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Two government inquiries, the 'Select Committee on Destitute Children', 1852-1853 and the 'Select Committee on Proposed Nautical School', 1854 were established to examine the arrangements for dealing with destitute and delinquent children, and to make recommendations.
"An Act for the relief of Destitute Children " [30 Victoria, Act No. 2, 1866] which was popularly known as the Industrial Schools Act of 1866 received assent on 12 September 1866 and came into force on 1 January 1867. (1)
Newcastle Reformatory
On 6 August 1867 the premises of the former Military Barracks in the City of Newcastle was proclaimed a "Public Industrial School" and the site was modified for the purpose. (2) Mrs Agnes King was appointed Matron of the Industrial School for Girls at Newcastle on 26 August 1867 (3) and she was officially appointed Superintendent on 22 September, 1867. (4)
The Institution provided minimal education, and little other activity and at a subsequent inquiry into the Newcastle Reformatory many girls complained that they were unoccupied. Neglected and 'uncontrollable' girls were not segregated. The period during which the reformatory was situated in Newcastle were very unsettled ones characterised by riots and unruly behaviour by the girls, criticism from the public, police intervention, a deputation to the Colonial Secretary in 1871, official inquiries and changes of leadership. (5) On 19 January 1869 part of the Industrial School site was proclaimed a Reformatory School for girls who had committed criminal offences. (6)
Biloela Public Industrial School for Girls, Cockatoo Island
On 26 May 1871 the former penitentiary situated on the western part of Cockatoo Island was proclaimed a Public Industrial School to be known as the Biloela Public Industrial School for Girls, (7) and a Superintendent and Matron were appointed. (8) On 20 July 1871 the Newcastle site ceased to be a Public Industrial School. (9) An inspection during the course of the Royal Commission into Public Charities of 1873-1874 found evidence of beatings of the girls by the Superintendent. (10) The incumbent Superintendent and Matron resigned on 29 November 1873 (11) and their positions remained vacant until 1 April 1875. (12)
The new Superintendent separated the senior and junior girls, encouraged and praised good behaviour, and under her direction the conduct of the girls improved. From this time, older girls who had proved themselves capable and reliable were able to enter service with their parents' permission, and a routine of domestic tasks, school lessons and recreational activity was introduced. (13)
The State Children Relief Act, 1881 [44 Victoria, Act No. 24, 1881] established the system of boarding-out destitute children, and this option was taken for some of the younger girls in the reformatory. (14)
Industrial School for Females, Parramatta
On 1 April 1887 the Governor proclaimed that the land and buildings in Fleet Street Parramatta, used as the Roman Catholic Orphan School until August 1886, be set apart as an Industrial School for Females. (15) On 9 May the girls were transferred there. (16)
From 1905 girls below eight years ceased to be committed to the School. The Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Act of 1905 [ Act No. 16,1905] changed the emphasis of the reformatory to concentrate on training and education as means of developing acceptable behaviour. (17)
Girls' Training Home, Parramatta
On 31 January 1912 under the provisions of the Neglected Children and Juvenile Offenders Act, 1905 the hospital section of the Parramatta Industrial School for Girls was proclaimed an Industrial School for female children, to be called "The Girl’s Training Home". (18) This Home was intended "for girls of an uncontrollable character, but not of immoral tendencies". (19) The Training Home was directed by the Superintendent, assisted by the Matron and other 'specially appointed officers'.
Parramatta Training School for Girls
On 16 August, 1946 by proclamation and in pursuance of section 49 of the Child Welfare Act, 1939 the Parramatta home was established and constituted as a school for the reception, detention, maintenance, discipline, education and training of young persons committed to such institutions. It was to be known as the Parramatta Training School for Girls. (20)
When there were serious riots at the Parramatta School in 1961 the decision was made to reclassify the girls there. The most difficult girls were sent to a newly established Institution for Girls at Hay. (21)
In 1974 the decision was taken to phase out the Parramatta Training School. (22) Reiby School in Campbelltown which opened on 3 August 1973 was intended to be the main girls' training school. (23) The newly-erected facility had accommodation for 100 residents.
