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Australia's Benevolent and Other Care Institutions Thematic Study

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Australia's Benevolent and Other Care Institutions Thematic Study A THEMATIC HERITAGE STUDY ON AUSTRALIA’S BENEVOLENT AND OTHER CARE INSTITUTIONS Thematic Study Bo. Neque nobit, int faccum et quaturit por alitiuntibus ex et quatiatium eatem nobit earum voluptiae et laborepuda sere et aperiti orepedipid ut optati consequo eat que venisti onsecum quis solorporum dolum rem intem a se volum nam adipiti undusant harumque dis dolum volupti volorestota dus et praturio que que pa veriasp ienissunti ra et pro officim enimi, temo voles et odit, ut fuga. Nam, to te aliquid et ipit, sit denduscimus que platqui aepreiumquis quos repedi sumquam, ut exeratur aruptatur? Uptatem cullores vel ea as que es es autem vel imodi nulpa dolupic illaceatia quosseque por aut quo blandunt, as ulparib ustion poressit od quatatur, que comnimilibus exeribus moluptam volut facium eveliqui quodit, sus archillibus. Geelong Infirmary and Benevolent Asylum Courtesy of the Geelong District Website, http://zades.com.au/gannd/index.php/geelong/people/gdghosp, Wynd Collection © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2016 The Commonwealth of Australia has made all reasonable efforts to identify content supplied by third parties using the following format ‘© Copyright, [name of third party]’ Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this publication are A Thematic Heritage Study on Australia’s Benevolent and those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those Other Care Institutions – Thematic Study is licensed by of the Australian Government or the Minister for the the Commonwealth of Australia for use under a Creative Environment and Energy. Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence with the While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth the contents of this publication are factually correct, the of Australia, the logo of the agency responsible for Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the publishing the report, content supplied by third parties, accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not and any images depicting people. For licence conditions be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the This report should be attributed as “A Thematic contents of this publication. Heritage Study on Australia’s Benevolent and Other Front cover Care Institutions – Thematic Study, Commonwealth of Group of Dr. Barnado children in uniform. Sam Hood Collection Australia, 2016” Part II. Digital Order No. a220015. Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales. Acknowledgements | Thematic Study iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Australian Government Department of the Environment This report has been produced with funding provided by the Australian Government. Australian Heritage Council This report has been produced for the purpose of assisting the Australian Heritage Council in its work to assess places for inclusion in Australia’s National Heritage List. Context Pty Ltd The work to produce the contents of this report was undertaken by Context Pty Ltd. The project team produced the thematic heritage study in accordance with a scoping brief provided by the Australian Government. Project team members include: Louise Honman Dr Georgia Melville Jill Barnard – author, history essay Dr Anita Smith – advisor INFORMATION If you have found material in this heritage study distressing because of your past connections with benevolent institutions assistance can be found by contacting one of these services Respect 1800 737 732 or Blue Knot Helpline (Adults Surviving Child Abuse) on 1300 657 380. iv Foreword | Thematic Study FOREWORD he Australian Heritage Council is pleased During the early colonial period in Australia, a system to publish this thematic study for places of care was informed by British attitudes and shaped associated with Australia’s welfare heritage. by a concern that limited resources should not be given to those who were able bodied or ‘undeserving’. TUnlike places which have heritage value because In eighteenth century Britain every ‘decent’ man was of their architectural or scientific characteristics, places expected to provide for himself and his family. which include benevolent or other care institutions are expected to be valued because of their human stories A system of qualification for assistance according to and their consequential impact both on individuals and on whether a person was ‘deserving’ or ‘un-deserving’ families and wider communities. began to shift in response to the challenges faced by colonial authorities. The harsh realities of a remote colony This study has informed the Council’s consideration of the meant that, in practice, the needs of the population as heritage value of benevolent institutions and the setting of a whole needed to be taken into consideration as the the Council’s workplan for assessing places for possible colony faced starvation, extreme remoteness and a lack inclusion on the National Heritage List. of social and built infrastructure. The study of benevolent and other care institutions in the The social impact of the economic depressions of the context of Australia’s welfare history is a complex story. 1890s and the 1930s caused another shift in approach. It reveals a past that presents the best and worst of us. Both public and private systems of care were clearly There are positive stories of well-intentioned assistance overwhelmed by the impacts of economic depression. and other stories that are more confronting. The history Governments began to provide financial support directly does, however, reflect our society’s recognition of the to individuals. need to protect and provide for the vulnerable and disadvantaged. These changes were also informed by other political and social reform movements. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century Australia was recognised worldwide as a social laboratory working towards the adoption of new social ideas such as the introduction of the aged pension, female suffrage and the eight hour day. Looking back on history we can see more clearly the mistakes that have been made. Our understanding of the causes of disadvantage has also developed. A clear example of this is our improved understanding of mental health and illness. Recent national apologies to the Forgotten Australians and former child migrants and Australia’s Indigenous peoples has also provided recognition of past trauma and damaging or misapplied policies. A Thematic Heritage Study on Australia’s Benevolent and Other Care Institutions is a first step towards providing a better understanding of the heritage of places associated with this theme. Dr Carmen Lawrence Chair, Australian Heritage Council June 2016 Contents | Thematic Study v CONTENTS Introduction 1 Concluding remarks 45 Course and pattern of National threads and voices 46 welfare history 7 Reflections 48 Next steps 49 1788–1850 Convict era 8 Ideas, attitudes and beliefs 8 Bibliography 51 Major trends and influences of Books 52 the period 8 Articles 53 Recipients of welfare 9 ADB entries 53 Providers of welfare 12 Papers 53 1850–1890 Charity and asylums 15 Theses 53 Ideas, attitudes and beliefs 15 Journals 53 Major trends and influences of the period 15 Reports 53 Recipients of welfare 16 Websites and databases 53 Providers of welfare 24 Appendixes 55 1890–1940 Depression and war and the beginnings of Commonwealth Appendix 1 56 welfare provision 26 Thresholds and Indicators Major trends and influences Appendix 2 69 of the period 26 Places referred to in the text Ideas, attitudes and beliefs 27 Recipients of welfare 27 Appendix 3 73 Providers of welfare 32 National Thematic Framework 1940–1972 Post-World War II and the role of the state in social security 34 Ideas, attitudes and beliefs 34 Major trends and influences of the period 35 Recipients of welfare 35 Providers of welfare 39 1972–2001 New movements 40 Attitudes, ideas and beliefs 40 Major trends and influences of the period 41 Recipients of welfare 41 Providers of welfare 43 Portable hospital, Evans, c.1803. Courtesy of the State Library of NSW. Digital Order no. a1528462 In the early years of the convict settlements in NSW and Tasmania, there was little distinction in terms of welfare between convicts and the free settlers who arrived as marines, gaolers and civil servants. INTRODUCTION 2 Introduction | Thematic Study INTRODUCTION he Department of the Environment has In order to structure the essay, a framework grid was commissioned a thematic heritage study established (see Table 1 page 3–5). For each chronological focusing on the topic of benevolent and other period, the historical context, ideas about how welfare Tcare institutions. This topic is part of a wider was provided, the main recipients and providers, the thematic group called Nation Building which seeks to experience of welfare and a typology of places was provide an understanding of Australia’s heritage in provided. This has proved to be a useful tool, but also relation to historic processes which have helped shape highlights the limitations of trying to place society’s major and define our system of governance, public and welfare shifts and changes in a chronological setting when private institutions and other distinctively Australian the major ideas were often competing and overlapping. national characteristics. The thematic essay is presented within the context of broad events and movements at national, colony and state level in Australia from1788–2001. Convict populations, gold rush immigration, economic
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