The earliest dated signs of occupation by Indigenous People in South Australia, a flint quarry with Pleistocene rock art was located at Koonalda Cave, on the Nullabor Plain.

1800s

1802: Capt. Mathew Flinders on HMS Investigator visits Kangaroo Island and charts the coastline of South Australia

1820s

1829: Edward Gibbon Wakefield wrote a series of letters about systematic colonisation which were published in the London Morning Chronicle

1830s

1830: Captain Charles Sturt explored the Murray River and followed it to the sea
1831: Captain Collett Barker explored the Gulf of St. Vincent and climbed Mount Lofty
1834: Robert Gouger forms the South Australian Association
1834: The South Australian Colonisation Act received royal assent in Britain
1836: King William signed the Letters Patent establishing the Province of South Australia
1836: On the 28th December a ceremony was held, under a gum tree at Glenelg to proclaim the beginning of European settlement and the British colony of South Australia
1839: Dr Matthew Moorhouse appointed permanent Protector of Aborigines

1840s

1840: The first official census recorded 14,160 Europeans in South Australia: 6557 in the City of Adelaide, 1600 at the port and in the villages on the Adelaide Plains, and 5414 in rural areas
1841: About 2000 destitute persons were on government support
1841: Adelaide Hospital was founded with three wards, two male and one female. It could accommodate about thirty patients
1841: A Board of Pauper Lunatics was set up to find an alternative to keeping people with a mental illness in the Adelaide Goal. However, no one was prepared to take any responsibility and the colony was nearly bankrupt which restricted public expenditure, so nothing was done.
1842: The Maintenance Act was passed. The Act stated that it was the legal responsibility of the family to support any member who was destitute or sick. The government provided support only if it could be proved that there were no relatives to help. The Act became the legal basis for the social welfare action taken by the government.
1845: Many Aboriginal children were dying of European diseases
1846: The government rented a house with eight rooms and a small cottage at Parkside for people with a mental illness
1849: The Colonial Secretary invited leading members of church groups to form a Destitute Board to provide help to the needy

1850s

1851: The Adelaide Destitute Asylum was established to provide institutional care and control of women, children, the aged, destitute and the sick
1852: The Adelaide Lunatic Asylum was opened to care for the mentally ill. It provided far better facilities for the insane, but less than two years later it proved to be too small
1856: No Aboriginal people remained in Adelaide

1860s

1863: An Act was passed for the ‘regulation of the Destitute Asylum’ to better regulate the government’s aid to the destitute and sick. It also provided rules relating to the inmates’ behaviour in the asylum. However, the Act did not address the issue of eligibility for assistance
1865: William Townsend, politician and lay preacher discovered that there were 34 destitute blind people living in the State. He established a Public Committee comprising prominent citizens to raise funds to build an institution for the blind, deaf and dumb

1870s

1870: The Parkside Lunatic Asylum was opened to accommodate 700 patients
1872: William Townsend MP proposes the establishment of an asylum for blind and deaf persons
1874: The South Australian Institution for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb was established to provide refuge, education and boarding facilities. The Grace Darling Building and surrounding land, located in Brighton was leased and bought 2 years later
1876: Adelaide Children’s Hospital was founded
1878: The Home for Incurables was founded to care for those with an incurable and crippling disease
1878: Townsend House was built at a cost of £4,289 to house the South Australian Institution for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb

1880s

1882: The government recognised the need for professional full-time medical care at the Adelaide Destitute Asylum and allowed the appointment of a paid medical officer
1884: The Industrial School for the Blind was established in North Adelaide for adults who were blind
1884: Mr Hendry and Mr Goode join forces to form The Institution for the Blind. Its main activity initially was the production of baskets, brushes and mats

1890s

1894: Estcourt House opened as a home for aged and/or visually impaired patients and crippled children
1894: Kalyra opened as a sanatorium for the victims of tuberculosis (consumption).
1898: Minda was opened to provide a home for children with an intellectual disability. Prior to the establishment of Minda Home, children with intellectual disabilities were placed in the Parkside Lunatic Asylum

References
Bell, Maureen 2003. ‘From the 1870’s to the 1970’s: the changing face of public psychiatry in South Australia’. Australasian Psychiatry, vol. 11, Issue 1, pp.79-86.

