In 1878 Mrs Julia Farr, the wife of the headmaster of St. Peter’s College, became concerned about the fate of people with incurable diseases who were confined at the Adelaide Hospital or the Destitute Asylum. Supported by Dr William Gosse, a pioneer medical man and former Colonial Surgeon she was able to rally medical and philanthropic friends to establish the Home for Incurables. The Home gained both public and government support over the years, and established a stable and valued role in the community.
Home for Incurables
The Home for Incurables was founded on the 23rd September 1878 and it was incorporated on 23 October 1879. Its mission was to provide care for those who were suffering from a crippling disease, where there was no prospect of a cure. The sum of £2000 was raised and spent on an eight-roomed wooden house, on nine acres at Fullarton. The first admissions were on the 17th October 1879. By 1881 there were forty-four inmates and a staff of nine.
By 1954 the type of resident had changed, most being confined to a wheelchair or bed-ridden. The Home depended on massive financial support from the state and federal governments. In 1957 the State Government provided a subsidy of £55,000 and £40,000 came from the Commonwealth Government for the support of its residents. In 1958, for the first time in many years, the ordinary income, excluding bequests exceeded expenditure. In 1960 the Home appointed a Public Relations Officer, John Maguire. He organized the annual Miss Industry Quest. In 1965 and 1966 the Home was selected as the recipient of the Channel 9 annual Telethon and received £332 and £247. By 1978, on its Centenary the Home had accommodation for eight hundred and twenty six patients and a nursing and domestic staff of one thousand and twenty one and an income of $11.5m.
Julia Farr Services
In 1981 the Home was re-named Julia Farr Centre after Mrs Julia Farr, one of the founders of the Home. In 1995 the name of the Centre was changed to Julia Farr Services to reflect the changing focus and range of services. In early May 2006, the Minister for Disabilities announced wide-ranging disability reform. As a result, the separate agencies, Julia Farr Services (JFS), Independent Living Centre (ILC) and Intellectual Disability Services Council (IDSC) were dissolved to form part of Disability SA. Disability SA, a government department was created so that people needing more than one service can get all the help they need in one place. Services now being provided by IDSC, ILC and JFS are delivered by the same staff, but through Disability SA.
Julia Farr Services is now a part of Disability SA but a new organization has been formed. The Julia Farr Association runs the Julia Farr Housing Association and manages the MS Mcleod Benevolent Trust. They are in the process of exploring opportunities for their future direction.
References
Australian Dictionary of Biography. 2006 [online]. [Accessed 16th April 2007]. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/AS10157b.htm
Dickey, Brian 1986. Rations, residence, resources : A history of social welfare in South Australia since 1836. Netley: Wakefield Press Kerr, Colin 1978.
The home for Incurables: The first 100 years. Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House
October 4th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Recently obtained a copy of my family history and noticed that over the years several members of different branches of my family tree, were housed at the Home For Incurables. This was between 1800’s and mid 1900’s??. I was wondering what, if any records exist for this period and are they sealed or available for viewing. Any kind of reply would be greatly appreciated.
October 8th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Hi Cheryl
I contacted the Julia Farr Association http://www.juliafarr.org.au/ and was told they did not have any records but they do exist - although the period they covered was unknown. I was told to contact Disability SA http://www.familiesandcommunities.sa.gov.au//default.aspx?tabid=1902 and speak to the Freedom of Information officer to find out more.
I phoned Disability SA and was told the FOI officer is located at the Strathmont Centre. I phoned Strathmont on 8266 8661 but the FOI officer was on leave.
I hope the FOI officer will be able to answer your question.
If you have any further questions, just contact me at DIRC on (08) 82360555.
December 10th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Hi Doug
I have stories about my days at “The Home for Incurables” if you were interested.
Please let me know. Between 1973-1977, then 1980-1988.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Hi Cathy
Yes, I am very interested in your stories. At the moment the History website is big on names and dates but it will be the personal stories that give our history meaning.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Hi
just wondering if anyone has information on when and why the centre closed down. I’m doing a school report on local history and know very little about the place apart from when it was open and running.
any information or stories would be fantastic
Thanks.
March 20th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Hi Steph
The Home for Incurables was re-named the Julia Farr Centre
in 1981 and was still operating until early May 2006 when it was dissolved to form part of Disability SA. Disability SA is part of the State government’s Department for Families and Communities.
