Diamantina Orphan Asylum - April 1867

THE DIAMANTINA ORPHAN ASYLUM

The Guardian (Brisbane), Thursday 11 April 1867, p. 2. Evidence given by the Hon. John Douglas before the Select Committee on Hospitals, 11 May 1866.

As this institution has been recently referred to in our leading columns, and has given rise to a considerable amount of correspondence in this journal, the following extract from the proceedings of the Select Committee on the hospitals of the colony, appointed last session, may afford information to our readers concerning the institution referred to:—

FRIDAY, 11 MAY, 1866.

Present:—Mr. Groom, Mr. Forbes, Dr. Challinor, Mr. Coxen.—William Henry Groom, Esq., in the chair.

The Honorable John Douglas, M.L.C., again attended, and was further examined.

1. By the Chairman: You are a member of the committee of the Orphan Asylum? Yes.

2. Could you explain to the Committee how that institution is conducted?

I suppose we may call the Orphan Asylum a Government institution. It is managed by a committee, which is recognised by the Government. The committee consists of six ladies, the Immigration Agent, and myself. The school is in a building which till lately formed a fever hospital. Considerable additions were made to the building, and now there is accommodation in the wooden building for about one hundred children; more than one hundred, I think, could be accommodated.

There are eighty-eight children now inmates of the institution. All of these are under ten years old, and a good many of them are quite infants. There are seventeen who are in arms, under eighteen months old. I believe that the whole of those children would have been very grossly neglected, and some of them, I have no doubt, would have died, if they had not been thus provided for by the Government.

In the case of infants at the breast, provision is made by an allowance being given to the mothers, and they are obliged to bring them every week to the ladies' committee, to show that they are in a healthy and cleanly condition. It was at first attempted to rear these children within the walls of the institution, but that was found impossible, and now the mothers are supported as far as the funds of the committee will allow them. The mothers have to produce those children every week, that the ladies may satisfy themselves that the children are not neglected. Ten mothers are thus receiving assistance at the present time.

The establishment consists of a master, matron, sub-matron, a schoolmistress, and five servants.

3. By Mr. Forbes: The sub-matron is schoolmistress, is she?

Yes. She is schoolmistress as well. I may as well mention that the wooden building they inhabit provides all the requisite accommodation; and a few more could still be provided for. These buildings have been provided at a small sum. The total cost of the present building, including furniture, tanks, and everything, would certainly not exceed £800; and though of course they are not likely to be durable buildings, I think they should last for several years without repairs—for, say, ten years.

This institution has not been carried out, strictly speaking, under the Act of Parliament of last session. It was thought that if it was brought under that Act some difficulty might arise in connection with it. I may say that Mrs. Douglas started the institution herself in connection with the hospital committee, and under their management; but when it passed into the hands of the Government, and when the ladies' committee was named, they thought it would be hardly desirable for them to attempt to carry out any industrial scheme as contemplated by the Act, and they preferred to direct their attention to the rearing and management of young children.

The Industrial Schools Act provides for the care of children up to the age of fifteen years, and the ladies' committee do not keep children after they are ten years old. Children can obtain employment at that age, and a considerable number of children have passed through the institution, and have obtained situations under the superintendence of the ladies' committee, who have satisfied themselves that the persons under whose charge those children were placed were persons of proper character.

I am of opinion that it would not be desirable to retain children in the school after the age when they can be put out to service. Girls are likely to obtain service at ten years of age, and if placed in good situations are likely to receive better industrial training than they would at school. Nothing has been attempted in the way of an industrial school, or of teaching the children trades, because they were too young to do so; but the boys are employed so as to make themselves useful; and it is contemplated to form a garden for them to cultivate. They evince great interest in it to the extent to which they can indulge in such work.

The girls are taught sewing so far; and the attainments of the children in school are wonderful. All the children above four years old can read, and most can write. Mr. MacDonell, the Inspector of Schools, visited the school a short time ago, and he was satisfied with the attainments of the children. This has been brought about, to a great extent, by the efficiency and attention of the schoolmaster and mistress. The appliances at first were of a very simple character, but since then we have been supplied with books and maps from the National School Board, and we shall obtain, I have no doubt, everything required to carry on the school efficiently.

4. Do the committee apprentice the children?

Not formally. None of the children are formally apprenticed; but when the children have gone out to service, inquiries have been made as to the characters of the persons they go to. The children are encouraged to come back and report themselves. They generally come back on Sundays. In this way a sort of connection is kept up between them and the institution; and a species of protection of them is maintained.

Then, as to the way in which the payments are made, and the institution supported, Mrs. Douglas, on originally starting the school, received five shillings a head per week, for the children under the direction of the hospital committee. This was sufficient to meet the ordinary expenses then of actual clothing and diet; but she also received assistance from private individuals in various ways; and, when the school was placed under the immediate inspection of the Government, an understanding was come to, by the ladies' committee and the Government, that the committee should receive so much per head, and that the Government should be represented on the committee by the Superintendent of Immigration.

It was agreed that the allowance should be seven shillings per head per week, and that that should cover the cost of everything. Up to the present time that amount has been found sufficient, under, I believe, very economical arrangements. Occasionally subscriptions are sent in by private individuals, which increases the amount at the disposal of the committee; and parents, where it is possible, are made to contribute to the support of their children, but no very large amount is received from this source.