Can do 4 kids: Townsend House. 2006. [online]. [Accessed 12 April 2007]. Available from World Wide Web:
<link>

Dickey, Brian 1986. Rations, residence, resources: A history of social welfare in South Australia since 1836. Netley: Wakefield Press.

Kwan, Elizabeth, 1987. Living in South Australia: A social history, Volume 1 From before 1836 to 1914. Netley: South Australian Government Printer

Gargett, Kathyrn & Marsden, Susan 1996. Adelaide: A Brief History. Adelaide: State History Centre, History Trust of South Australia

History Trust of South Australia. 2004. [online]. [Accessed 12 April 2007]. Available from World Wide Web:
<link>.

Piddock, Susan 2004. ‘Possibilities and realities: South Australia’s asylums in the 19th century’. Australasian Psychiatry, vol. 12, Issue 2, pp.172-175.

Establishment of Minda Home

The establishment of Minda Home began with the unlikely alliance of two politicians, C.C. Kingston, a radical liberal and Josiah Symon, an independent conservative. Their alliance arose from their personal experiences. Kingston was in a childless marriage and Symon had two children with an intellectual disability. Together with a number of concerned citizens they approached the Chief Secretary in an effort to encourage the government to establish a home for children with an intellectual disability. The government promised a sum of £500, providing a similar amount was raised from public donations.

Fullarton 1898-1911

In 1897 a home at Fullarton was purchased with the capacity to accommodate twenty-two children. The home was called ‘Minda’, an Aboriginal word meaning ‘a place of shelter and protection’ but it was officially registered as ‘The Home for Weakminded Children’. The home was to provide care, education and special training so the children would have happy and useful lives. In May 1898 ten children moved into the home. They were cared for by Matron Elizabeth Barker and educated by Miss Edna Fox. The small home was soon filled to capacity.

Brighton 1911-Present

By 1909 a larger institution was needed, so a property at Brighton was purchased. The government provided financial support and a new home was built. In September 1911 the institution was incorporated and officially named Minda Home. The children from Fullarton were moved there two months later. The organisation expanded rapidly. The Verco Building, was built in 1913. Cottage style buildings, named Lady Galway and Sir Charles Goode were built in 1918, to meet the increasing demand for places at the home. More additions were made in the 1920s and 1930s. By 1934 Minda was also operating a farm and dormitory at Craigburn Farm at Blackwood in the Adelaide Hills.

Minda Incorporated

Today, Minda continues to evolve and remains at the forefront of the disability sector in South Australia. It provides supported community living for people living with intellectual disability together with services such as social work, psychology and respite for individuals and their families. It also provides supported employment opportunities, both in the community and on the Brighton site. Currently 900 staff provide support to over 1,500 people living with intellectual disability. It accommodates 250 adults on campus and another 250 adults in the community. The remaining individuals are supported through Minda’s other services.

References

Dickey, Brian 1986. Rations, residence, resources: A history of social welfare in South Australia since 1836. Netley: Wakefield Press

Find your way home: with SA Link-up. 2005. [online].[Accessed on 30th April 2007]. Available from the World Wide Web:

It all started with the vision of one man, Mr Andrew Whyte Hendry, who was blind. After hearing of the disadvantages faced by an acquaintance who was blind, Mr Hendry had the idea of starting an industrial training school where people who were blind could learn an occupation, thereby providing them with the skills to be active and valued members of the community.

In 1883, Mr Hendry joined forces with Mr Charles Goode (who was to receive a Knighthood in 1910-1911 for his dedicated services to the blind) to develop a working committee around the idea. In 1884, a suitable premises was found in Brougham Place, North Adelaide. Mr Goode was appointed Chairman of the Board, Mr Hendry was appointed Manager and The Institution for the Blind, as it was then known, was born. The main activity initially was the production of baskets, brushes and mats.