After the Julia Farr Centre was dissolved a new organisation was formed, The Julia Farr Association. It runs the Julia Farr Housing Association and manages the MS Mcleod Benevolent Trust. They have a website http://www.juliafarr.org.au/ and may be able to provide you with more information on their history.
March 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
How about a page for ex staff to list their contact details… sure you would get a lot of stories from them.
April 21st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
hi, im looking for ANY stories/info on the home for incurables….personal or professional.
thanks!
May 12th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
hi, im actually looking for information on the now derelict building on Fisher St (Malvern) next to Disability SA’s building, its a five storey building and has a small theater attached to the front. I believe it was a Home for the Incurables, but i dont really know the name of the building to do any research
-cheers
May 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Hi Josh
The derelict building was owned by Julia Farr (Home for Incurables) but sold to developers several years ago. It has been derelict now for about ten years.
The building was called the West Block and built in 1967. You can find out about it in Colin Kerr’s “The Home for Incurables: The first 100 years”, pages 43-44. If you are interested we have a copy in our library here at DIRC.
June 27th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Hi all,
I have personal experience living in The West Block and South Block.
Mostly very sad,tragic stories, some very moving stories which were great testiment of the human spirit.
regards Cathy Nirta
July 9th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Hi Josh,
The hall you were refering to was used for concerts and fortnightly cinimas showing current (at the time) and vintage movies.
The projection operator volunteered every Saturday fortight
and was one of the many gardeners at the time.
He used to raise the Australian flag as part of his job nearly every day. He would every week bring one of the long term resident’s elderly mother to visit her..very kind man.
I am told he is now in a nursing home.
We used to all be jam packed in the hall and there would be nearly a hundred of us in wheelchairs watching the movies.
The name of the hall was The James Irwin hall, named after someone significant in The Home’s history.
hope this gives you a small insight of the recent history of the place.
It’s a 3 story building and has a very eery, deserted atmosphere about it.
I lived on the third floor from 1973-1977.
regards Cathy N
July 9th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Hi Doug,
The West Block has been uninhabited since 1978-79.
A million dollars was spent renovating the building but after the spruce up, it was found there was asbestos so no-one was allowed to go in there.
As the years have gone by, the removal cost has sky rocketed.
I’m unsure whether it was ever removed.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Hello Doug,
have just spotted your site while looking for other stuff disability related. I worked at the Home for Incurables as a “nurse aid” when I was a very young woman.
The institution was modelled on the medical line same as other aged care and disability residential facilities of the time. We were trained for 2 days, wore a nurse type uniform with same style nurses cap.
It was the hospital style hierarchy with a Matron, senior sisters, senior ward sisters, senior nurses and ward nurses. Predominantly, the senior sisters were just that, very senior and retired from hospital work.
The 9 storey building had not long been opened and was considered a “model” design. Our wards were inspected to ensure: the beds-sheet corners were tucked exactly, the robes and cupboards did not have anything on top of them,the patients were all in bed by 1pm, the medications had been allocated etc.
I met people who had lived there nearly all of their lives, whose skin was still smooth because they never got out of bed, who couldn’t do anything because they were paralysed, who were never given anything to do because they were paralysed. Because the nurses couldn’t spend much time except to complete their tasks the residents’ world consisted of each other in the ward and the rare visitor.
I found it difficult to work in the model and was in trouble with fellow nurses and senior staff on numerous occasions. When a third shift was added there was more time to spend of an evening and I took books in and sat in the centre of a ward to read out loud. This caused some friction with the other nurses, it wasn’t usual. However, it was great to spend the time with those bedridden women discussing the books and looking forward to the next chapters.
Later in the piece younger sisters were employed and even a male sister! Revolutionary! They caused quite some consternation with their modern knowledge and attitudes. They allowed people to sit out of bed longer,took them out of the wards,chased up extra food to eat other than the meger fare that was sent around at night; on more than one occasion I was forced to serve half a pasty to grown men for their evening meal.
