THE NOISY MANSIONS The story of Swanleigh 1868 - 1971 "There in his noisy mansion ..... " O. Goldsmith. To Mary by A. ROY PETt"RKIN, B.E.M., B.A. Direcf()r II/Ihe Allglimll Homes j,'1' ChildreN 1942 1959 Direc/or 0/ SII'ill/leigh 19(,() Jl)71 The "Noisy Mansions" from the air. 1. St. Mary's Church. 2. Brown House. 3. Waylen House. 4. Alfred Guy Block (Kitchen. Dining-room and Store). 5. The Assembly Hall (the Gym). 6. Hudleston. 7. Stanton. 8. Lee Steere. 9. Freel1UJn. 10. Hamilton. 11. Comwell. 12. The Tech. In foreground - the slope to the Swan River. To the north - Jane Brook. CONTENTS AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREWORD INTRODUCTION Page 1 PART 1 THE ORPHANAGE - Page 3 1868 - 1942 PART 2 TRANSITION- Page 67 THE SWAN HOMES 1943 - 1959 PART 3 THE HOSTEL Page 177 1960 - 1971 EPILOGUE - JANUARY 6th 1972 ISBN I 8625:! 180 8 COPYRIGHT PERTH DIOCESAN TRUSTEES PUBLISHED 1986 BY SWANLEIGH COUNCIL MIDLAND 1988 SECOND EDITION BY SWANLEIGH COUNCIL MIDLAND PHOTOTYPESETIING BY THE DOWNS PHOTOTYPESETTING SERVICES PRINTED BY THE DOWNS PRINTING AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. First I wish to thank the members of the Swanleigh Council for publishing my book and un­ derwriting its cost. Especially would I thank the Chairman, Miss Ros. Denny, for her support ofthe project, and Councillor Miss F.M. Bennett, B.A., M.A.C.E., and the present Director, Mr. Richard Stowell, B.A., Dip.Ed., for their enthusiastic encouragement of its publication. Mr. Ron. Elphick, the Council's Public Relations Consultant, has been extremely helpful in ar­ ranging for the business details associated with the book's printing, and for this and his impor­ tant association with the establishment of modern Swanleigh I am most grateful. The whole of the typing of the text was done by my sister-in-law, Mrs. Jean Gordon, who was a very enthusiastic advocate of the book's being written and published. For twelve years (1952-64) she was first a member of the old Board of Management,and after 1960, of the Swan­ leigh Council. Throughout that long period she played an important role in its policy-making, with a special contribution as a member of both its Finance and Parkerville Sub-committees. Her fund-raising efforts were particularly appreciated in the penurious earlier times. She has asked me to include a special mention ofthe help she received from the late Mr. Ron. Cracknell, a former Archivist of the Anglican Church Office in Perth, in helping her with some research she undertook for me in the writing of this book, and I do so with gratitude to him. A special word of appreciation is also recorded to Sir Paul Hasluck for writing the foreword. I consider it a great honour to have such a distinguished Australian do this. I am also deeply touched by his personal references to my work in the establishment. Finally the book is dedicated to my wife, Mary, who throughout our married life has been a constant source of encouragement and assistance to me. Readers will readily realize that what is described in Parts n and III of this book could never have been accomplished by me alone. Thank you, Mary, for your love and support down the years. May God bless! SECOND EDITION The opportunity has been taken to make some minor corrections required in the first edition. FOREWORD By the Rt. Hon. Sir Paul Hasluck K.G., G.C.M.G., G.c. v.o. In conunending this book to a wide body of readers, I have a triple interest. The book tells another chapter in the history of Western Australia. It describes the growth, the problems and the successes in a significant field of social welfare. Thirdly, it has for me a personal appeal for, in large part it is also the testament of one of my school mates and the record of his achievement as an educator and social reformer. The Swan Boys' Orphanage, founded in 1868 on land with a river frontage at Mid­ dle Swan, was the inheritor and successor of Church of England ministry on that site from the earliest days of the Colony. It also continued the work of the Church in sever­ al other institutions. In telling the story of the institution this book contributes to the local history of both Church and State. More substantially it is a history of changing values, ideas and methods in the range of social problems generally described as child welfare. Throughout a century and a half the need and the response to the need changed in character. The reader can trace these social developments in the transition from the orphanage (1868-1942), to the Swan Homes (1943-1959) and the Swanleigh Hostel (1960-1972). The author was Director of Anglican Homes