Kamballa
On 7 March 1975 the former Girl's Training Home was proclaimed, under the Child Welfare Act, 1939 "a school for the reception, detention, maintenance, discipline, education and training of children and young persons committed to an institution to be known as 'Kamballa'. (24) Kamballa had opened on 31 October 1974 and took in its first girls in December 1974 and January 1975. The unit was designed to cater for the needs of girls found unsuitable for other training schools. The emphasis was on extensive counselling and individual development and the provision of vocational and educational opportunities. (25)
In May-June 1980 Kamballa's former premises were transferred to the Department of Corrective Services for conversion to the Norma Parker Centre. (26) Kamballa moved to the adjacent premises formerly occupied by the Taldree Remand Centre for boys. While Kamballa was situated next to the Taldree Remand Centre the two institutions shared administrative staff. (27)
Kamballa was closed in March 1983 and its functions were transferred to the Minda Remand Centre. (28)
Girls' Industrial School, La Perouse
On 12 October 1928 an area of five acres at Yarra Bay, La Perouse was proclaimed an Industrial School to be known as the Girls’ Industrial School, La Perouse, (29) with accommodation for about 50 girls. The first girls from the Training Home at Parramatta had been transferred there on 28 July 1927 under the care of a Matron. (30) Control of the La Perouse Training Home remained with the male Superintendent at the Girls’ Industrial School, Parramatta who visited several times a week. (31) Girls sent to La Perouse were admitted initially to the Industrial School at Parramatta. The school used the domestic science curriculum and emphasis was on training girls for domestic duties. (32) Discipline was more relaxed than at Parramatta. (33) When numbers fell dramatically the La Perouse school was closed. By 1940 the Girls’ Industrial School, Parramatta was the only government reform school for girls in New South Wales. (34)
Training School for Girls, Thornleigh
A Training School for Girls, Thornleigh was proclaimed opened on 28 October 1946. (35) It was proclaimed on 8 October 1948. (36) The School was a privileged home conducted in conjunction with the Parramatta Industrial School, for girls approaching the end of their sentences at Parramatta who had responded well to their training. The program at Thornleigh included training in household management and gardening, cultural appreciation and community contact. The school provided private accommodation for 28 girls in two specially built cottages. (37) From 1951 some girls attended work during the day. (38)
On 5 October 1962 "Ormond School" on the site of the Thornleigh Training School for Girls was proclaimed. (39) When the school opened on 16 November 1962 there was accommodation for 104 girls. The less experienced girls were removed from Parramatta and the population was therefore predominantly school-aged. (40) The buildings of the former Training School, Thornleigh became the Privilege Section of Ormond School. Ormond continued as a training school for girls until 1976 when it received boys from the Training School for Boys, Mittagong following the closure of that home. (41) The school closed in 1977 with the last residents leaving on 23 December 1977. (42)
In February 1980 Ormond re-opened as a week-day school for truants. The children returned to their homes at week-ends. Ormond closed in this capacity late in 1984.
The Ormond Regional Youth Centre opened in the premises in 1985. The purpose of the Centre was to provide assistance to children aged nine to 15 years who had been sentenced by the Courts or who entered voluntarily. Most of the children had serious schooling problems. The average period in residence was 20 weeks. (43)
Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.1, 1 January 1867, p.1.
2. NSW Government Gazette No.133, 6 August 1867, p.1835.
3. NSW Government Gazette No.145, 27 August 1867, p.2091.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.170, 1 October 1867, p.2427.
5. John Ramsland, Children of the Backlanes, Sydney, New South Wales University Press, 1986, pp.139-147.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.15, 22 January 1869, p.201.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.124, 26 May 1871, p.1135.
8. NSW Government Gazette No.124, 26 May 1871, p.1135.
9. NSW Government Gazette No.180, 21 July 1871, p.1605.
10. 2nd Report Public Charities Commission 1874, pp.192-193, Minutes of Evidence Nos. 6395-6427, in Votes and Proceedings of the Legislative Assembly, 1873-74, Vol. 6, pp.758-759.
11. New South Wales Blue Book for the year 1873, Sydney, Government Printer, 1874, p.23.
12. New South Wales Blue Book for the year 1874, Sydney, Government Printer, 1875, p.22.
13. Ramsland, op. cit., pp.200-201.
14. Ibid., pp.202-203.
15. NSW Government Gazette No.212, 7 April 1887, p.2497.
16. New South Wales Blue Book for the year 1887, Sydney, Government Printer, 1888, p.77.
17. Industrial School for Girls, Parramatta Report for the Year 1910 in NSW Votes and Proceedings Legislative Assembly, 1911-1912, Vol.2, p.383.
18. NSW Government Gazette No.19, 7 February 1912, p.769.
19. NSW Votes and Proceedings Legislative Assembly, 1911-1912, Vol.2, p.383. op. cit.
20. NSW Government Gazette No.90, 16 August 1946, p.1847.
21. Brian Boyle, The Child Welfare Schools: recollections of these unique schools and the men and women who taught in them often under considerable difficulty. Unpublished typescript, 1996 (held by State Records Library), pp.73-74.
22. Department of Youth and Community Services Report for Year Ended 30 June, 1974 p.7 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1974-75, Vol.5, p.653.
23. Ibid., pp.50, 52.
24. NSW Government Gazette No.42, 8 March 1975, p.807.
25. Department of Youth and Community Services, Report for the year ended 30 June 1975, pp.50-51, 70 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1976-77-78. Vol.12, pp.1180-11891, 1200; Department of Youth and Community Services, Report for the year ended 30 June 1978, pp.44, 65 in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1978-1979, pp.1332, 1353.
26. Disposal Recommendation 2612.
27. Disposal Recommendation 3790.
28. Disposal Recommendation 3788.
29. NSW Government Gazette No.142, 12 October 1928, p.4493.
30. Boyle, op. cit., pp.260-261.
31. Child Welfare Department Report for 1934 p.67 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1934-35, Vol.1, p.135.
32. Child Welfare Department Report, 1935-37, p.50 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1938-39-40, p. 959.
33. Child Welfare Department Report, 1932-35, p.8 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1935-36, Vol.1.
34. Boyle, op. cit., p.71.
35. Boyle, op.cit., p.447.
36. NSW Government Gazette No.119, 8 October 1948, p.2661.
37. Child Welfare Department Report for Year Ended 30 June, 1947, p.24 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1947-48, Vol.1, p.125.
38. Child Welfare Department Report for Year Ended 30 June, 1951, p.23 in NSW Parliamentary Papers,1950-51-52, p.481.
39. NSW Government Gazette No.96, 5 October 1962, p.2877.
40. Boyle, op. cit., pp.448-450.
41. Department of Youth and Community Services Report for Year Ended 30 June, 1976, p.9 in NSW Parliamentary Papers, 1976-77-78, Vol.12, p.1297.
42. Boyle, op. cit., p.451.
43. Ibid., pp.451-454.
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