In 1903, The Institution for the Blind became The Royal Institution of the Blind and with the passing of the Royal Society for the Blind South Australia Act, 1934-1974, the Royal Institution for the Blind became the Royal Society for the Blind - the same RSB that is still going strong today and serving over 10,500 South Australians who are blind or vision impaired.

A memorable event for the State’s blind community occurred in 1950 when Miss Helen Keller, the American woman who had been blind and deaf since birth but had overcome these disabilities to great success, visited Adelaide. Miss Keller visited both the Royal Institute for the Blind and Melrose House (a hostel for the aged and unemployable blind) and was greatly impressed by both facitlities.

As it was back in 1884, the RSB’s goal today is to assist South Australians who are
blind or vision impaired achieve the quality of life to which they aspire. In recent years, the focus has been on expanding low vision and regional services, assisting
clients to gain competitive employment, providing access to new technology, enhancing mobility and educating the community on vision impairment.

Milestones in the RSB’s History

1884
The Institute of the Blind is founded and housed in an old church in Brougham Place, North Adelaide.

1885
The Institute employs 68 people.

1903
‘The Institute’ is re named the Royal Institute for the Blind.

1915
Andrew Whyte Hendry organises the building of larger premises (including recreation rooms and a braille library) opposite the Children’s Hospital on King William Street.

1938
Melrose House established to provide accommodation for the frail blind elderly.

1972
The Institute moves to Gilles Plains and changes its name by Act of Parliament to The Royal Society for the Blind. Services are expanded to include assistance with daily living, recreation and study needs.

1991
The first regional RSB office established in Mount Gambier

1992
Knapman House is opened to provide the best low vision care and assessment in South Australia

1993
Opening of RSB Port Augusta office to service the mid north region.

1994
Opening of RSB Noarlunga Office

1995
Appointment of dedicated Multicultural Case Worker

1996
Introduction of Client Surveys

1997
Opening of Adaptive Technology Centre

1998
Introduction of Orientation & Mobility Services
Launch of first web site

1999
Creation of Future Solutions Service
Introduction of Young Business Leaders Program
Creation of 3VI CD Rom package for children

2000
Attainment of ISO 9000 Quality Accreditation
Introduction of Braille and Equipment Subsidy Scheme
Launch of 3V1 web site for children

2001
OMA Course created and delivered

2002
Opening of the RSB Elizabeth office
South Australian Books in the Sky (BiTS) pilot launched

2003
Creation of memorandum of Understanding with Deaf SA and CanDo4Kids
Introduction of audio described theatre
Launch of 23rd Talking Newspaper

2004
RSB Victor Harbor office opened
Service Excellence and Disability Employment Service Accreditation.
Australian launch of Ultracane

2005
National Books in The Sky (BiTS) pilot launched
Hosting of inaugural TechFest
Creation of equipment long term loan pool

2006
Creation of RSB Guide Dog Service
Construction of a day-kennel facility at the RSB’s Gilles Plains site
Supply of Audio Navigators to 150 vision impaired South Australian children
Adaptive equipment assistance to the vision impaired community in Tonga

Article courtesy of the Royal Society for the Blind of South Australia

James Brown Memorial Trust (1894 - 1955)

In 1892 Estcourt House was purchased by the James Brown Memorial Trust. The trust was established by Mrs Jessie Brown, widow of James Brown, a wealthy pastoralist, to help people in need. In 1894 Estcourt House was opened and by December there were eight children, aged between four and twelve, and twenty three visually impaired elderly people in residence. By the turn of the century the number of residents had increased to forty five. The children at the home received their schooling from members of staff until 1918 when the Education Department provided a teacher. In 1931 Estcourt House became a convalescent home for children recovering from medical treatment, and it also provided specialist care for survivors of tuberculosis, poliomyelitis and children with rheumatic fever. It could look after up to forty children at one time.

