Full description
Premises originally built as the Quarantine Station at Stockton in 1900 (1), were established as a Hospital for the Insane on 20 July 1910, (2) initially in order to provide “temporary residences for female patients of the quiet and chronic class”. (3) The first patients, aged between 20 and 60, arrived on 13 September 1910 with 6 female patients transferred from Kenmore Hospital for the Insane. A further 10 female patients were transferred from the overcrowded wards of Callan Park Hospital for the Insane on 15 September 1910. (4) James J. Fleming was appointed as the first Clerk and Storekeeper from 1 January 1911. (5) In 1919, the Medical Superintendent at Newcastle Mental Hospital, Robert Russell, was also the visiting Medical Superintendent to Stockton Mental Hospital. (6) Bernard M. Sampson was appointed as the first Medical Superintendent, 2nd Class on 1 January 1923 at Stockton. (7)
By mid 1956, Stockton was primarily an admitting hospital for female adult and juvenile patients who were considered ‘congenital defectives’, and there was also “a small number of chronic male and female patients.” (8) By 30 June 1956, there were 1,154 patients at the Hospital, and the grounds covered 100 acres. (9) By the 30 June 1960, the patient population at the Hospital had increased to 1,226. (10)
By the early 1970s, the facility was known as Stockton Hospital, and was moving towards “The objective of providing treatment and training for mentally retarded patients under the under the age of 16 years." It was also “becoming more involved with community services. In February 1973 a community services clinic was commenced offering services to retarded children and their parents in the Newcastle and Hunter Region.” (11)
Patients were admitted under the provisions of the Lunacy Act 1898 (Act No.45, 1898), and the Mental Health Act 1958 (Act No.45, 1958). Not until the Mental Health Act 1983 (Act No.178, 1983) was the definition of a mentally ill person specifically excluding anyone with a "developmental disability of mind.” (12)
In July 1989, responsibility for both Developmental Disability Services and the hospital was transferred from Health Department (AG 53) to the Department of Family and Community Services (later known as the Department of Community Services) (AG 114). The Hospital was also renamed the Stockton Centre. The main purpose of this administrative change was to apparently emphasize the difference between intellectual disability and mental illness. Therefore, responsibility for mental health remained with the Department of Health. (13)
By 1996, most of the residents at the Stockton Centre were intellectually disabled (to varying degrees). Some of the residents were also physically disabled. (14)
In April 2001, responsibility for Disability Services and the Stockton Centre were again transferred from the Department of Community Services to the newly created Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (AG 2107). (15)
The 2000s were marked by substantial progress both in the de-institutionalisation of and integration into the community of people with intellectual and physical disabilities. This was reflected in the progressive closure of Large Residential Centres for people with disabilities, which were under the control and management of Disability Services within the Department of Community Services, followed by the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care. In 2004 to 2005, the Department operated 15 Large Residential Centres which included the Stockton Centre. (16)
In May 2006, Stronger together: a new direction for Disability Services: 2006–2016 was launched by the Premier, Morris Iemma, and the Minister for Disability, John Della Bosca. (17) This plan gave “a clear commitment to close Large Residential Centres (LRCs) over time and to redevelop some LRCs as Specialist Support Services.” (18) By June 2006, eight of the Large Residential Centres had closed, and by mid 2007 preliminary planning work had commenced in relation to the remaining Large Residential Centres including Stockton. (19)
On 1 July 2009, responsibility for the Stockton Centre was again transferred from the (abolished) Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care to Ageing, Disability and Home Care, which was a branch of the newly created Department of Human Services. (20)
2010 marked the Centenary of the Stockton Centre which had “accommodated a wide variety of people since it opened, including women and men with an intellectual disability or mental illness, elderly women, and children with an intellectual disability.” (21)
In January 2011, the NSW State Government initially announced its intention to close the Stockton Centre by 2018, (22) but concerns were expressed by families of patients in the centre who wanted the Centre to remain open in order to care for their relatives, many of whom had been in the Centre for over 50 years and for whom it was the only home they had known. (23)
In February 2011, the Keneally Labour Government responded to these concerns by announcing that it had “guaranteed the Stockton Centre will remain in public ownership and that disability services will continue to be delivered on the site beyond 2018.” However, the NSW Government was “still committed to the closure of the outdated Stockton Centre and its replacement with more appropriate accommodation on-site and in the Hunter Region.” Consultations were to begin with relatives of the residents in the Centre. (24)
In April 2011, the newly elected O’Farrell-Stoner Coalition Government announced that it would be continuing the consultation process with families of Stockton residents, and also would be “looking at options to upgrade Newcastle's Stockton Residential Centre to ensure it could provide disability services well into the future.” The new Minister for Ageing and Disability, Andrew Constance “also said the government has no plans to close the centre in the future or sell off land to pay for upgrade.” (25)
From 4 April 2011, when the name of the Department of Human Services was changed, Ageing, Disability and Home Care became a branch of the Department of Family and Community Services. Ageing, Disability and Home Care still continued to administer Large Residential Centres such as the Stockton Centre. (26)
In 2011, The Stockton Centre formed one of the sites of the Hunter Residences which provided “ accommodation and support services for people with an intellectual and /or physical disability’’, and “provision of nursing care to people with complex support needs in area of multiple disability and behaviour intervention”. The Centre supplied accommodation for 450 people, and consisted of approximately 60 buildings including “accommodation, activity, and administration and support services buildings.” (27)
Note: Throughout this administrative history note, every care has been taken to use appropriate and respectful language to refer to the people who have called the Stockton Centre their home. However, the language that has been used historically to refer to people with either an Intellectual or Physical Disability or a Mental Illness may cause offence to some.
