The Story Of Rose...The Subiaco Industrial Institution (1912). Part Three.
This is the story of Rose, a young girl placed in the Subiaco Industrial Institution because her father worked and was unable to care for her, and another girl who spoke up about the abuse to the father. The father then shared his concerns with a newspaper who then sent a representative to investigate reports.
This is the second time allegations of abuse at the Subiaco Industrial Institution were found. There were previous allegations found from an article in the Sunday Times in 1905. The stories of children being abused in institutionalised care in the early 1900's are extremely difficult to read and write. These young girls are to be admired for speaking out about the abuse of the government industrial schools of the day.
The article is from Trove, the national database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
Truth, September 1912.
Industrial Schools
ASTOUNDING ALLEGATIONS.
Children Complain of Cruelty. The Lonely Little Rose - "Knocked Down and Kicked" - "Always Being Belted" - "Assistants Cruel" - "Letters Burnt" - A Father's Appeal to "Truth" - Result of our Investigations.
During the week the following letters came to hand, and immediately on receipt of the communications, we dispatched a representative of this journal to thoroughly investigate the matter.
(To the Editor, "Truth")
Dear Sir - Being a constant reader of this paper for some years, I am well aware, of the great good you have wrought, and I believe, the time has come when still more good will be done. I send you a copy of a letter got from a little girl that just come out of the Subiaco Industrial School; she wrote on behalf of my little girl who was there, to the effect that she was to be sent to the Church of England Home for Girls she was not getting her proper schooling in Kalgoorlie. I was away from home working, and could not take care of her as far as schooling was concerned, and it was arranged she was to go to the Home as stated, but, somehow, she was not sent there at all. Since that girl that wrote the letter was there, I hear that my little daughter has been taken out by another lady residing in Maylands, and I may say I am rather pleased, if such is the truth, as the little one writes me and she is very nice and kind.
If there are any more particulars you require, you will find me at the following address— W. GILLIAM
Ginglet, Aug. 29.
P.S. Enclosed you will find exact copy of the letter in my possession.
THE LITTLE GIRL'S LETTER
Dear Sir—I am writing to you for your daughter, who is at the Subiaco Industrial School; she asked we when I was in there four weeks ago, to write to you for her as they read all the letters. I was very sorry for her as she was my only friend. It is a shame for anyone, as they are always belting you, and you are working from morning till night, and they only give the children two hours a day for schooling, and, also, every morning, her and l and a couple of other girls had to clean all the children. They don't give half enough food. Rose would write and tell you everything, only the matron reads all the letters before they go out, and if you tell anything they have cur letter, and it is burnt.
The matron is very kind, but the assistants are very cruel, they knock you down and kick you, if you are seen idle for one minute, they call you into the laundry to turn the big mangle, while sometimes you are sent to bed. Well there are scores of but I cant think of them all , I was in there for two weeks, am very glad to be out of this filth and misery, and I will be very glad when I see Rose out too. She is always crying for her father and sister and brothers. There is another girl who has just come out of the home and is going to write to you, also, to try and get you to go down and take Rose out. Well, I will say good-bye from Rosie little friend.
P.S.- Rosie is always fretting, so do go down and get her out.
Our representative writes as follows: - This institution, which was established as far back as 1894 comes after the control of the State Children's Department, and it is now officially designated as a receiving depot children are sent there by the magistrate of any Children's Court, and children whose parents are destitute, or who are left neglected in the world are received, upon the recommendation of Under-secretary Northmore. The department has male and female inspectors ever touring around on the look-out for neglected children, and no bona fide case is refused admission. After a time, the children are transferred to other branches of the department, or are placed in suitable situations.
THEY RECEIVE EVERY ATTENTION -
while inmates of the depot, and should they contract illness they are sent along to the Children's Hospital.
Our representative was courteously received, both by the matron and manager (Mrs. and Mr. Shipton) and was shown round. Most of the children seemed to be defective in some particular. Rickets, sore eyes, running ears, cross-eyes, St. Vitus dance, fits, scabs, and imbecility were common. In one case, a poor child was in bed through having taken a fit a few minutes before our representative happened along. The child had previously been in the sewing-room, and had fallen down on his face in a fit. It was a most pitiful spectacle. In the Infants I there were several cases which would make an ordinary person feel sick. Yet here are
WELL TENDED AND CARED FOR.