Adelaide Children’s Hospital (1955 – 1978)

During the 1920’s and 1930’s Estcourt House developed a close relationship with the Adelaide Children’s Hospital. Many of the children at the convalescent home were referred directly from the hospital. In 1955 the Adelaide Children’s Hospital bought Estcourt House. They spent a large amount of money on renovations and additions so they could accommodate up to one hundred children.

Ru Rua Nursing Home (1978 – 1989)

In 1978 the South Australian government bought Estcourt House and it became part of the Strathmont Centre. In 1981 the home was upgraded and convalescing children were moved from the Ru Rua Nursing Home at North Adelaide. Estcourt House became the Ru Rua Nursing Home and operated until 1989.

References

Find your way home: with SA Link-up. 2005. [online].[Accessed on 30th April 2007]. Available from the World Wide Web: http://salinkup.com.au/media/pdf/9_miscellaneous.pdf

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

The South Australian Institution for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb

In 1874 The South Australian Institution for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb was established to provide a refuge, education and boarding facilities. The Grace Darling Building and surrounding land, located in Brighton was leased and bought two years later. A larger building was needed and in 1878 Townsend House was built. It was a two storey stone building in the Victorian Gothic style and cost £ 4,289. After completion twenty four children were admitted. The education provided was described as “of an ordinary school type”. Children could board as either fee or non-fee paying pupils. However, by 1880 all borders were without means and unable to pay fees. By 1894 Townsend House catered for a total of one hundred and forty six children.

The Industrial School for the Blind

In 1884 The Industrial School for the Blind was established in North Adelaide for adults who were blind. Nine pupils were transferred from Townsend House to the new school. The establishment of the school was a reflection of changing community attitudes. The belief was that an institution should be less of an asylum, and instead, provide education and training to its pupils. The new school provided training in trades such as brush and basket making.

The Institution

As it was now considered beneficial to educate pupils in a trade, boot making was taught to boys at the Institution in 1892. Two years later woodwork was introduced. Girls were taught laundry work, needle work, knitting and table waiting. In 1915 the government passed legislation making it compulsory to educate blind, deaf, and mentally defective children between the ages of six and sixteen. Parents had to comply with this legislation otherwise they were fined for non-compliance. The Institution was proud that it hadn’t excluded or refused any pupil due to a parent’s inability to pay fees. School fees were charged but a means test allowed pupils from poor families an education. The Institution employed official collectors to solicit donations from the public. By 1925, two hundred and eighty nine deaf and one hundred and twenty nine blind children had been admitted to the Institution. The majority of them, by the time they became adults, were able to maintain themselves in the community.

Mainstream education

In 1929 two boys who were deaf attended Goodwood Central School to learn woodwork and metalwork. It was the first integration of children who were deaf into mainstream education. In 1932 the number increased to six. In 1945/46 the Institution established a new Oral Kindergarten for children who were deaf at Gilberton. In 1946 the school changed its name to Townsend House Schools for Deaf and Blind Children. The trend toward integration picked up momentum and in 1952 two more oral classes at Kilkenny Primary School were opened up. This was followed by a unit for the partially deaf at Woodville Primary School and another unit at North Adelaide. The Canon Report of 1953 recommended that the Institution’s School for the Deaf should become a special public school under the Minister of Education. It took 10 years to implement the recommendation. From 1945-1955 the total intake to the Schools for Deaf and Blind Children was forty six and in 1967 there were seventy one children who were deaf and thirty who were blind.

In 1961 the Minister of Education commissioned the Howard Report to investigate the financial situation of the Institution. The report highlighted its deteriorating financial position. A deputation form the Board of Townsend House went to the Minister and requested that the government take over the responsibility of educating the children. The government assumed responsibility and the Education Department took over control of the School. There were major changes in the approach towards educating the Deaf between 1963 and 1976 with an emphasis toward mainstream education. A new school complex was built by Townsend House at a cost of $1.1 million, with assistance from government grants. The School had three independent schools:

• The South Australian School for Blind Children
• The South Australian School for Deaf Children
• Pre-School for Hearing and Hearing Impaired Children

Community Services

In 1985 Townsend House took its first step into Community Services with the introduction of the Early Childhood Support Services – Blind and Vision Impaired. The Time for Carers Program was introduced in 1987 and supported families of children who lived at home and not in an institution. Townsend House developed a community based program for children (0-12 years) who were Deaf or hearing impaired and gained funding from State Government Disability Services. They provided a range of therapeutic, training and recreational programs that lead to independent living. Over the years their Community Services have grown and developed, providing programs for children with a sensory impairment and their families. Townsend House has become involved with blind sporting bodies and affiliated organisations who support people who are deaf and hearing impaired.