Endnotes
1. Ellmoos, L, Andersen, S (Oral Historian) Beneath the pines: a history of the Stockton Centre, Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services NSW, Sydney, 2010, pp.19-29; Inspector-General of the Insane, Report for the year ended 30 June 1910, pp. 1, 4 in New South Wales Parliamentary Papers 1911–1912, Third Session, Vol. 2, pp. 397, 400.
2. NSW Government Gazette No.112, 20 July 1910, p.3868; NSW Government Gazette No.115, 27 July 1910, p.3962.
3. Inspector-General of the Insane, Report for the year ended 30 June 1910, op. cit., p.4.
4. NRS 18470/1/1 Register of patients and admission book [Stockton Hospital], 1910-1935; Ellmoos, L, op. cit., p.28.
5. Public Service List, 1911, p.11.
6. Public Service List, 1919, p.14.
7. Public Service List, 1923, p.7.
8. Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals, Report for the year ended 30 June 1956, p.3 in New South Wales Parliamentary Papers 1957-1958, Third Session, Vol. 1, p.933.
9. Loc. cit.
10. Director of State Psychiatric Services, Report for the year ended 30 June 1960, p.4 in New South Wales Parliamentary Papers 1961–1962, Vol. 1, Fourth Session, p.1144.
11. NSW State Departmental Telephone Book, Dec 1975, Government Information and Sales Centre, Sydney,1975, p.135; Health Commission of NSW, Report for the year ended 30 June 1973, pp. 49-52 in New South Wales Parliamentary Papers 1973–1974, Vol. 2, pp.111-114.
12. Mental Health Act 1983 (Act No.178, 1983), s.5 (2) (f).
13. The Department of Health Annual Report 1989–1990, pp.8-9; Department of Community Service Annual Report 1991–1992, pp.8-41; New South Wales Government Directory 1989, Sixth Edition, pp.155-157, 163-165; Update Edition to the New South Wales Government Directory 1989, Seventh Edition, pp.164, 173-185; Ellmoos, L, op. cit., p.106.
14. Ellmoos, L, ibid. p.112.
15. Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (first) Annual Report 2000-2001, pp.1-14.
16. Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care Annual Report 2003-2004, pp.18-19; Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care Annual Report 2004-2005, p.15.
17. Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care Annual Report 2005-2006, p. 8.
18. Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care Annual Report 2007-2008, p.61.
19. Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care Annual Report 2005-2006, op.cit, p.17: Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care Annual Report 2006-2007, p.39.
20. Department of Human Services (first) Annual Report 2009-2010, pp.7, 73-75, 204, 282; Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352) cls. 12 and 13, notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009; ‘Our structure’ from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services Website http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about/our_structure (accessed 10 June 2011)
21. Ellmoos, L, op. cit, p.114; NRS 18470/1/1 - 18470/1/2 Register of patients and admission book [Stockton Hospital], 1910-1963; Speaker Ms Jodi Mc Kay, Private Members Statement regarding the Stockton Centre, Hansard and Papers, Legislative Assembly, 23 September 2010, p.26062 from the Parliament of New South Wales Website http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20100923031 (accessed 11 March 2011)
22. ABC News ‘ Newcastle’s Stockton Centre to close in 2018’ posted 31 January 2011, from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News Website, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/31/3125364.htm (Accessed 11 March 2011).
23. G.R, Newcastle Herald, ‘Petition to preserve disability centre’, posted 9 February 2011 from the Fairfax News store Website, News Store (accessed 11 March 2011); ABC News ‘ Government considering the future of the Stockton Centre, posted 9 February 2011 from the ABC News Website, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/09/3133754.htm (accessed 11 March 2011); ABC News ‘ Stockton Centre to remain open’, posted 10 February, 2011 from the ABC New Website, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/10/3134744.htm (accessed 11 March 2011).
24. Media Release, Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services,‘ Stockton Centre to remain in public ownership’ 9 February 2011 from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Human Services Website (accessed 11 March 2011). (Please note, due to a change in government copies of any ministerial press releases issued prior to 4 March 2011 are no longer available on this website).
25. Ministerial Media Release, Minister for Ageing and Minister for Disability Services, Andrew Constance, ‘Consultation on future of Stockton Centre Welcomed’ 21 April 2011, from the Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services Website, http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about/media_releases/ministerial/consultation_on_future_of_stockton_centre_welcomed (accessed 11 May 2011); ABC News ‘ Government considering the future of the Stockton Centre’, posted 27 April 2011 from the ABC News Website, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/27/3201505.htm (accessed 18 May 2011).
26. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184) cls. 34; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011: ‘Our structure’ , op. cit., from the Ageing, Disability And Home Care, Department of Family and Community Services Website.
27. ‘Affiliated Facilities, Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Stockton Centre, Hunter Residences’ from the Hunter New England Local Health Network Website, http://www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/32224/Stockton_Centre_Hunter_Residences.pdf (accessed 11 March 2011).
References
(1) Gorton, S Medicine and Madness: a social history of insanity in New South Wales 1880-1940, New South Wales University Press, Sydney, 1988.
(2) NSW Government Directories 1977-1999.
(3) NSW State Departmental Telephone Books/Government Phone Books 1967-1983.
(4) Public Service Lists 1910-1960.
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