I have dark and light memories of that centre. I have a very fond memory of a man with a terminal illness who was sent there to whilst waiting to die. He was such a bright spirit, wanting to share jokes and quips with anyone who entered into his small universe. He was there maybe about 4 weeks at most, he had a loving family, was peaceful in his dying and left a legacy of laughter.
kind regards
Jude
July 31st, 2008 at 11:38 am
Hey Judith. What a fantastic insight into the centre you give us with your story. The ‘people’ side of coin is always enlightening and, no matter how bleak sometimes, always leaves an inkling in us that points to our shared connectedness as humans.
As one who helped build this website, it’s these types of authentic voices that make it worthwhile.
Thanks for sharing.
Dave
September 14th, 2008 at 9:04 am
I was one of the first CEP nurses to go throught Julia Farr centre for my enrolled nursing certificate. I worked in the rotary building and the new highgate building while i was there. The other nurses called us the purple people eaters as our uniforms were purple striped. I had a ball working there and loved every minute of it. I just wish i was smart enough to keep my enrollment up when i was younger. I worked on ward 4b?? I loved it, it was mainly the young guys ward and we had so much fun and got to know all the residents so well. I was very upset when I finished my training and my last shift was on the other end the young girls I really wanted to finish up with the guys. The training I got at Julia Farr centre has helped me all through my life. I know when we went out to the general hospitals that the sturt nurse were just starting their pracs, many charge sisters used to ask us as trainee enrolled nurses to show them the ropes as they were great at paper work but had no idea when it came to patient care. Yes I do agree with bringing nursing training back to the hospitals. What a way to help with the nursing shortage! I now live in Queensland and I am trying to regain my enrollment the amount of work I have to do and the cost of the study is more than the cost of the full enrolled nursing course at TAFE. In Queensdland the EN’s have to do a seperate medication certificate and because there is no longer the records of what we were taught at Julia Farr I also have to redo this (more money) no wonder the government have no nurses. Anyhow that is my say. I love reading the stories about Julia Farr, I spent 13 months there and I think it was the best training I could ever of had.
April 12th, 2009 at 1:05 am
audrey,
as a recent worker of julia farr i can say 4b is still alot of fun!! very cheeky residents on that ward!! it is by far the best training you could have working at jfs.
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:59 am
Hi Doug et al,
I was interested to read about the ‘Home for Incurables’ at Fullarton. I’ve just discovered that my ggg grandmother Frances le Sage died there 27th Nov 1902, aged 84 years; COD senile decay. She was the widow of the late Joseph le Sage, a carpenter, d Adelaide 1890. They had one son Joseph George le Sage, born Northam WA 1863 d Adelaide 1933.
I was wondering if anyone has had any success in finding records for the old Home and how I would go about searching for further information about Frances le Sage.
Thanks
Colleen, from Perth, WA
Our family website: http://users.bigpond.com/rjwatson - there’s a link called ‘Ancestors’ that goes to the database.
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Hi again,
I forgot to ask an important question. If a resident died at the ‘Home for Incurables’ at Fullarton, which cemetery would they have been buried in? Sorry - not familiar with South Aust cemeteries & geography.
Thank you.
Colleen
April 24th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I was employed as a AIN in 1968 commnced training as EN in September
1968 and completed same 1969 and worked there until mid 1970 moved to QLD in 1972
my maiden name was Bridgeman
May 8th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
I have just found out that my husbands grandfather ( a recent immigrant from Luxembourg)worked at the Home in,I think,around 1913 Are there any records from that time about the staff? As my husband was adopted and has just found out about his family any information will go a long way.
Thankyou
Deborah Moore
July 7th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I am an employee of Disability SA. The Disability SA Freedom of Information Officer is now based at Fullarton at 103 Fisher Street. You can contact them there by mail or ring 8272 1988. The Home for Incurables/Julia Farr Services did not close down, but was incorporated into Disability SA. Residents still live on site and some have moved to purpose-built houses in the community. The building that was closed has been sold to developers, but there has been a delay in their plans and we do not know how long the building will remain in its current, derelict condition.
February 20th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Does anyone out there have any information about a man with the surname Usher, I am told was the caretaker at the Home for Incurables? He is my great-grandfather and I would like to find out as much information as I can about him and his history. Thanks!
February 24th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Hi Kim
You need to contact the Disability SA Freedom of Information Officer based at Fullarton at 103 Fisher Street. You can contact them there by mail or ring 8272 1988. They may have some information about your great-grandfather.