On December 7th 2001, the Minister for Ageing and Disabilities launched The CanDo4Kids Townsend House Foundation.

Reference

Can do 4 kids: Townsend House. 2006. [online]. [Accessed 12 April 2007]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www.townsendhouse.com.au/AboutUs/History/tabid/99/Default.aspx>

Non-government Charities

During the nineteenth century non-government charities provided for the poor and aged, children, women and the sick and disabled. The first few charities established in Adelaide were:

1849: A group of men, led by the Reverend Daniel James Draper formed the Adelaide Benevolent and Strangers’ Friend Society. It gave food and money to provide general relief in the community.

1856: Bishop Short set up the Female Refuge for ‘fallen’ women. The number of women who resided in the Refuge grew to two hundred by 1889. The Refuge continued until the 1940’s.

1860: Julia Farr and a group of ladies established the Orphan Home for children.

1868: The newly formed Sisters of St Joseph led by Mary MacKillop established a female refuge.

1886: Archdeacon Dove set up the Children’s (later Boys’) Home. However, the first charity to emerge that focused on people with a disability did not occur until the 1870’s.

The South Australian Institution for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb

In 1865 William Townsend, politician and lay preacher, discovered that there were thirty four destitute blind people living in the State. He established a Public Committee comprising prominent citizens to raise funds to build an institution for the blind, deaf and dumb. In 1874 The South Australian Institution for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb was established. It provided a place of refuge, education and boarding facilities.

Home for Incurables

In 1878, the Home for Incurables was founded to provide care for those who had an incurable condition. By 1881 there were forty four inmates and a staff of nine.

Estcourt House

In 1894 Estcourt House was opened to help people in need. By December there were eight children, aged between four and twelve, and twenty three visually impaired elderly people in residence.

Kalyra

Kalyra was opened in the early 1890’s as a sanatorium for people with tuberculosis (consumption). It was situated in the Adelaide Hills near Belair.

Minda

Minda opened in 1898 to provide a home for children with an intellectual disability. Prior to the establishment of Minda Home, children with intellectual disabilities were placed in the Parkside Lunatic Asylum.

References

Can do 4 kids: Townsend House. 2002. [online]. [Accessed on 30th April 2007]. Available from the World Wide Web: <http://www.townsendhouse.com.au/AboutUs/History/tabid/99/Default.aspx>

Dickey, Brian 1986. Rations, residence, resources : A history of social welfare in South Australia since 1836. Netley: Wakefield Press Richards, Eric (ed.) 1986. The Flinders history of South Australia. Netley: Wakefield Press

Find your way home: with SA Link-up. 2005. [online]. [Accessed on 30th April 2007]. Available from the World Wide Web: <http://salinkup.com.au/media/pdf/9_miscellaneous.pdf>

Adelaide Gaol

When the colony of South Australia began in 1836, there was no provision made for people with a mental illness, or lunatics as they were then called. Consequently, they were kept in the Adelaide Gaol. A ward was set aside for the insane where, reflecting the view of the time, thet were kept restrained and out of sight. To address this problem a Board of Pauper Lunatics was set up in 1841 to suggest alternative solutions. However, no one was prepared to take any responsibility. In addition, the colony was nearly bankrupt which restricted public expenditure, so nothing was done.

It wasn’t until April 1846 that the government acted and rented a house with eight rooms and a small cottage at Parkside. On 21st May nine inmates were transferred from the gaol. However, the house was too small and many remained in the gaol until 1855. The Parkside premises were used until the Asylum on North Terrace was completed. The Parkside Lunatic Asylum was later built on this site.