for Children from 1942 to 1959 and Director of Swanleigh from 1960 to 1971 - a dedication of thirty years to humanitari­ an service following an earlier career in the parallel field of education. The second half of the book is in a large part autobiographical, and the man who reveals himself in this account of the work he did is not only estimable but also a congenial character. He writes plainly and pleasantly of the ups and downs of life as a social reformer. In later life, when old schoolfellows start asking each other what happened to this or that classmate, the statement is sometimes made: "He has done very well". That often means that he has done well for himself, either by becoming wealthy or gaining personal fame of one kind or other. MyoId schoolmate Roy Peterkin has the higher distinction that he did very well for others. There must be hundreds, perhaps thou­ sands, of boys and girls whose lives became happier and more useful because of what he did. He tells about his work modestly with a fresh human touch. May 1986. INTRODUCTION In 1829 a new British Colony was founded on the western side of Australia, and land grants along both shores of the Swan River were made to pioneer settlers. A few years later one of these sold his grant at Middle Swan to the W.A. Missionary Society* which had been founded in London in 1835 by Mr. F.e. Irwin, with the object of bring­ ing clergymen to the Colony to minister to the settlers and the aboriginals. The first missionary to arrive was Dr. Louis Giustiniani who in 1836 built a house on high land near the river at Middle Swan, and from there he commenced his ministrations. But his zeal for the cause of the natives outran his discretion, so much so that he fell into disrepute with the settlers. At the end of 1837 the Society dismissed him, replacing him with the Revd. William Mitchell who arrived in 1838. He enlarged and improved Giustiniani's house, commenced a school in his rectory, cleared and farmed some of his land, and he built a small octagonal mud-brick church close to his home. Forty years went by. The mud-brick church fell into decay, and in 1869 was replaced by the nave and sanctuary of what is today St. Mary's Church, Middle Swan. Then in 1876, quite near this church, a two-storied red-brick building of unusual architec­ ture was erected. Compared with other homes in the district, the new structure looked almost a mansion - but only in external appearance. It was not furnished like a man­ sion, nor were its residents the sort of people one would expect to find living in one. Instead it was more like Oliver Goldsmith's description ofthe village school- a "noisy mansion" . For most of its inhabitants were boys. Later there would be other buildings to accommodate more boys, and some would be built for girls - noisy mansions, too. This book is the story of those noisy mansions, and of the children who lived in them the Swanleighans. Swanleigh began as a charitable foundation - an orphanage. It opened in Perth in 1868, with an enrolment of less than a dozen destitute children, all of whom with one exception were girls. During the first year, a boys' section was added, but in 1876 a separate orphanage was built for them at Middle Swan. With the passing of years the numbers in each of the institutions grew steadily until there was a combined enrol­ ment of about two hundred. In 1942, as a war precaution, the girls were transferred from the city to the Swan, where they were accommodated in a section of the boys' establishment. The arrangement proved a satisfactory one in many ways, so much so that it was decided that the girls would not return to Perth, but that a children's village at the Swan should be commenced. In the next twelve years good progress was made with this project, which was named the Swan Homes. *1 But about the middle of the 1950's, the number of inmates in all children's institu­ tions in Western Australia began to fall. Public opinion increasingly opposed such place­ * The 1+"..4. 'rfissionar:> Society was later re-named the Colonial and Continental Church Society - the' 'Col. and Can." *1 Sor TO be confused wirh the •'Swan Cottage Homes" - a non-denominational home for the aged, estab­ lished in laler years in The suburb of Bentley. ment. Eventually this led to the closing of four establishments, *2 and the Swan Homes faced a similar prospect. It was then that the Board of Management made the important decision to change the whole character of its institution, converting it from a charity to a hostel for country children who had to live away from home if they were to attend High School.