chapter 1 Stories of Loss 38 Chapter 2 Inside the Asylum 73 Chapter 3 The War at Home – Women 120 Chapter 4 The War at Home – Men 156 Chapter 5 The Front comes Home – Returned Soldiers 195 Chapter 6 Missing Closure 237 Chapter 7 Legacy 278 Conclusion 308 Bibliography 323 Acknowledgements That this thesis exists at all is testament not to any abilities of its author but to the generosity, tenacity and encouragement of a large number of people, many of whom I am privileged to call my friends. Firstly, an everlasting debt of gratitude is humbly extended to my brilliant supervisor and dear friend, Associate Professor John McQuilton, who has worked with me for many years now without complaint, despite the procrastination, empty promises and purple prose to which I have subjected him. John’s extraordinary talent as an historian and his passion for the topic have been nothing short of inspirational and it is no exaggeration to say that, without his steel-willed determination, it simply would never have been done. He was always available, always supportive, and always ready with a suggestion, a reference, an idea or a re-structure. His patience, stamina and commitment over the final weeks of intense editing, particularly, have been legendary. I might also add that he is an exemplary international travelling companion, despite his scepticism regarding the benefits of potent sleeping tablets and his over-fondness for the English fry-up, and I thank him for introducing me to the peerless experience of a cold beer on a warm night along the promenade in Canakkale. My secondary supervisor, Dr Stephen Brown, wisely left me alone to get on with it, but his suggestions and counsel during the final drafts were invaluable and I thank him for his attention to detail. My great friends, Georgia Lysaght, Linda Wade, Arwyn Hankinson and Cris Hurley, and my long-suffering mother, Bev Roberts, were generous and sympathetic proof-readers whose eagle eyes have saved me from a thousand embarrassments. i Obtaining the permission to access the closed psychiatric medical records on which this work is based was a protracted process, and I particularly acknowledge Rosemary Milkins, Betty Tu, Tim Clark and Peter Tibbitts from NSW Health for their interest and support. Kiri Rikihana from the Capital & Coast District Hospital Board in Wellington was instrumental is granting me access to the New Zealand files from the Porirua Asylum. Likewise, professional librarians, archivists, historians and genealogists assisted me greatly with their good cheer, expert advice and efficiency. I thank Emily Hanna, John Cann, Robyn Gurney, Rachael Hollis, Margaret Gallagher and Selina Williams from the Western Sydney Records Office; David Joliffe from the Australian War Memorial; Graham Jaunay from Adelaide Proformat; Roslyn Burge from the Friends of Callan Park; Susan Jones from the University of Wollongong Archives and the staffs at the National Archives of Australia, National Library of Australia, Archives New Zealand, National Library of New Zealand and the Mitchell Library, Sydney. I have been privileged to have had much encouragement from many leading scholars in the field and I particularly thank Rae Frances, Stephen Garton, Marina Larsson, Michael Molkentin, Bruce Scates, Christina Spittel and Bart Ziino for their encouragement and support at crucial stages, and especially Martin Crotty, who provided me with an enormous opportunity to share ‘George Brown’s’ story with a wide audience. Linda Wade has counselled, cajoled and inspired me throughout, providing much-needed emotional support and friendship along the way. Kristy Muir was a fantastic conference companion, and Georgia Lysaght kept reassuring me right to the end. The ‘Canberra’ brigade of Rhys Crawley, Kerry Neale and Karl James has likewise assisted me greatly, while Gregor Allen, Kate Brewer and Reena Sachdev showed me extraordinary hospitality in New Zealand and London. ii In Wollongong, I also gratefully acknowledge the Faculty of Arts for financial support, especially Maureen Dibden and Penny Barber, together with members of the School of History and Politics for their interest in my work, in particular Anthony Ashbolt, Georgine Clarsen, Louise D’Arcens, Sarah Ferber and Di Kelly. Without the camaraderie of the ‘postgrad corridor’, I would not have enjoyed the last (too many) years nearly so much. My enduring admiration and thanks to past and present fellow postgrads: Charlotte Allen, Kylie Bourne, Joakim Eidenfalk, Marg Hanlon, Jaimee Hamilton, Andrew Humphreys, Debbie Jensen, John Kwok, Claire Lowrie, Kerry Ross, John Shoebridge, Ross Tapsell and Ingeborg Van Teesling.
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