Adelaide Lunatic Asylum

In 1849 the Colonial Engineer drew up plans for an asylum costing £5000-£6000 that would accommodate sixty patients, a house surgeon, three keepers and a couple of domestic staff. Tenders were called in 1850 and the new Adelaide Lunatic Asylum was opened in March 1852. It was built on the parklands at the eastern end of North Terrace, on ground overlooking the Botanic Garden. The new asylum provided far better facilities for the insane, but less than two years after its opening it proved to be too small. There were two men occupying each cell and accommodation was still required for forty more patients. Therefore, the Adelaide Gaol remained in use for at least another four years.

At the end of 1856 more accommodation became available for mental patients when the new hospital building was opened and the old Adelaide Hospital building was made available to the Asylum. However, by 1866 this had also become overcrowded and planning was begun for another asylum. By this time the Adelaide Lunatic Asylum was considered to be below standard but it remained in use until 1902, when its last patient was finally transferred to Parkside Lunatic Asylum. It was then used for several years as an infectious diseases hospital before it was razed in 1938.

Parkside Lunatic Asylum

In 1864 a Commission was appointed to inquire into the management of the Adelaide Lunatic Asylum. They found that it was crowded and its location had become inappropriate. Adelaide had expanded rapidly, with suburbs by the parklands, which meant the roads passing the asylum had become main thoroughfares. The Commission recommended the construction of a new purpose-built asylum for seven hundred patients based on the best European and American practices. They also recommended the purchase of land within four miles from the centre of Adelaide.

Land was purchased and the new Parkside Lunatic Asylum opened in March 1870. In May 1870 the main building of a new Asylum was opened and received fifty patients transferred from the Adelaide Asylum. Patients continued to be transferred from North Terrace until Parkside was completed. The Parkside Asylum remains open to this today and is now known as Glenside (Psychiatric) Hospital.

References

Bell, Maureen 2003. ‘From the 1870’s to the 1970’s: the changing face of public psychiatry in South Australia’. Australasian Psychiatry, vol. 11, Issue 1, pp.79-86.

Piddock, Susan 2004. ‘Possibilities and realities: South Australia’s asylums in the 19th century’. Australasian Psychiatry, vol. 12, Issue 2, pp.172-175.

Destitute Asylum 1850’s – 1860’s

The term ‘asylum’ was often used in the early nineteenth century, in England, the United States and Australia. It referred to the use of a building or group of buildings where institutional care was provided. The asylum allowed regularity, supervision and control. It provided economies of scale and was the most efficient way of handling those who were socially dependent. Consequently, the Destitute Asylum provided institutional care for women, children, the aged, destitute and the sick. During the 1850’s and 1860’s the Asylum’s occupancy of the barracks expanded.

The building was repaired and wings added to accommodate the increasing number of residents. In 1863 an Act was passed for the ‘Regulation of the Destitute Asylum’ to better regulate the government’s aid to the destitute and sick. It also provided rules relating to the inmates’ behaviour in the asylum. However, the Act did not address the issue of eligibility for assistance. The majority of inmates in the Asylum were aged, chronically ill, bed-ridden, crippled, blind, paralysed or diseased. Some were young or middle-aged and had no future. The Asylum also housed deserted women, children and pregnant destitute women. By the end of June 1864 there were seventy six males and sixty nine females (including children) in all these groups.

From the beginning there were children at the Asylum. During the 1860’s the problem of destitute children increased. It wasn’t until 1868 when the Destitute Board established institutions for state children that they were removed from the Asylum. This left the Destitute Board with responsibility for adults. Over time the Asylum became a hospital for aged and chronically ill people. On 30th June 1867 there were one hundred and sixty nine adults living in the Asylum. Of these, one hundred and fifty two were suffering from a physical disability which ensured their permanent residence in the Asylum.