If the amount of seven shillings per week was found to be more than enough, it would be reduced; but the accounts are all subject to inspection. The amount of seven shillings was named, because it was thought that in that way the household affairs would be managed more successfully. The ladies meet once a week, the accounts are produced, and the servants are paid regularly—or, at least, are subject to weekly settlements. The accounts are sent in to the smallest particulars, and as nearly as possible there are weekly settlements.

5. By the Chairman: Are there many children from the country?

Yes; lately there have been several from Ipswich. I believe that to-day there are four coming from Ipswich.

6. Orphans?

Well, a considerable number are not orphans. A large proportion are not orphans, but most of them have lost either their father or mother; and there are a few cases in which the parents are of such a depraved character that the children had to be taken from them. The parents were living notorious lives, and the children were taken from them.

I do not know if I previously mentioned that for very young children an allowance of seven shillings and sixpence is made to mothers who come weekly to shew their children. This might appear a large amount, but it is less than the infant would cost if they were supported by the Government in the institution itself, and the infants stand a much better chance of living. An inducement is thus held out to the mother, also, to rear the child carefully.

In some of those instances the mother might otherwise not take much care of the child, and so the life of the infant might be sacrificed. There were a considerable number of deaths in the institution at first, when it was attempted to rear the children there, but latterly the mortality has been very slight indeed. I think that since the commencement of the year, only one child has died; and when it is taken into consideration that many of those children, when they come into the institution, are in a sickly condition, that is a small number.

The children are now in a healthy state, with the exception of one or two. There are some ricketty children, of course, amongst so many, but the general health is very good. There are two or three who are almost imbeciles. I do not know how they will be provided for when they grow up. They will have to be sent to Woogaroo, I suppose, or some institution of that kind, or to the Benevolent Asylum; but even those children are not so imbecile as to render it probable that they will be absolutely useless.

I should like to mention that Dr. Temple attends the children, and his services are paid for whenever required, at seven shillings a visit. It is considered that this is more economical than appointing a permanent medical man; though, of course, Dr. Temple's visits have to be pretty frequent.

7. Do I understand you to say, you are receiving from the hospital committee five shillings a head?

No. The committee receive at the rate of seven shillings a head per week for every individual in the institution from the Government.

8. Is that sum sufficient to cover expenses?

That sum, supplemented by charitable individuals, and the sums received from parents who are able to support their children, is sufficient. Institutions of this kind are supported in this way at home. An allowance is made by the Government, by way of augmenting the private contributions, at so much per head. Under the Irish Industrial School Act a maximum of seven shillings is named.

9. Do you think the school, as at present carried on, carries out the intentions of the Industrial Schools Act?

Well, it certainly meets the requirements of our condition at present.

10. Do you think the present circumstances justify the Government in erecting a building to carry out the objects of the institution in their integrity?

At the present rate of increase the present building will be soon insufficient. We may go on increasing wooden buildings, and I think that is the most economical way at present; in the course of time we may have to build a permanent residence for the children, and to do that would necessitate a considerable outlay.

As to a reformatory, I think if you could get a good man and wife to take care of the children, that would be the cheapest way. To take a house in the country would be better than keeping the children within prison walls, where they would be subjected to prison discipline.

11. Have any children been received at the school from Rockhampton?

Yes; there are two children from Rockhampton in the school who are absolute orphans. Their father and mother both are dead. They were immigrants.

In cases of children who have lost their mother, they are sometimes placed in as bad a condition as if they had lost their father. The father is unable to provide for them, and under those circumstances it is better the children should be placed in an institution of this kind, and the father pay part of the expense of keeping them.

We have some such children now. I may mention the case of a German. He has three children. His wife died. He could not get constant employment—just employment for a day or two occasionally, but not sufficient to enable him to support himself and children. After some difficulty he obtained a situation on the line, and advanced a considerable amount for the maintenance of the children. He received an advance from his employer, and paid it for his children.

He seems to be very much attached to his children, and, I presume, will continue to look after them, and when he establishes a home he may take them back. There is no difficulty for a parent doing that, except when the parents are known to be vicious and immoral characters.

Sometimes there are cases of wives deserting their husbands, and husbands deserting their wives. There is one case now of a woman having left her husband, having run away with another man. The husband was not able to support his children. He went away too, and we have lost sight of him, but the children had to be supported.

I should presume that, when a parent is willing and able to pay for his children, payment will be made; and when he is not willing though able to pay, the children would be neglected.

12. By Mr. Forbes: How would this present institution, as now carried out, work, by removing children over ten years of age to an industrial school?

That might be found to work very well, if it was thought necessary to retain them after they were ten years of age; but my own conviction is, that it is not necessary to retain them in the school after they are ten years of age; and I think it would cost the Government not less than £30 per annum to retain them in school.

13. By the Chairman: After they leave the present institution, and go to situations, have you any cases of return?

Yes, there have been some cases; but situations have been found for them again.

14. Then, the fact of there being such an institution to which they can return is advantageous?

Yes. At the same time, no unnecessary inducements are held out to them to return. There was one instance of a boy, who did not behave himself in the situation he went to, and we would not take him back. He was apprenticed to Mr. R. S. Warry, and he behaved very badly. When he returned to the institution, we told him we could not take him back because he would show a bad example to the other boys; and that he was quite capable to take care of himself.