Behind this building, partitioned off, were several single young women, victims of "the old, old story," man's betrayal, and were glad to receive the shelter and accommodation afforded by the depot.
A number of girls were watching, and in some cases helping the seamstress to make garments necessary to the institution. They all seemed dull, and required the supervision and patience of their instructress. Over the laundry the bigger girls were hard at work with the weekly wash, and was full of steam and activity.
The boys, have for the most part, were in the schoolroom, and with one or two exceptions, one could not but feel sorry for their future. The inspection was very depressing, the sight of so many how types being
AN OBJECT LESSON
in regard to our present day civilisation. That we should collect all our weaklings, all those who are unable to survive without assistance, and place them in one common depot for the purpose of patching them up and sending them out into the world to reproduce, and, in fact, promulgate their kind, seems a monstrous farce, a problem surely sufficient to daunt any student of eugenics. However, there is no getting away from the fact that that is what we are doing today and I can easily be seen that a visit to such a depot is not a pleasant business.
Upon the occasion of our representative visit, the institution held about 50 inmates, and these children were being attended to by a staff of seven persons. Now, such an establishment requires a cook, a laundress-seamstress, and a hands-man. This then would reduce the staff to about four persons. Four persons to attend to 50 children, means about 12 each, and each child requires
INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT
and attention. Each child is practically a study in itself, and needs private guidance and correction, that is, if any serious attempt is to be made at effectual reformation. One cannot but come to the conclusion that the children have little to hope for from such a staff, which is totally inadequate. All that the depot can accomplish at present is to feed, cloth, and keep in health the little ones placed within its portals. It cannot offer them individual attention, it cannot study their deficiencies, either mental or physical, and by scientific methods improve and use such deficiencies. No, as a matter of fact it has its hands very full keeping them fed, clothed, and in health. To put it bluntly, the State is making no attempt to reform and remodel its charges; it is simply perpetuating them under its present system.
Everywhere throughout the establishment cleanliness is observed, and everything is neat and orderly. There is a fine lawn in front, surmounted by various bushes, and flowers; at the back is an orchard, which contains many trees and vines, and from which in season more than, sufficient fruit is obtained. The vegetable garden is neglected for
WANT OF A GARDENER.
So instead of producing their own vegetables the institution probably buys them from Chows. Bees and poultry are sidelines which are well managed, and eggs and honey are in consequence a plentiful item of the diet. The boys have a gymnasium wherein they occasionally break a limb and a tennis court is in course of preparation. The bootmakers and carpenters shops - once a prominent feature of the Industrial School are now neglected for want of an instructor, a beautiful illustration of departmental economy. Taken all round, there is plenty of room for improvement in the management of this depot, but
NEITHER THE MANAGER NOR THE MATRON ARE TO BLAME.
In fact, they are deserving of much praise for the able manner in which they conduct the premises. They have been in their positions for the past 12 years, and it speaks volumes for their ability in, that today they are as padent and painstaking with their charges, as ever. They have great worry and responsibility, and it stands to reason that half a hundred young misfits of civilisation require for their management more than ordinary ability and tact.
The discipline of the institution is not lax, neither is it strict, but that complaints should occasionally is only natural one considers that the majority of it's inmates are "neglected" or require "restraint." Furthermore, the two heads possess all round ability. The matron acts as doctor, nurse, mother and manager very frequently while the manager is bookkeeper, schoolmaster, engineer, carpenter, gardener, poultry and bee expert, gymnastic instructor, and various other things. He is also expected to keep
AN EAGLE EYE DAY
and particularly night, upon the elder of both sexes, or possibly we'd, have a bigger scandal than that of the Blind Asylum. Summing up, our representative considered the children to be well fed and well clothed, but the staff was altogether too inadequate to say they were well treated, Perhaps, some of its inmates are even badly treated at times, but this, so far as the heads are concerned, is mere a matter of supervision than direct responsibility.
The Matron informed our representative that she has had much difficulty with her female staff, and has had to discharge three persons through incompetence, quite recently. At present, however, she states that the personnel of her staff is in every way satisfactory.
Subiaco Industrial Institution Nursery and Laundry 1906