Destitute Asylum 1870’s – 1917

In 1870 the Asylum grew and took over the rest of the military barracks. However, applicants continued to arrive, increasingly referred by the Adelaide hospital. The Colonial Surgeon realized that he could send chronically ill patients to the Destitute Asylum and free up beds at the hospital. The Destitute Board was forced, in turn, to press for improved facilities and extra nurses to care for these people from the government. However, as there was no other alternative, public or private this only meant patients would continue to end up at the Asylum. The Adelaide Hospital did, however, send its house surgeon to visit the Asylum’s inmates each day. In 1882 the government recognised the need for professional full-time medical care at the Asylum and allowed the appointment of a paid medical officer.

During the 1890’s and 1900’s the Destitute Asylum was usually full, with over six hundred inmates.

In 1909 and 1910 the Deakin federal government introduced a Commonwealth Old Age pension and a Commonwealth Invalid Pension which reduced the need for the Asylum. However, it wasn’t until the Old Folks Home at Magill was opened in 1917 that the Destitute Asylum was finally abandoned. In 1927 the State Children’s Council was absorbed into the Destitute Board and the Board was renamed the Children’s Welfare and Public Relief Department (CW & PRD). In 1965 the Dunstan government abolished the CW & PRD and it was replaced by a Minister and a Director of Social Welfare.

References

Dickey, Brian 1986. Rations, residence, resources : A history of social welfare in South Australia since 1836. Netley: Wakefield Press.

Richards, Eric (ed.) 1986. The Flinders history of South Australia. Netley: Wakefield Press.

The Maintenance Act

The Emigration Agent was responsible for migrants’ welfare on their arrival, and soon found he was providing rations and shelter for the emigrants if they were destitute or sick. The government did not have the infrastructure to support them, so they introduced the Maintenance Act, also called the Destitute Relief Act, on the 24th November 1842. The Act avoided any statement of government responsibility for the sick and destitute, instead imposed legal responsibility on the family – on the wife, husband, parents, children or grandchildren. The government provided support only if it could be proved that there were no relatives to help. The Act, although difficult to enforce against individual citizens became the legal basis for the social welfare action taken by the government.

Destitute Board

In early February 1849 the Colonial Secretary contacted the Reverend James Farrell, Father Michael Ryan, the Reverend Robert Haining and William Giles the manager of the South Australian Company, inviting them to become members of a Destitute Board. They, instead of the Emigration Agent were to receive applications for assistance from the destitute and make recommendations that rations be given to the Colonial Secretary for approval.

Meanwhile, the Emigration Agent resided at Port Adelaide and dealt with incoming ships and supervised newly arrived migrants. The Board’s first report to the Governor was on 7th January 1850 and it highlighted two problems in helping people seeking assistance. The first problem was that one hundred and ninety eight people had sought medical aid. As a result the Board was given the power to send people to the Colonial Hospital for medical aid after consultation with the Colonial Surgeon.

The second problem was the need for proper accommodation. The Board reported that it had twenty five people i.e. ’seven deserted children, a family of four, four old men, three aged cripples, a blind person, an idiotic girl, three sick men and two women lying-in’ housed in huts scattered around Emigration Square. However, nothing was done about the lack of accommodation for the destitute. The Board also reported that it had granted weekly rations to eighteen families, sixty six adults, fifteen children and there were one hundred and fourteen people on rations at years end.

In April 1851 the government granted the Board access to part of the barracks complex next to Government House on North Terrace. The destitute moved into their new quarters on 10th May 1851. It became the Destitute Asylum. For ten years, until 1860 Reverend James Farrell, Father Michael Ryan, the Reverend Robert Haining, William Giles and the Emigration Agent were active members of the Destitute Board. They supervised applications for assistance from the destitute and the conduct of the Destitute Asylum.

References

Dickey, Brian 1986. Rations, residence, resources: A history of social welfare in South Australia since 1836. Netley: Wakefield Press.

Piddock, Susan 2001, ‘Convicts and the Free: Nineteenth-century lunatic asylums in South Australia and Tasmania (1830-1883)’, Australasian Historical Archaeology, Vol. 19, pp 84-95

Richards, Eric (ed.) 1986. The Flinders history of South Australia, Netley: Wakefield Press.